INTRODUCTION. No one, who has been an attentive obferver of the violent and dangerous attempts which have been made, and are ftill making, against the Federal Conftitution, and confequently against the peace, profperity, and happiness of our country, can have failed to perceive, that they had their rife in the deception which has been fo industriously circulated through every part of the United States. It is not to be prefumed, indeed, that the leaders in this hoftile and formidable combination have been deceived: they have long been marfhalled and ready for the attack: but it is the delufion, which has been quietly fuffered to fteal its way among the people, that has called them into the field, and encouraged them to affault firft the outworks, and at laft the very citadel of our liberties and our lives. The fource of this delufion it is not difficult to discover: we have it continually before our eyes: I mean the public papers, and I speak with a very few exceptions. The General Government adopted the most effectual measures for facilitating the conveyance of information to every quarter of the Union, at the leaft poffible expenfe. Hence fubfcribers to papers were found in abundance; and the editors, ftriking off numerous impreffions, were, of course, enabled to furnish them at a low price. The intention B 2 of ' of the Government, as expreffed by the Prefident himself, was certainly the moft beneficent, that of fpreading true information and useful knowledge among all claffes of the community. But what has been the confequence? Exactly the contrary. The French revolution burfi forth like a volcano, and its devouring lava reached even us. The editors, perceiving the partiality of the moft numerous clafs of their fubfcribers for this revolution, and all the novel and wild principles it has given rife to, have been feduced, by the love of gain, to flatter that partiality, by extolling thofe principles at the expenfe of every thing, their own private intereft excepted. Their papers, which farm like fummer flies, are become the vehicles of faifehood in place of truth, of ignorance in place of knowledge. Like the tenebrificous ftars mentioned by a celebrated author, they fhed darkness in place of light. A veil has been carefully drawn over the diftreffes and horrors refulting from the anarchical fyftem of France; or, when this could not be done, when the editors have feared to be anticipated by their fellow-labourers, they have endeavoured to outvie each other in apologies for what ought to have been held up to deteftation, or, at leaft, as an awful leffon to ourselves. Every one, even of the most deftructive and impious acts of that pretended republic, has been trumpetted forth as the effect of a liberal and enlightened policy; while no infinuation, no fubtilty, no audacious falfehood, has been left uneffayed to thwart all the measures of our own mild and wife government, to disfigure its principles, and fever it from the affections of the people. To countervail the malignant efforts of these retailers has ever been my with; and, I hope, it will not not be thought prefumption in me, if I believe that the trifles from my pen which the public have honoured with their perufal, have, in fome flight degree, had the defired effect. But, alas! what can a ftraggling pamphlet, neceffarily confined to a fingle fubject, do againft a hundred thoufand volumes of mifcellaneous falfehood in folio? Their fheets, if extended, would more than cover the furface of our country. In oppofing a literary monfter like this, I am aware that a Porcupine, with all his quills, can never hope for complete fuccefs: but nothing can be accomplished without being begun I hope to call up abler hands to my aid: to me it will be a sufficient honour to have led the way. This I fhall attempt in a monthly work, of the fame bulk and price as the one which is here submitted to the public. In this work I fhall take a review of the political transactions of the past month; give an account of every democratic trick, whether of native growth, or imported from abroad; unravel the windings of the pretended patriots, and more particularly thofe of the flour-merchants; and I truft I thall be enabled to give monthly a sketch of political affairs more fatisfactory, because more correct, than has ever yet appeared in this country. These will be the leading objects; but I fhall exclude nothing not entirely foreign to the nature of the work, that may contribute to the use or amusement of my readers. The newspapers are fupported by fubfcription, and for that very reason the Cenfor fhall not. As long as people read, fo long fhall I write; and, when the bookfeller advertises me that the work lies on his fhelf, it will be a very good hint for me to draw in my quills. 23 Here, Here, then, begins a bellum eternum between the fabricating Quidnuncs and me.-There is my glove, gentlemen; take it up as foon as you will. You well know that your abufe will infinitely redound to my honour; and therefore, to filence me, by rendering my work fteril and uninteresting, you are reduced to the cruel neceffity of telling the truth. |