The ftale pretence, that the league against the French has been the cause of their inhuman conduct to each other, cannot, by the moft perverse sophistry, be applied to the island of St. Domingo. That fine rich colony was ruined, its fuperb capital and villas reduced to afhes, one half of its inhabitants maffacred, and the other half reduced to beggary, before an enemy ever appeared on the coaft. No: it is that fyftem of anarchy and blood that was celebrated at Birmingham, on the 14th of July, 1791, that has been the cause of all this murder and devastation.

Nor let the Doctor pretend that this could not be foreseen. It was forefeen, and foretold too, from the very moment a part of the deputies to the States General were permitted to call themselves a National Affembly. In proof of this, I could mention a dozen publications that came out under his own eye; but I shall content myself with giving a fhort extract from a speech in the British Parliament, which is the more proper on this occafion, as it was delivered but a few weeks before the period of the riots. "The "Americans," faid Mr. Burke, "have what was

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effentially neceffary for freedom: they have the phlegm of the good-tempered Englishmen-they "were fitted for republicans by a republican educa❝tion. Their revolution was not brought about

by bafe and degenerate crimes; nor did they over"turn a government for the purposes of anarchy; "but they raised a republic, as nearly representing "the British Government as it was poffible. They "did not run into the abfurdity of France, and by feizing on the rights of man, declare that the nation was to govern the nation, and Prince Prettyman "to govern Prince Prettyman*. There are in Ca"nada

* If this Gentleman could fee a rant published a few days ago by my old friends, the New-York Democratic Society, he would

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"nada many of the ancient inhabitants; will it be proper to give them the French Conftitution? In my opinion, there is not a fingle circumstance "that recommends the adoption of any part of it, "for the whole is abominably bad, the production of folly, not wisdom-of vice, not virtue; it contains "nothing but extremes, as diftant from each other as the poles-the parts are in eternal oppofition to "each other-it is founded on what is called the " rights of man; but, to my conviction, it is founded "on the wrongs of man; and I now hold in my "hand, an example of its effects on the French co"lonies. Domingo, Guadaloupe, and the other "French islands, were rich, happy, and growing "in ftrength and confequence, in fpite of the three "laft diftreffing wars, before they heard of the new "doctrine of the rights of man; but thefe rights "were no fooner arrived at the islands than any fpectator would have imagined that Pandora's box "had been opened, and that hell hád yawned out "difcord, murder, and every mitchief; for anarchy, "confufion, and bloodshed raged every where; it "was a general fummons for

"When the Affembly heard of these disorders, they "ordered troops to quell them; but it proves that "the troops have joined the infurgents, and mur"dered their commander. I look on the revolution

find that we are improved; and that Prince Prettyman is to govern Prince Prettyman, here as well as in France : "What," fay they, "fhall preferve public liberty, but the wisdom of an enlightened people? In every free ftate, the fovereignty is vested in the "people, and every individual is at once a legislator and a fovereign."

"with horror and deteftation; it is a revolution of "confummate folly, formed and maintained by every

"vice.'

But perhaps the Doctor's intenfe ftudies, "his con"tinual labours for the good of mankind," might not leave him time to pursue the debates of Parliament; however, we may fairly prefume, that he read the letters addreffed to himfelf; and if fo, he has read the following paffage: "You think that a neighbouring nation is emancipated from tyranny, and that a company of Englishmen may laudably exprefs their joy on the occafion. Were your pre"mises true, I would allow your conclufion. But let "us wait the event. Philofophers should not be "too credulous, or form their determinations too "rafhly. It is very poffible that all the magnifi

cent schemes of your auguft diet in France may "be fucceeded by a ridiculous, a villanous, or a bloody catafirophe."

Either he forefaw the confequences of the French revolution, or he did not forefee them: if he did not, he must confefs that his penetration was far inferior to that of his antagonists, and even to that of the multitude of his countrymen; for they all forefaw them. If he did foresee them, he ought to blush at being called the "friend of human happiness;" for, to forefee fuch dreadful calamities, and to form a deliberate plan for bringing them upon his country, he muft have a difpofition truly diabolical. If he did not foresee them, he must have an understanding little fuperior to that of an idiot; if he did, he muft have the heart of a Marat. Let him choose.

But it is pretty clear that he forefaw the confequences, or, at leaft, that he approves of them; for, as I have obferved above, he fent his fon into France, in the very midft of the maffacres, to requeft the honour of becoming a French Citizen; and in his anfwers to the addreffers at New-York, he takes

takes good care to exprefs his difapprobation of the war pursued by his country (which he calls an infatuation), because its manifeft tendency is to deftroy that hydra, that system of anarchy which is the primary cause. Befides, is not his emigration itself a convincing proof that his opinion ftill remains the fame? If he found himself mistaken, he would confefs his error: at leaft tacitly, by a change of conduct. Has he done this? No: the French revolution is his fyftem, and fooner than not see it established, I much queftion if he would not with pleasure fee the maffacre of all the human race.

Even fuppofe his intended plan of improvement had been the beft in the world, inftead of the worft, the people of England had certainly a right to reject it. He claims as an indubitable right, the right of thinking for others, and yet he will not permit the people of England to think for themselves. Paine fays, "What a whole nation wills, it has a right to do." Confequently, what a whole nation does not will, it has a right not to do. Rouffeau fays, "The majority of a people has a right to force the reft to be free:" but even the "infane Socrates of the National Affembly" has never, in all his abfurd reveries, had the folly to pretend, that a club of diffenting malcontents has a right to force a whole nation to be free. If the English choose to remain flaves, bigots, and idolaters, as the Doctor calls them, that was no bufinefs of his he had nothing to do with them. He fhould have let them alone; and perhaps in due time, the abufes of their Government would have come to that "natural termination," which, he trufts, "will guard against future abuses." But no, faid the Doctor, I will reform you-I will enlighten you-I will make you free. You fhall not, fay the people. But I will! fays the Doctor. By, fay the people, you shall not! "And when Ahithophel Jaw that his counsel was not followed, he faddled his

ass,

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afs, and arofe, and gat him home to his houfe, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himfelf, and died, and was buried in the fepulchre of his "father.

I now beg the reader's company, in a flight review of the addreffes delivered to the Doctor by the feveral patriotic focieties at New-York *.

It is no more than juftice to say of thefe addreffes, in the lump, that they are diftinguished for a certain barrennefs of thought and vulgarity of ftyle, which, were we not in poffeffion of the Doctor's answer, might be thought inimitable. If the parties were lefs known, one might be tempted to think that the addreffers were dull by concert; and that, by way of retaliation, the Doctor was refolved to be as dull as they. At least, if this was their defign, nobody will deny but they have fucceeded to admiration.

"The Governments of the old world," say the Democratic Society," are moft of them now bafely "combined to prevent the establishment of liberty "in France, and to effect the total deftruction of "the Rights of Man."

What! The Rights of Man yet? I thought that Liberty and Equality, the Rights of Man, and all that kind of political cant, had long been proved to be the groffeft impofition. Are there people in this country, and people who pretend to poffefs a fuperior degree of fagacity too, who are dolts enough to talk about French liberty, after what paffes under their eyes every day? Is not every Frenchman in the

* I. An address from the "Democratic Society." II. From the "Tammany Society."

III. From the "Affociated Teachers."

IV. From the "Republican Natives of Great Britain and Ire

land."

These addreffes, with the answers to them, having all appeared in the Gazettes, it will be ufelefs to give them at length here.