FOR THE DIARY

Honorable Gentlemen,

The very interesting information contained in your card published in Monday’s Diary,1 and the very condescending Manner in which you have deigned to make the communication, demand the most submissive acknowledgments of all your fellow subjects. When the chief justice and a senator of the United States stoop so far, as to address themselves immediately to the people, who that is not callous to the sentiments of gratitude, does not perceive and confess the important obligation? Receive then dignified sir’s, the thanks due to you for so obligingly importing to us the very indecorous language used by Citizen Genet. But for you we should yet have been groping in the dark, and fatiguing ourselves with useless conjectures, and yet some captious people among us, take exception at your card. They say that after spending so many days, in the wording of it, they expected much fuller information respecting the ministers conduct; they ask in what manner this language was used, upon what occasion? Whether in writing, whether by word of mouth, whether they were addressed directly to the President, whether to his own republic, whether to his own family, whether to yourselves, (which appeared most probable, as you do not speak from information) whether to your friend the secretary of the treasury, or whether they were dropped (as some say) in a private table conversation. To silence these cavillers we tell them, you were not obliged to declare the whole truth, and that you have disclosed quite as much as the vulgar ought to know.

Others assert, there is a want of candor in your trying to palm the report on others: it must be confessed, there is a studied ambiguity in this particular, the card says, “That a report having reached this city you were asked so and so.” It took me half an hour to convince an obstinate antifederalist, that this expression contained no direct denial of your being the authors of it; that the phraseology was sufficiently clear for the well born, and that men in exalted stations, never aimed at being comprehended by those of plebeian understanding.

Another fellow, (as bad an antifederalist, as either of the former) pretended that you were ashamed of raising the report, because you wanted us to believe that you had been silent until applied to, on the subject—else why say “you were asked and answered so and so— This could not in every instance have been true” says this carper, “for the chief justice, on the morning Genet was expected, stopped an acquaintance of mine, and told him the whole story, although he was asked no questions about it.— Why you blockhead’ said I, “don’t you observe, that altho’ the card is calculated to make an illiterate person believe they had not volunteered this information, yet a man liberally and genteelly educated will easily discover on a third or fourth reading, that they had in some instances graciously made the communication, to persons who did not trouble themselves to ask any questions about it. It is well replied this creature you have satisfied me on this head, for I was busy and had made considerable progress in obtaining certificates, that the chief justice as soon as it was in contemplation to address Citizen Genet, became as busy as a bee in circulating the story, which with some weak persons had the desired effect.”

This impertinent fellow was scarcely dispatched, when another of the same antifederal stamp, strutted up and made his saucy remarks on your card. “Me thinks, says he, Jay and King, (for I protest he gave neither of you a title, which shocked my federal delicacy not a little) had better mind the business they are paid for than to propagate such idle tales against the minister of our good allies.” This was pronounced with a look so fierce and angry, that I dared not open my lips in your favor thro’ fear of being hustled out of the Coffee-house.

The moment this furious jackanapes stalked away, another ruder still stepped up, and with a temerity, assumed only by antifederalists, questioned even the purity of your motives.—“What end can it answer” said this impudent railer, “at this critical moment to provoke a war between France and America, by treating their Minister with open disrespect— Our papers teem with libels against him— Not content with anonymous scurrility, the officers of government come forward, and by ambiguous and dark innuendos endeavor to deprive him not only of public confidence, but of the common civilities of life— Had half as much been said of the English ambassador, the printers would have been prosecuted for a libel, and we should have seen the federal Judges as unanimous against them as they were in the case of poor Henfield—2 If Mr. Genet has acted improperly, in God’s name why don’t the President resent it? If the people are to judge him, why is not his offence more accurately defined— Surely they are not to give a verdict upon the loose jesuitical testimony already before them. For my own part,” continued this brawler, “I do not see what the people have to do with this business. While our government receives Mr. Genet as ambassador, it is indecent in others not to be civil to him. I can excuse our great officers of state who, except the President, hate the French revolution, for shewing their contempt of him, but I hope they will not be imitated by the republican sons of Columbia, who love liberty, and had rather fight for it than see France conquered.” This democrat then expatiated on liberty, republicanism, patriotism, national gratitude and good faith, and declaimed so loudly against monarchy, aristocracy, and slavery, that I am sure, good Sirs, you would have been as glad as myself to escape from his company without attempting a reply.

The object of this address, is to supplicate you to employ some person to attend daily at the Coffee House to explain your card, and to defend it against the contumerious3 and antifederal criticisms levelled against it.

I have only to assure you, noble Sirs, that I am not at all shaken in my anti republican principles, nor in my detestation of the French revolution and liberty, which so honorably distinguish our party.

I have the honor, honorable and well born Sirs, to be with all that obsequious4 respect which becometh an American subject, and with all suitable aristocratic devotion and submission, Your very obedient servant,