Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-12-11
REFLECTIONS ON THE PEACE.
NUMB Err l..

The preliminaries lately publ;fhed hav-
ing afcertained the terms of the peace be-
tween Great Britain and France, we are
naturally led to reject upon Its probable
confequences. This important event pre-
tents three int=-cs;ts qaetions: How
will it effect our own country How the
immediate parties! What will be It's et-
fesfs upon the civilized world at large? !.
Competent amweIs TO theis qaeitions
would exerciie the mott penetrating and
comprehensive mind. Such an und.rtak-
ing, at this time, would be, not only too
arduous, but would exceed our limits; it
will not even be attempted. Indeed any
anfwers that could be given would preba-
bly, afford but little fatisfattion to thofe
who have learnt how to climate the diff
fcuIty of lcanning the future operations Of
new and great occurrences IN the affairs OF
aations Especially thoie which have 70
materially varied the moral and political
apee Of the world.
Our readers will therefore execute US if
we confne ourielYes to fone general OBJ
{ervations.
AS to our o7vm GENTRY, we feel conf
dent in the opinion, that when We are not
implicated as parties, foreign war or
peace can have but very partial and
sranfient influence on our affairs. The
great concern of every true American is,
chat our country @suH be 7.sN governed;
Whit this is the cafe its natural advanta-
ges and youthful energies mutt enfure
regular and progreflive career of PROPERTY.
II may be atked, will not peace, by qui-
citing the turbulen. pailioos of Europe, and
arreRing their reaction upon US, afford a
fairer chance for Our being we'll governed?
It's devoutly to be wiihed that this may
be 70; yet we fear to indulge very fan
guine expectations that it will have much
influence; it will more depend upon the
intrindc principles of our government it.
felf; on the temper and character of our
nation, and on the particular temper and cha
racter of our immediate rulers. five Go not
End cauie for felicitation in the one or the
other of thele points our national horizon
will prefent a gloomy peripeetive, not
likely to be much frightened by the dit
tan. beams of European peace. /.
However ienfible we may be that the
humors which have for fome time been TO-
mensing in our body polite, have derived
aliment from the other fde of the Allan
tic; YET we are far from feeling certain,
that peace will afford corrective.
The petition of Francs is fill an enig-
ma of which we difcern no certain foluti-
on; that of Great Britain is iingularly
critical-and the RET Of Europe labors
with porten,ous throes. Our paaions
will not ceafe to interef themlelves in
what is pafing in that quarter OF the globe;
and whether the impulfe they will Continue
to receive from thence, hall be beneficial
or pernicious, will probably depend on
che prevalence Of good or i'll examples
there. On this fcore, we have too much
rcaton to acknowledge that our fears pre-
pon6erate. We can hardly aatter our
ielves that the elements of diforder which
have been 70 long engendering, have al
ready exhauGed their force-hardly dare
we hope that taJ. bbI9jop!y has yet been
efadisated or deprived of It's venom.
As to our agriculture, our commerce,
our navigation, it mutt be admitted that
they will receive temporary Check
There can be no doubt but that from our
late hsuation, eGentially neutral, all thefe,
notwithstanding the depreda.icus to which
we have been expoied from the belligerent
powers, have been very much extended.
New branches Of trade were laid open
to us by the war, and we have been the
carriers for thofe who will now begin to
carry for .them5elves. But the fate in
which principa'lpars in Eurcpeis left By
awar exhaueing beyond al. modern ex-
ample, will permi, US fill tore.ain por-
tion of thofe adven,itious refources, and
will let rs aozva with more gradual and 4
gentle deicent. 1t may be fairly pre-
Tuned that France and Spain, Especially
the former, will continue to want our
ihipping, and will either by Of US Our
furplus of that article, or fer a ccn6dera-
bic time to come will essslsy It on good