your labours and endeavours to share in the glory of your fuccefs.

The unanimity with which the members of this academy, as well as of the univerfity at Cambridge, and whole body of the clergy of this commonwealth (all fo happily connected together), are attached to the union of our American ftates, their conftitutions of government, and the federal adminiftration, is the happieft omen of the future peace, liberty, fafety, and profperity of our country. The rifing generations of Americans, the most promifing, and, perhaps, the most important youth which the human fpecies can boaft, educated in fuch principles, and under fuch examples, cannot fail to an fwer the high expectations which the world has formed of their future wifdoms, virtues, and energies

To fucceed in the adminiftration of the govern ment of the United States, after a citizen, whofe great talents, indefatigable exertions, and difinterefted patriotism, had carried the gratitude of his country and the applaufe of the world to the highest pitch, was indeed an arduous enterprise. It was not without much diffidence, and many anxious apprehenfions, that I engaged in the fervice; but it has been with inexpreffible gratitude and pleasure, that I have every where found, in my fellow-citizens, an almoft univerfal difpofition to alleviate the burden, as much as poffible, by the cheerful and generous fupport of their affectionate countenance and cordial approbation. Nothing of the kind has more tenderly touched me than the explicit fanction you have been pleased to exprefs of the measures I have hitherto adopted. Permit me, Gentlemen, to join in your fervent prayers, that the incomprehenfible Source of light and of power

* Bang! bang! bang! from the mouth of a forty-two pounder.

may

may direct us all, and crown with fuccefs all our efforts to promote the welfare of our country and the happiness of mankind. JOHN ADAMS.

French Impertinence.-Wherever the French get a footing in a foreign country, they immediately become most unbearably meddling and impertinent. They thruft their noses into every thing: they interfere in every public difpute or quarrel: they fide with the government against the people, or with the people against the government, as beft fuits their views. I do not confine myself to their conduct of the present day: I fpeak of it as a trait of their national character: there is not a State in Europe but has been, at fome time or other, agitated, if not convulfed, by their intrigues, their cabals, and their confpiracies.

A fingular anecdote refpecting the troublefomenefs of these meddling guefts is to be found in the Hiftory of the Court of King Charles I. of England.It is well known that his Queen was a Frenchwoman. When he went to England, she carried over with her a pretty confiderable troop, male and female, of her country-people; but they behaved in a manner that foon induced the King to write the following letters to his Prime Minifter, the Duke of Buckingham, which are copied from the originals in the British Museum.

" STEENIE,

LETTER I.

"I writ you by Ned Clarke, that I thought I would here have caufe anufe in fhorte tyme to put "away the Monfeers, either from their attempting "to fteal away my wyfe, or making plots among my

owen fubjects. I cannot fay certainlie whether it "was intended, but I am fure it is hindered.. For other, though I have good grounds to belife it, "and am ftill hunting after it, yet feeing daillie the "malitiousness

I 4

"malitioufness of the Monfeers, by making and "fomenting difcontents in my wyfe, I could tarie "no longer from adverticing you, that I mean to "cafier my Monfeers, having for this purpose fent you this other letter, that you may advertice the "Queen mother with my intention.

'

"So I reft

"Your faithfull conftant loving frende

"C. R."

The Duke, it would feem, did not immediately comply with his royal master's request, but expoftulated with him on the fubject; but the conduct of the Monfeers had got the better of the patience of the monarch, mild and placid as he was, and he wrote the Duke in the following peremptory ftyle:

" STEENIE,

LETTER II.

"I have received your letter by Dic Greme: this " is my anfwer-I command you to fend all the "French away to-morrow out of towne, if you "can by fayre means (but stike not long difputing), "etherwafe force them away like fo manie wyld "beaftes, untill ye have shipped them, and fo the "devil goe with them. Lett me heare no anfwer, "but of the performance of my command.

"So I reft

"Your conftant frende,

"C. R."

Would to God our worthy Prefident had fome Steenie, to whom he could write in this manner; for, except his having the good fortune not to have a French wife, he has as much reafon to hate the Monfeer race as ever poor Charles had.

THURSDAY, 7th SEPTEMBER.

Mr. Fleetwood's cruel Treatment-The day after this gentleman died, I made fome remarks on the

hard

hard and unmerciful treatment that had, to all appearance, brought him to an untimely grave. În confequence of these remarks, the feverity of which was levelled at the Governor's arbitrary proclamation, and at those who acted under it in the removal of Mr. Fleetwood, a gentleman of the Committee of Health thought it worth his while to affure me, that no force had been used, by order of that Committee, in the removal of any perfon whatever; and that, in the particular cafe of Mr. Fleetwood, his being removed againft his will was entirely owing to the woman of the house where he lodged, who, though The was offered a large fum of money to let him remain, declared to the health people, that, if they did not immediately remove him, fhe would put him out into the freet.

Had the gentleman who gave me this information been at the removal himself, my confidence in his veracity would have prevented any further inquiry into the matter, on my part; but, as I knew he was not present, and as I also knew, that the Committee were liable to be deceived as well as difobeyed by thofe in their employ, I refolved to feek a little further. I did fo, but in vain, till yesterday, when Dr. Blayney was fo obliging as to furnish me with the following brief narrative, which he autho rized me to publish in my Gazette.

“Dr. Blayney attended the late Mr. Fleetwood, "at Mrs. Baffett's, below the Swedes Church, "from Auguft 21ft, 12 o'clock, until the Tuesday "evening following, of a bilious inflammatory fe"ver, during which time he had no fymptoms of "malignant fever, or any dangerous fymptoms, "other than those commonly attendant on such a "complaint.

"Early on Wednesday morning, Dr. B. finding " himself too unwell to vifit Mr. Fleetwood, fent to "a friend of his to acquaint him of the circum"ftance.

66

"ftance. In the interim Dr. Church called, and "informed Dr. B. that, agreeable to the inftruc"tions of the Board of Health, he had been to see "Mr. Fleetwood, and that he had no alarming or dangerous fymptoms: that, as far as regarded the prevailing contagious fever, it could only be reported as a very doubtful cafe, but that, at this "time of general fufpicion, it would be proper to "remove Mr. F. to a more diftant fituation, and "that he would forbear reporting to the health"officer, to give Mr. Fleetwood's friends an opportunity of fo doing. Yet after all this, Dr. Church immediately went, and reported Mr. Fleetwood's cafe as a malignant fever; and fo far from giving "his friends an opportunity to remove him, gave an order for a cart to convey him to the hofpital.

"The immediate execution of this order, altoge❝ther prevented his friends from making any difpofitions, as intended; and though Mr. Fleet"wood himself offered five hundred dollars to be "fuffered to remain where he was, and further, "though a Captain Rice, then upon the spot, pro"pofed taking him to his houfe, till he could be "better provided-all was in vain, and to the hof"pital he was dragged.

"On my reprefenting Dr. Church's conduct, and "the cruel manner in which Mr. Fleetwood had "been treated, to the Board of Health, I was in"formed by the Chairman, that no order to treat

him in that manner had been given by the Board, as no compulsory measures were ever contemplated by them; but they could not be anfwerable for any ill conduct of thofe they employed."

Now, admitting Dr. Blayney's narrative to be correct, which we must do, till it be fatisfactorily proved to be otherwife, there remains but one fact to be af certained; which is, whether, in the forcible and inhuman removal of this unfortunate gentleman, the

woman