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infamous understrapper, of the still more infamous understrapper of the French directory. This being determined, let us now take a retrospective view of his former conduct, and by way of query. General Mason does not, and has not, your objections to the British treaty, arisen from the pleasing circumstance, as an honest man, of its obliging you to pay large sums of money due to the merchants of that nation?-Did not your premature disclosure of that treaty, contrary to your solemn obligation, arise from a hope that the efforts of the sons of anarchy and misrule might induce the executive not to ratify it?Have not you and your brothers, not forgetting Callender, your esteemed and worthy yoke fellow, ever since its ratification, been in the continued 'habit of abusing the constitution, the executive, and the majorities of both houses of Congress ? -Have you paid all your lawful debts?—and how did you settle with your fellow patriots, Clingman and M'Gaw, of honest memory, for the barrel of rum, which, as is the case when you can get it, you purchased on credit; and, after you had swigged it out, said it was New-England rum-Did not Clingman make you retreat into the ferry boat, and did not Georgetown shelter you and your infamy? Did you ever in a manly and spirited manner call to account any of the persons who have so often made your conduct the subject of animadversion? If you do not answer those queries, the public can; and the name of Joseph Smith will lose nothing by being compared with that of Stevens Thompson • Mason. One proof more of General Mason's love of truth, and a test for his courage. I am credibly informed, that he has publicly asserted that I signed the address to the President of the United States three several times. Now I

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do hereby make known and declare, that the above assertion of Stevens T. Mason, Esq. senator of the United States, and brigadier-general, is an infamous lie. JOSEPH SMITH.'

Was ever wretch sunk so low as this? Was ever nation so disgraced by its representatives? If this be a specimen of the good effects of universal suffrage, I believe it will find few advocates, except amongst the dregs of mankind.

What an infinite satisfaction it must be to such men as MASON and the HERO OF MUD FORT, to see these accounts of themselves in my paper, which they must know will bear their blasted characters to every district of America, to every island in the West-Indies, to Canada and Nova-Scotia, to every corner of the British empire, and over great part of the rest of the world!

To Peter Porcupine.-" Sir, you must have been informed, through the different newspapers of our city, that General Samuel Smith is a candidate in opposition to James Winchester, Esq. to represent this district in Congress; but there is one fact, to which you are probably a stranger, and which I think it my duty to make known to you, as it cannot with convenience to my feelings, be communicated through the medium of either of our public papers.

"I mean the infringement on the rights and liberty of the press, which hath been practised by General Smith, on the first commencement of his offering himself a candidate, in opposition to Mr. Winchester, by calling on the different Baltimore printers, and making them promise they would not suffer any pieces to appear in their papers without

having

having the real names of the authors. This I call an infringement of the liberty of the press, because it has a tendency to check that freedom of investigation and scrutiny to which the character of every candidate ought to be subject, especially where the candidate has resorted to the means practised by our gasconading general; such as calling the people together himself, and sounding to them his own praise, birth, fortune, bravery, and love of country,

&c. &c.

"But, artful and designing as he has been, and mean and pitiful as our printers must appear in the eyes of the public, in submitting to become either the slaves of party or the dupes of General Smith, whilst you are alive, and whilst you support a public press, I have the consoling hope, that you will as firmly support its freedom, and as strongly advocate the liberty of the press, as you will support the independence of our country and the government thereof.

"In effecting this object with our printers, the general must have contemplated two great ends, either to bring those men of reputation and character forward, who might oppose his election as objects of resentment and marks to be aimed at by the whole host of Baltimore Jacobins, who in their characters could not be rendered more filthy by being daubed-or deter those opposed to him in sentiment from opposing his election, and from diclosing his past conduct and his future hopes. I therefore beg, through the channel of your independent paper, to make known to the people at large a few sketches of the past conduct of our heroic gasconading Brigadier, that such of his constituents as are in the habit of reading your paper may behold him in his most shining colours; viz.

"His well-known fondness for clandestine commerce, and his frequent practice of packing quarter

casks

casks of gunpowder in the middle of flour barrels, and shipping them as barrels of flour to the French ports in the West-Indies.

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His declaring about the time that French depredations commenced with vigour, against the commerce of America, that if the French were to land in an hostile way, at North Point, he would not oppose them.

"His advising and recommending to some of the militia companies of Baltimore, to assemble and pay a congratulatory salute to the French Commodore Barney, at his lodgings, several days after he had arrived in Baltimore, and which was accordingly done.

"His handsome provision contract entered into with Commodore Barney, for supplying the French troops at Cape François, whilst he, General Smith, was a member of Congress.

"His obtaining from Commodore Barney, French protections, signed by Santhonax, Raymond, and Pascal to cover the property of himself and his friends, from being captured by the armed vessels and privateers of the French republic, when he was shipping the said property, and clearing it out for British ports, and making insurance against sea risk only.

"His strenuously advocating the French cause, and the Jacobin party in Congress, at the same time, when he was carrying on the above trade and practices.

"His gasconading harangues, at the different battalion meetings in Baltimore county, boasting of his acquired wealth, his bravery, his military and commercial abilities, and his love for the people,

&c.

"His unequalled effrontery in giving the lie to the certificates produced by Col. Howard, Col. O'Donnell, and Mr. Barry, and afterwards his acknowledge

knowledgement of the facts by them stated, by admitting the charges to be positively true.

"His illiberal abuse lavished out against those who have opposed his election, or exposed the inconsistency of his character.

"His unparalleled shiftings and twistings, in avoiding to answer in the affirmative, the question repeatedly put to him, "Are you, General Smith, "a decided friend to the government of the United "States, and its administration, and will you firmly support the Constitution?"

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"His late effort to secure his interest in the country, by going to a country church, and putting thirty dollars in the box thereof a handsome douceur in a remote and poor part of the country.

"This sketch of a few of General Smith's tricks, you will be pleased to give a place in your impartial paper, for the benefit of the unwary, and the detection of Jacobinism, and oblige

"A REAL AMERICAN.”

"Baltimore, Sept. 18, 1798."

Copies of Original Letters, recently written by Persons in Paris, to DR. PRIESTLEY, in America, taken on Board of a Neutral Vessel.

PREFACE.

London, May 14, 1798.

The letters of which the following are literal copies, were found on board of a Danish ship *,

* The Christiana, Nicholas Albosted, Master.

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