Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-07-17

| iigioa--thc ELECTION Of Bonaparte as cot.
i'll far lys-and the reftoration Of the
fave trade.
After witnefing the immenfe pains that
have been taken by all the French Philo-
iophers and patriots, from Vol1aire,
D'Alembert and Didcrot, down to Tom
Paine, Robeipierre and Barras, to mifre-
preient and eradicate chriltianity--to cor
rupt the public opinion and morals nay,
even to abolih the worlhip Of Deity,
add TO fubNitute the principles and man.
ners of Paganifm il, its place /; it natural
ly excites attoniihment to fee the great
change which has been effected by the IN
auence and power of the frif Magifrate
of France. We might have iuppoied it
poaible that religion IN general would
have been recommended to the people as
the foundation of good morals and OF
pablo order, and thar alls tie different re-
liaioas denominations would have been pst
on a footing, in the fame manner in which
they are PAT in this country by the con-
ftitntion of the United States. But no
in direct violation of all thofe principles
which have been efablilsed and admitted
in France and America particular DAM
naat jst7 is taken under the patronage OF
goyernmsnt-an expenlive prietthood--a
privileged oraeri isl e&ablilhed, that will,
at all rifques, be continually aiming to
regain the wealth and influence it podtfsd
under the ancient regime.
A nealure 70 bold and 70 hottie to thoie
s7ual rights for which the French nation
have beeen thought TO contend, cannot
fail producing a high degree of difcon-
tent. The favorrdJea, regarding wha'
has been done, not as a favor but as fome..
thing lhort Of jgaee, will be anxious to in
creale their privileges and their property,
& will naturally ahociate themlelves with.
the royal9 parry, to overtuEn the repub-
lie and rettoie the monarchy-while thofe
various denominations of chrifians, who
are excluded from the favorof government,
will never ceale to cherilh degree ofen.
Wy towards the privileged feet, and Of re-
fen;c:ert againa afyfem, which, like a.
partial parent, unjuitly confines It's irniles
and its fayors to one branch of the family.
70 the injury ofall the ref.
Here then is meaiure, not founded on
the eternal rules Of juflice and found policy
which cannot be defended on the prin-
ciples of reafon and the public good, and
which mutt engender religious intolerance,
enss, difcontent and part, -ipirit. For
few years (lhould the life of Bonaparte
be ipared 70 long, thele difeonten:s and re-
ligious animoities may be repreiied but
the probability is, that they will one day
bura forth and renew thoie fcenes of civil
contention and miiery which have 70 often
been exhibited On that blood famed
ioiI.''
There are perons yet living in ibis
county, whole memories retain a i}rong
irnprsiion of the calamitous effects pro-
daced by arevocation ofthe ediet Of Nantz.
There are thoie who remember well the
periecution ofthe Hugenoss by the French
Hierarchy, and who, with horror, look
back &c thofe times when the proteitants
in France dare not openly celebrate their
worfhip, but were obliged to hold their
religious aaemblies at night, and in retir-
ed apartments of remote folitudes. How
much larger number Of fuch perfons mutt
there be in France, Whole approximations
will be greatly routed in consequence of
the re-sfabh16ment Of the Catholic religi-
on. In the ioath of France it was calcu-
lated, and 70 itated in the hrf National
Aaembly, that there were not lefs than
three millions Of protefants. During the
revolution, it's not likely that this num-
Der has diminilhed, as the departments
which they occupy have been the mott ex-
empt from internal diicord, and never fub-
jet to foreign invaGon. To all thefe, and
\ 4 Il r e