Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

The Gazette.

PHILADELPHIA

TUESDAY EVENING, July 18.

For the GAZETTE of the United States

REMARKS ON,

THE 'FEAST OF REASON

AT NEW-YORK.'

It is not pretended, that the Devils, after their expulsion from Heaven, held festivals to commemorate their descent into Hell the event was of too disastrous a nature to afford cause for merriment. 'But our accursed Jacobins, who, for impudence and wickedness, outstrip the Devils themselves, do not hesitate to assemble and rejoice at their own exclusion from the virtuous part of society, and to express their impious wishes, that all honest men might become Devils, or what is infinitely worse, Jacobins. Upon these occasions, however, the chair is never filled with one of the members of the society, but by some weak man, who, to gratify his ridiculous vanity, seeks for praise, where praise is censure. That this character is strictly applicable to General Gates, who presided at the feast, cannot be denied; he always entertained an opinion, in which he is now supported by the Jacobins, that to his marvellous exploits we are indebted for our independence. How far it is consistent with truth, to attribute the capture of Burgoyne's army exclusively to the good conduct of General Gates, is submitted to those persons, who recollect the able assistance he derived from a Lincoln, a Stark, and a Glover Nay, the laurels with which the patriots at New-York are so desirous of adorning the brows of their chairman, were culled in part by Benedict Arnold, whose health might have been drank at the Kintayokys without subjecting the company to the charge of inconsistency! Let it also be remembered, for the honor of those officers who commanded under General Gates at Saratoga, that they have never claimed any share of the glory he acquired at the battle of Camden.

The object of this feast it seems, was to afford his Grace the Duke of Chantilly, an opportunity of explaining in confidence to his bosom friends, the motives which governed his conduct during his mission to the five titular Kings of France. If his Grace has been accused of rendering his tedious and unthankful embassy profitable to himself if he has been suspected of exerting his abilities and influence to promote the views of the Directory—the mode taken to vindicate himself by appealing to the enemies of his country; I mean the United Irishmen, was truly unfortunate. No man can expect to cleanse himself from filth by plunging into a common sewer. But his Grace (who never does things by halves) being determined to justify the executive for recalling him ; he at the feast aforesaid, proposed the following toast as a proof of his firm attachment to the independence of the United States.—' Perpetual union between the republics of America and France.' Before we pronounce sentence however upon his Grace; it will be proper to enquire into the meaning of the word Union, as applicable to a political connection between two independent sovereign States. Does it imply alliance ? No. Does it signify harmony or friendship ? No. What then is the true signification of Union in the case now before us ? ONE AND INDIVISIBLE. When Scotland was united to England, it was called the Act of Union. When the convention by their decree, annexed Belgium and Savoy to France, it was styled the Union of Belgium and Savoy with France. Other examples might be cited if necessary ; but it is conceived, that those already quoted are sufficient to demonstrate the extreme solicitude on the part of his Grace, to relieve his countrymen from the trouble and vexation, incident to governing themselves.

The fifth and twelfth toasts roared out at the Feast of Reason, may be considered as two of the many instances, in which the genuine republicans of the North, when inspired by grog, have not only slapped themselves in the face but insulted their brethren of the South. The imprecation invoked upon the Demons of tyranny and the enemies of freedom, can only apply in this country to Jacobins and slave holders.

How the Patriots of New-York, who have no lamb now to prey upon, nor any hopes of extracting gold from sands, will find means to pay for their dinner is difficult to say—unless indeed the Tavern-keeper consents to take a bill on Victor Hugues, payable out of the proceeds of American cargoes condemned for trading under the sanction of treaties and the laws of nations.