Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-05-14
aIeranorla anDertlser.
FRIDAY, May II.

4 T. =
il msy be proper at this point 10 paale-
TO take Retrospective view OF events,
and compareits meainres with thote OF It's
predeceaors. This view lhould be made
with calsnnefs and candor, as from It we
| fhould form our opinion, on whom IN fu-
ture to beaow cur confidence. II Will
not be fuficient, that the friends OF the al
nsiniRralioa prove that our htuatlon is as.
eligible & PROJECTS as bright as when they
came into power. They came in under the
pgetext of correcting abufes and curing palt
diforders. Have they accomplished fheie
objects, have they fulfilled their Promlfes,
is the natural enquiry to be made lfany
orc will take the pains of turning over
the pages of the Aurora, Chronicle, and
other papers engaged in the fame cauie,
for the two or three laf years OF the for
! mcr administration they will find US Ia
boring under all the evils, grooming under
all The burthens Of the mott defpotic com.
tries. We are there detcribed as oppFefled
with the defpotifm Of 2uaia and Turkey,
the bigotry and intolerance of Italy the
venaIify and corruption Of Si.,ain, the ex-
travagance Of England, the petty tyranny
and opprcGon Of Germany, united with
the complicated evils of French diretto-
ry. From theie dark and gloomy pic
lures, we were called upon, to look for
ward to the happy profpeets of a change
in administration, when intolerance and
opprefion fhould be bsnifhed from the land
when every groan ihould be haihed, every
tear wiped away, and nought bot the fong
of harmony and contentmeat fhould be
heard in the land.
Suppole the defcription Of cur former 4
tuation, though conrraditfed by every fur.
rounding object, be correct, let US ak, are
theevils under which we formerly groan-
ed removed? Has enc, OF. the numerous
predictions of the friends ofthe prefent adj
miniRration been fulfilled? We believe
we may confidently ailert, that they have
not. Have the wounds formerly inflicted
on the contribution been healed, and its
blood Rained pages purified : They have,
on the contrary, been made the pretext OF
deeper wounds, and itains Of deeper dye.
Have our rights and liberties been fecured
by new barriers They have rather become
more expofed to internal and external Vi
olence. Has the Administration of juitice
been rendered more pure and the Judges
made more independent So far from it,
thar the preient rulers have fought, thro'
the bowels of the contribution, the de&ruc-
ton Of this iecurity of our rights, this pal
ladium of oar fafety. Has party fpirit
and intolerance ceafed, or been banifhed
from cur councils. To anlwer this qucf-
ton, we need but refer TO the numerous
acts which have difgraced the executive
and diihonared our country. Have the
comforts of the poor been encrealed, and /
their taxes leaened Ought not theie
boafers, thefe ielf-named friends of the
poor 20 blufh at this quefion? When the
Establishment ofpeace, enabled the govern
ment to reduce the army and navy, and
decreaie lome ofthe taxes RATED for their
fupport, was it the neceaaries of the poor,
the hard earnings Of labor, that claimed
the 6rt attention9 Do the poor ride in
carriages? Do the poor ufe refined fugars'
Do the poor ule famps! Yet thele are
the tases that have been repealed, and q
Tiers on articles of necsiiity preferved.
IF we take more extsflded lev OF The
two administrations, We lhall find additl-
onal caufes Of praiie for the conduit of TIE
former, and eenflre Of the preient.
When the .federalifs hrit came into Of
flee they found the country exhibiting eve
ry mark Of poverty and di{tsefs. The
traces of thofe ravages Of the revolution