they curfed the political world with anarchy. Inftead of fripping the altar of its falfe ornaments, they have entirely fubverted it; instead of burnishing the cross of Chrift, they have trodden it under foot; to make man virtuous, they have taught him that death is but eternal fleep; to make mankind enlightened, happy, and free, they have declared that there is no God! "Yet those whofe impious hands are join'd, Horrible infatuation! And this is the philofophy of the patriots and philanthropists of our days; this is the mode they pursue to reform the prefent degenerate state of man. God of our fathers! in whom we ftill truft; thou Rock of ages, eternal and unalterable! remove far from us thefe worft of curfes, which infinuate themselves under fuch specious but illufory appearances; grant us firength and refolution to dafh the poifoned chalice from our lips, left (more deleterious than the Circean cup) it render us debased like the brutes, and we become a hame and a reproach in the face of the world. Philadelphia, January 6. To Peter Porcupine. J. N. SIR, Laft evening I was fitting in a room with feve ral gentlemen of confiderable information, and all Americans, when your Gazette was thrown into the door. One of the company took it up, and faid, “Come, let us fee what PETER has to tell us this evening. -"I warrant you," faid another, "he has fomething extravagant enough, about the terrible Republic and his dear old England."-" No matter," replied the third, "we will hear him. I had rather bear with him in praifing his own native country, than fome of our baftard American printers, who are eternally celebrating the cruelties and murders of France, and degrading their own country and Government. If nature has any meaning, it ought to fhow itfelf in an attachment between thofe that are in the relation of parents and children; and next to this relation, is that more general political one which ought to exift in the hearts of all men, to the country and people of the fame community that gave them birth. This fentiment among the Romans was called patriotifm; and thofe who poffeffed it, patriots. Very different, indeed, from what is deemed patriotism now-a-days among the Americans, who call themfelves republicans and democrats. With these, none are patriots but such as prefer France to their own country; the French Government to that of the United States; the officers and adminiftrators of the former, though they get into office by fraud and blood, and keep themselves there by an unconftitutional union with the armies, to the officers and adminiftrators of the latter, though freely and conftitutionally elected by the people at large." The demo's may say what they will, continued he, about our connexions with France; he would acknowledge it always ftruck him like the marriages that fometimes take place between blacks and whites; there is fomething in it that must appear unnatural to every one who will examine it; and, excepting that it enabled America to put a happy termination to a very unnatural quarrel, which then exifted between them and their mother-country, it has and can be productive of no good. Hitherto France has only acted the part of a robber, who was called in to aid an honeft man in repelling a trefpaffer, and then cleared the house of all its furniture. The eyes of Americans begin to be open, the fooner this connexion is diffolved the better for the United States. He added, he would not take upon him to pronounce, that PETER gave good advice, when he recommended to America a treaty offenfive and defenfive with Great Britain. But what!" faid the one reading the paper, "do you with to revive that unnatural connexion with a nation who have endeavoured to fubdue us and make us their flaves ?-Nature forbids it!""The language," replied the one who had been interrupted, "that is ufually adopted on this fubject, by the falsehearted, France-devoted Americans, is the most abfurd, and contrary to the original meaning of words, that can be imagined." The fact is, that the war, which once exifted between England and America, was an unnatural one. It was a war between parents and children, brothers, fifters, and all the dear ties of nature and affection; while on the other hand, the connexion, if not the peace, that was cooked up with France, was equally repugnant to the principles of their governments, and natural affection of the two parties. The natural, original state of America and England is that of a family which ought to continue in peace and perpetual harmony. When diffenfions and mifunderftandings break out in families, every body but those who are inimical to their happiness, endeavours to reftore peace among the branches. It need not be added, because every body, the least acquainted with the hiftory of this fubject, already knows, that the original, natural ftate of France to this country isenmity. They only ceafed to use the fcalping-knife and tomahawk against us, after having wielded them for near a century and a half, that they might have us, as a nation, more completely under their defpotic control. It ought to be remembered, and it cannot be too often often repeated, that the quarrels, not the friendship, between parents and children-between mothercountries and their colonies, are unnatural; and the fooner they are made up and forgot, the better for both parties. Till this is done, and all deceitful, felf-interefied intermeddlers are fet at a proper dif tance, both will be uneafy, more or lefs, in an unnatural fituation. Different nations cannot mix together with much more harmony than different species of animals of hoftile qualities, though the individuals of two governments, fpringing from one common fource, may. There is hardly a fentiment or principle common to France and America. They do not speak the fame language-they do not adore the common Father of all. The French feem lately to have revolved from atheifm to the worship of a kind of republican demon. Their governments are at variance; the American is reprefentative and free, the French is a military defpotifm. The general difpofition of the people of thefe States leads them quietly to agriculture, commerce, and navigation, with their attendant arts. The French are led by unbounded ambition, to univerfal conqueft. Every nation they have had any thing to do with, they have robbed, and then reduced to the most abject fervitude. So much for the prefent, PETER. A. C. Dutch Prifoners. At Yarmouth, in England, it is faid, that a rich fubfcription had been made for the wounded failors and marines, and that fuch was the philanthropy of the fubfcribers, particularly the Quakers, they applied the money to the fervice of the Dutch as well as the English failors. All I can fay of this matter is, that if I had been an English fallor 1ailor in the hofpital, I would not have been a partaker with Nic Frog; and that, if thefe philanthropifts had fluck a plafter on my wound, I would have torn it off with indignation. I hate the citizens of the world and their indifcriminating benevolence. "I love my dog-you love yours." That's my motto. Who would not call a man an unnatural monster, that should profess to have the same affection for his neighbour's children as for his own? Yet let me day, that this is much more natural, than it is to receive, with the very fame kindnefs, thofe who were coming to ruin the country, and those who had ventured their lives in fruftrating their deftructive intentions. Befides, the people of Yarmouth ought to have recollected, that thefe Dutch fwabs were not an honourable foe, but a gang of ungrateful traitors to the Stadtholder, and the lawful States General; and that, to carefs them thus, was to encourage the malcontents at home to follow their example. What conftruction will thefe treacherous rafcals put upon this generofity? Why, they will fay (and not without fome apparent reafon) that it is an indication, that, had they effected an hoftile landing in England, the people would have received them as friends. I The word philanthropy has, like many others, been corrupted and debafed by the modern jargonifts. It means an affectionate tenderness for mankind; but never fill now was it thought to convey the idea of a blind, ftupid, gaping love for every one, good or bad, friend or foe, that comes within its reach. have known many of your philanthropic citizens of the world, and I am fure I never knew a good hufband, father, or mafter, amongst them. Their affection is fpread about over fuch a vaft furface, that their own families, who only of courfe come in for their due fhare, hardly perceive its influence. I know |