Class. 
 
 Ll2 
 
THE CRISIS: 
 
 AN APPEAt TO A 
 
 CANDID WOPvLD 
 
 ON THE 
 
 W A R 
 
 ENTERED INTO 
 
 BY THE UNITED STATES OF AIRIERTCA, 
 
 AGAINST 
 
 GREAT-BRITAIN AND HER DEPENDENCIES, 
 
 THE DERNIER RESORT IN DEFENCE OF AMERICAN INDE 
 PENDENCE ; NEGOCIATION, AND EVERY OTHER 
 PACIFIC MEASURE BEING FIRST TRIED, , 
 AND HAVING FAILED. 
 
 HECOMMENDED TO THE CONSIDERATION OF THE PEOPIE OP ESGIANU, THI 
 rilEIfCH EMPEROR, AI^D THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA IN PAHTICrtAR. 
 
 BY COLUMBUS. 
 
 *Ht**** ********* ******* 
 
The Crisis, &c. 
 
 VP^AR declared against England, suits the Republicans or 
 Democrats, as is said ; war against France, would suit the 
 Federalist and not the Republicans, as is also said. A 
 partiality for either nation by either party, in preference 
 to their native country and government, nothing can be 
 more erroneous ; at the same time nothing is more true 
 and undeniable, by the candid independent American, than 
 at the time of the adoption of the Constitution of the 
 United States, it had its advocates and opposers, which 
 was very natural; from this circumstance, our adminis- 
 trations of the general government, with the exception 
 of Washington's, have been party administrations. 
 
 The advocates for the adoption of the Constitution, dis- 
 tinguished by the name of Federalist, and its opposers by 
 the appellation of anti-federalist. Here began our divi- 
 sions ; and from this period you may date the commence- 
 ment of our civil wars ; not carried on with fire and sword, 
 as with the houses of York and Lancaster in England, 
 but with licentious neivspapers^pampfdets and handbills ; 
 thdr authors and devotees arrayed against each other to 
 obtain the object of their wishes. The contest being who 
 shall govern the good-natured, well-disposed sovereign 
 people^ who always mean well, and will act accordingly 
 if not misled, and who may be compared to the mighty 
 but docile Elephant, who suffers his keeper, a diminutive 
 two-legged animal, to command him to lie down and rise 
 g,t the sound of his voice; v.hen iu a snoment v."ith his 
 
elastic perboses, the weakest part of liis body, he could 
 brush from the f. ice of the earth this little despot, who he 
 permits to lord it over him. In this struggle to possess 
 the sovereign people, to become their keeper, to make 
 the most of them to answer the objects of contending am- 
 bitious dem.agogues; the national character, honour, 
 and interest has, in a great degree, been lost sight 
 of, and instead of being the first, has been but a se- 
 condary consideration ; of course, the national wodfare has 
 been the sport of foreign nations, particularly of the two 
 great belligerents, France and England; which has 
 brought us as a people into serious but not inextricable 
 difficulties. For this state of things the leaders of both 
 parties are equally blameable, and both belligerents 
 equally criminal, impolitic and unwise for violating the 
 rights of the American people, by taking the advantage of 
 the petty disreputable squabbles of their leaders in a con- 
 test, for the enjoyment of temporary power and dominion, 
 which has terminated in a war with one of the belligerents, 
 ivhich might have been expected as the natural result. A 
 war permitted by Divine Providence, it would appear, to 
 bring us back and bind us as a people to first principles : 
 having gone astray, we were fast sinking into despotism., 
 the common grave of all republics when governed by fac- 
 tion, and regulated by discord. When the people place 
 implicit confidence in an individual, or individuals, and not 
 in the const itutien of their country, and just and equal 
 laws erainating therefrom, the united will of the nation 
 for which we contended with Great-Britain as colonies, 
 and now contend vinth her as an independent nation, they 
 must fall. But when they place their trust in those 
 never-failing safeguards, their constitution and their laws, 
 
iheywill remain independent^ secure, and free as r peo- 
 ple. In the present, as in the former contest' with Eng- 
 land, if governed by first principle? and regulated by jus- 
 tice and humanity, our cause being of this sacred nature, 
 and act in concert as a united people, we must prevail — 
 failure is impossible. 
 
 In my humble opinion, as an individual, the war enter- 
 ed into with England has been provoked on her part, and, 
 is a war of self-defence. A war of necessity is just, there- 
 fore lawful. For my part, being engaged in the coloniel 
 struggle, as a native American, had the declaration of war 
 included France also, it would have been also just and 
 lawful; and I really wished it • but the government hav' 
 ing thought it the better policy to engage one of the bel- 
 ligerents at present, I am content to maintain the contest, 
 as it has been entered iutoby a majority of the people, in 
 their representative capacity, the voice of the nation, as de- 
 clared by the Constitution. I make no doubt, however, 
 before matters are fmally adjusted with England and 
 France, both parties will be satisfied of the impartiality of 
 the government, in her resentments towards both bellige- 
 rents, under similar insults and injuries from them both, 
 too long borne with by our government. France and 
 England have calculated on the imbecility of our govern- 
 ment, and the divisions of our citizens ; and have gone fur- 
 ther in their calculations on that imbecility and those di- 
 visions than the case will warrant, not knowing our true 
 character as a people. We may honestly ditler in our 
 opinions, and divide on the question who is most fit to be 
 our president, but we never can differ or divide on the ques- 
 tion whether England or France, or both, shall insult us 
 with impunity, di\id6, conquer, and parlritiou us as Poland. 
 
No, tbis would be a crime against God and yiainrcj and 
 trampling on the sacred ashes of the deceased patriot. — 
 JNIethinks, should we outrage heaven and earth by such 
 unparallelled guilt, the Supreme Beiiig would withdraw 
 the light of his countenance from creation, and chaos the 
 world, as the only punishment commeasurate with our 
 ingratitude to heaven as a nation. 
 
 Permit me, as an American, to express myself as such : 
 estranged from all parties, or political sectaries, and feeling, 
 I think, in the present crisis as an American should feel ; 
 one common interest, one common concern for the nation ; 
 one who only fears doing wrong, one who believes death is 
 a less evil than life, in slavery and disgrace ; whether ap- 
 plicable to individuals or nations ; one who would rather 
 die a freeman tlian live a slave; without the fear of 
 contradiction I may venture to say, I speak the sentiments 
 and feelings of nine-tenths of native Americans of all po- 
 litical sectaries, as to the justice, propriety, and unavoida- 
 ble necessity of the present war, party spirit to the 
 country notwithstanding. Under this inipression I 
 would have France and England both to be assured of 
 this solemn truth, that they will fmd the American peo- 
 ple, in defence of their just rights and independence, as a 
 nation, one and indivisible ; and with one heart and one 
 voice, \\'\\\ support and defend the government of their 
 choice at every hazard, whether administered by Federal- 
 ists or Republicans; being all Federalists and Republi- 
 cans in this respect. 
 
 Disti7iciio)is, viischievoiis distinctions, raised and kept 
 up by ambitious, juggling politicians, as a political mist 
 to blind the eyes of the people, the better to deceive and 
 mislead them, to obtain power and place; in which design 
 
7 
 
 the artful have been too successful ; and France and Eng- 
 land deceived as to the real character of the people of 
 America; if they calculated on divisions in our country 
 crowine out of those distinctions being any thing more 
 than superficial. England, take this for granted, for the 
 wrongs you have committed against America, if you flat- 
 ter yourself that the Federalists, as a party, from partial- 
 ity towards you, will not demand and obtain a redress for 
 those wrongs when in power ; you have mistaken their 
 true character as a party. And France may also rest 
 assured, that the Republicans or democrats, as a partj- , 
 will unite with the Federalists when in power to obtain a 
 redress fur wrongs and injuries committed by France. — 
 This must be the conduct of both parties in America, in a 
 dispute with foreign powers, or the people must give up 
 their government and independence. 
 
 The Corsican tyrant, perjured Frenchmen's master, 
 who swore as a people never to submit to a royal govern- 
 ment, have submitted to Bonaparte, the destroyer of na- 
 tions, plunderer of American commerce, and would be 
 conqueror of the world ; need not falicitate himself with 
 our declaration of war against England, from partiality tor 
 wards France. We know and feel the injurious effects of 
 his robberies, and the maltreatment of our defenceless 
 citizens ; he shall not escape our just indignation, and 
 claims upon him for retribution : no, the moment England 
 has done us justice, I would, to obtain that same justice 
 from France, draw the sword and swear to heaven never to 
 sheathe it till obtained. Our war with England will 
 soon terminate in a peace ; it is not a war of ambition, and 
 for conquest, but to maintain our rights as peaceable neu- 
 trals, to obtain that common justice which individuals havfe 
 
a right to demand one ot another by hw, under the respec- 
 ti\ e civil governments in which they live. The same jus- 
 tice we .demand as a nation, under the laws of nations ; 
 but having no other appeal but to the sword to obtain it, 
 remo.istrance and negociation having been treated by the 
 beiJigerenn with contempt, and construed into cowardice 
 and i.;ability on the part of the American government, 
 
 A change in the British ministry, with a Chatham's prin- 
 ciples at the head, the real friend and advocate of the true 
 interest and real defender of EngHsh liberty and American 
 riglils, Vv'ili settle and speedily adjust the unhappy differ- 
 ences between the two countries. 
 
 Nothing short of England's beii'g governed and directed 
 by the wisdom and virtue of the eider Pitt, ai this critical 
 moment, can save from desiruction the British govern- 
 ment. Had the wisdom and policy of lord Chatham 
 been pursued, it would have preserved the American col- 
 onies to the crown of Britain, and can now only save and 
 preserve to Englishmen their chartered rights. If adopted 
 by the new ministry, Chatham's policy will blast all Bona- 
 parte's ambitious designs to destroy the freedom and inde- 
 pendence of the two countries, his grand aim and object. 
 If the Corsican usurper and imperial tyrant of France 
 should resent ^\merica's making a speedy peace with Eng- 
 land, such a peace as an independent government thinks 
 proper to make with England, or any other power, Amer- 
 ica and England can limit tlie French tyrant to the natural 
 boundaries of France, to rule and tyrannize over French- 
 men solely, who would in less than three years destroy the 
 tyrant, if to bear the weight of his despotism only. In a 
 word, situated as France and England are, and ever have 
 been, in hostility with each other ; friendship with the 
 
one nation is piesumed enmity with the other, and yet no- 
 thing is more incorrect ; as to the real disposition of Amer- 
 ica towards France and England. America obtained her in- 
 dependence at every sacrilice,and wished to enjoy it in peace 
 with all the world. Like a young beginner, she endeavor- 
 ed to cultivate an acquaintance and secure the friendship 
 of all nations, not the savage nations excepted ; and by her 
 industry and enterprize in this pacific course, to recover 
 the wealth she had lost, and to repair the waste the havoc 
 of war had made in her revolutionary struggle in defence 
 of her just rights, which resulted in her independence as a 
 nation ; to maintain which, assumed a neutral character, 
 as the most prudent step to secure this desirable and all- 
 important end ; thinking, vainly thinking to live in peace 
 and harmony with all nations, and even with the two great 
 contending nations, France and England; who, when 
 pressed in their conflicts with each other, unjustly expect- 
 ed to be partially favoured by America. England, be- 
 cause as she pretended was fighting the battles of the 
 world, in favour of the emancipation of Europe, chained 
 down by Bonaparte on land ; and France, as she pre- 
 tended, was fighting the battles of the world, in defence of 
 the rights of nations on the ocean from which defenceless 
 nations were excluded by the despotism, and irresistible 
 navy of England, when in truth and in fact, each of the 
 belligerents, under false colours, were contending for uni- 
 versal dominion, regardless of all the rest of the world, 
 and sacrificing on the altar of vile ambition, the independ- 
 ence, interest and feelings of every nation who attempted 
 to resist this hellish thirst and passion for wealth and pow- 
 er. America attempting under such circumstances to 
 
 maintain equal and exact justice to both belligerents in 
 
 B 
 
10 
 
 particular, and the rest of the nations in general, has been 
 treated by both France and England in return, with insult 
 and injustice, a natural consequence ; and to be expected 
 in a contest between ambitious princes, contending for 
 power and universal dominion, there being no such thing 
 as friendship and gratitude between nations who are go- 
 verned only by policy, the go\ erniiig principle of all na- 
 tions, which truth, the experience of ages has long since 
 established beyond the possibility of refutation. The only 
 safeguard nations have is in the maintainance of their inde- 
 pendence untrammelled with intangling alliances, relying 
 upan themselves and possessing boldness and ability to 
 defend that independence, and all it lawfully and justly 
 embraces at every hazard ; and on the first attack to resist 
 the first invader be he whom he may, at the threshold of 
 the ark of their liberty. France and England may rest 
 assured of this solemn truth ; as Americans, though we 
 prefer a slate of peace, to that of war, the genius of our 
 government, the disposition of the people, and a just poli- 
 cy dictating that preference. Yet if we cannot enjoy this 
 blessing, without a sacrifice of our independence as a na- 
 tion ; and remain secure in the enjoyment of our rights 
 and privileges, as a free people, we can, we will fight and 
 spill the last drop of blood, to maintain and defend those 
 rights. If the American people divide on the choice of 
 candidates most fit to be entrusted with the administration 
 of their government, this is not the concern of England or 
 France ; but their own, and not the business of any othei 
 nation or people under heaven. I have observed, I had 
 estranged myself from all political sectaries ; more proper 
 ly speaking, I never was in principle connected with either 
 of them : my devotion is, and ever has been to my country 
 
11 
 
 from the commencement of the glorious struggle of Ameri- 
 ca in opposition to the unjustifiable pretence of Brittain to 
 bind her in all cases whatsoever ; which terminated in our 
 independence, the adoption of a free constitution, and the 
 establishment of a government, if virtuously administered, 
 the best, last, and only hope, of the rational advocates of 
 political and civil liberty. In a few words, my creed is 
 that sense of liberty tested by just and equal laws, in op- 
 position to the will of a tyrant or tyrants, governing by 
 caprice and oppressing mankind, rtgardless of all law ; 
 for where there is no legal restraint, there can be no liber- 
 ty in civil society ; an other article in my creed is, where 
 the greatest regard is paid by men in church or state to 
 justice, mercy, truth and humanity, proven by practice ; 
 those men I prefer as associates, called by whatsoever 
 name they may be, by designing knaves and their piteable 
 tools : these principles I have, and hope I ever shall be 
 governed by while in this v,^orld of strife. But when a 
 war is commenced against the violators of our rights as a 
 people, and our independence as a nation, by the govern- 
 ment of our choice, which ever party or sectary happens to 
 be in power, one and all, have solemnly and constitution- 
 ally pledged themselves to defend their country ; there- 
 fore let him not shrink from his duty, or desert her in the 
 day of trial. Who would not as an American, rather die 
 a freeman than live under any other sovereignty than the 
 sovereignty of the constitution, and the laws of the peo- 
 ple's own making, by their representatives freely chosen ; 
 the greatest possible freedom a nation can enjoy. 
 
^/,^ 
 
 
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