too much precipitancy." Let the friends of Zion and of order pause at this, and consider! Fifty thousand, eighteen years ago, of the most sagacious adepts in the wiles of Illuminism! that master-piece of Infidelity, and of infernal artifice, spread over the Christian world, in impious concert, to undermine religion, and every virtuous institution! "For the purpose of overturning the throne and the altar, they let loose at once those two dogs of hell, anarchy and atheism." Would so fair a field as America be shunned or overlooked by these agents of darkness? Would not a large portion of their attention be turned to this western hemisphere, which has been the envy of the old nations? None can doubt it. Recollect their object! "the promotion of revolutions, and the doctrines of Atheism." Their means are powerful; "bundles of lies;" as a chief of their own order described them;* subtility and all the craft, which party interest and local circumstances can suggest; or which the infernal dragon can devise; together with a fund of six millions of dollars, nineteen years ago, (and doubtless a sufficiency of millions since added) to bribe and to corrupt! If one sinner can "destroy much good," as inspiration asserts, what may not these united legions effect? Behold their caution, and their perseverance; creeping in disguise; urging on, or withdrawing, as circumstances may direct; and this for fifty years; rather than fail of success through too much precipitancy. Need we wonder, that Infidelity and other evils have unitedly increased? The effects of these agents of wickedness, and of disorganization, have been very visible: and they have placed in jeopardy our dearest interests.

No doubt since the exposure of the object and wiles of the Voltaire system of Infidelity, the exertion of its agents for concealment have been redoubled. But can we suppose their societies in our nation to have been annihilated? We have no reason thus to believe. It is far more probable, that their numbers are greatly increased; that their exertions have been stimulated by

See Robison's Proofs, p. 135.

their successes; and that their expectations are sanguine.

Antecedently to the development of the system of Illuminism, and while its agents were less on their guard, how evident and disgusting were the interfer. ences of French agents, in the affairs of our nation? We have not forgotten the conduct of Genet, their agent at Philadelphia, who appealed from our venerable Washington, then in the chair of the nation, to the people; representing him in a hateful light, as intriguing to deprive the people of their liberties. So impudent was his attempt to alienate the Americans from their own government, even from the first political father of the nation himself! Genet had previously at Geneva pursued the same detestable policy; which proved fatal to that incautious people. And the same abominable kind of agency has destroyed every republic, on the eastern side of the Atlantic; that of Lucca, Pisa, Venice, the thirteen republics of Switzerland, that of the Seven, Isles, of St. Marino, of Genoa, of the Netherlands, and all the free cities of Germany. But one republic, our own, remains on earth! Robespierre, in his rivalship with the Brissotine faction, exposed the real object of Genet's commission to America, in the following charge; "Genet, their minister at Philadelphia, made himself chief of a club there, and never ceased to make and to excite commotions, equally injurious to the government." For this conduct of Genet, his recall was procured by the firm patriotism of Washington. But this French Illuminee took up his residence in America. And we must naturally conjecture that his subsequent exertions were abundant; though conducted with greater caution.

The French became sensible, that greater caution was necessary in carrying on their schemes in America. But their object was not relinquished; as was evident from many things; particularly from Fauchet's intercepted letter, in 1795. In this that French minister, speaking on the insurrection in the western counties of Pennsylvania, says of those insurgents; "Republicans by principle, independent by character and situation,

they could not but accede with enthusiasm to the criminations, which we had sketched for them." Here we learn, from the French minister himself, that the western insurrection, which under the Washington adminstration disturbed and endangered the peace of our states, and cost the nation a million of dollars, originated in French agency; in the "criminations, which (says Fauchet) we had sketched for them." Will Americans forget this? Here is hinted the origin of our calamities. Could we at once see all, that the same agency, and the minions of their order have sketched with the same general design, it would no doubt give a striking view of the depravity of the human heart, and of the manner, in which Satan deceives the nations.

President Washington saw and lamented the preva lence of this hateful influence; as is evident from many things; particularly from the following extracts from his letters. In a letter of 1794, addressed to one of the first characters of our nation, (Mr. Jefferson,) he says; "As you have mentioned the subject yourself, it would not be frank, candid, or friendly (in me) to conceal, that your conduct has been represented as derogating from that opinion, which I conceived you entertained of me; that to your particular friends-you have described (me) and they have denounced me, as a person under a dangerous influence; and that if I would listen more to some other opinions, all would be well. Until the last year or two, I had no conception, that parties would, or even could go the lengths I have been witness to. Nor did I believe, until lately, that it was within the bounds of probability, hardly within those of possibility, that, while I was using my utmost exertions to estab lish a national character of our own, independent, as far as our obligations and justice would permit, of every nation on earth, and wished by steering a steady course to preserve this country from the horrors of desolating war, I should be accused of being an enemy to one nation, and subject to the influence of another. And to prove it, that every act of my administration would be tortured; and the grossest and most insidious misrepresentations of them would be made, by giving one

side only of a subject, and that too in such exaggerated and indecent terms, as could scarcely be applied to a Nero, to a notorious defaulter-or even to a common pickpocket. But enough of this. I have-gone further in the expression of my feelings, than I intend

ed."

In a letter to the Hon. Charles Carrol, in 1798, he says; "Although I highly approve of the measures taken by government, to place this country in a posture of defence, and even wish they had been more energetic; and shall be ready to obey its call, whenever it is made; yet I am not without hope, mad and intoxicated as the French are, that they will pause, before they take the last step. That they have been deceived in their calculations on the division of the people, and the pow erful support from their party, is reduced to a certainty; though it is somewhat equivocal still, whether that party, who have been the curse of this country!— may not be able to continue their delusion." Alas, they have continued it! Upon the Jay treaty, (under the operation of which, the country enjoyed the greatest prosperity; but which was most violently opposed by the opposition under the Washington administration, who have since been the ruling party in our country;) President Washington thus wrote, in a letter to the secretary of State; "There is too much reason to believe, from the pains that have been taken before, at, and since the advice of the Senate, respecting the treaty, that the prejudices against it are more general, than has been imagined. How should it be otherwise? when no stone has been left unturned, that could impress on the minds of the people the most arrant misrepresentations of facts: that their rights have not only been neglected, but absolutely sold:-that the benefits (of the treaty) are all on the side of Great Britain; and what seems to have more weight with them, (the opposition party) than all the rest, and has been more pressed, that the treaty was made with the design to oppress the French republic, and is contrary to every principle of gratitude and sound policy. If the treaty is ratified, the partizans of the French, or rather of war

and confusion," (Mark these words of the venerable Washington, O reader! uttered so many years since; and while he was in the chair of state, relative to the leaders of those, who styled themselves Republicans; and relative to their great hostility to the Jay treaty, which was found to be so advantageous to these States; and which prevented a rupture then with Britain, and a consequent alliance with France! Mark the words of our political Father.) "If the treaty is ratified, the partizans of the French, or rather of war and confusion, will excite them to hostile measures." President Washington made no stick here, and in other letters, at calling the leaders of democracy, "partizans of the French" And he even adds, "of war and confusion!" Had he not seen full evidence that they were thus, he never would have risked such suggestions. President Washington proceeds in his letter. "It is not to be inferred from hence, that I am or shall be disposed to quit the ground I have taken. (i. e. of peace with England, and strict neutrality.) For there is but one straight course; and that is to seek truth, and to pursue it steadily. But these things are mentioned to shew, that a close investigation of the subject is more than ever necessary; and that there are strong evidences of the necessity of the most circumspect conduct, in carrying the determinations of government into effect with prudence, as respects our own people."

In a letter to Mr. Jay, President Washington, (relative to those societies, which at first appeared very bold, and were set up in imitation of the French Jacobinic societies, and even took this name; but afterward became far more cautious,) that venerable patriot says, "That the self created societies, who have spread themselves over this country, have been laboring incessantly to sow the seeds of distrust, jealousy and of course, discontent; hoping thereby to effect some revolution in the government, is not unknown to you. That they have been the fomenters of the western insurrection, admits of no doubt." This was the rebellion, of which our present Secretary of the treasury was at the head; and to suppress which, President Washington raised