Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-06-09

The balance of ,hefe powers isno chime
rical arrangement. On the contrary, It
is obvious, that if the weak will not,
when neceiary, by confsderatlng toge-
tier. balance the force Of the arong, the
mott powerful fate will fabjef the rea.
This is what Rome did of old, and this
fle could NOT have done had the powers
then independent refolved TO maintain
this balance. Had PeEfeus, the king of
Macedon, the Achean and Etoiian con-
fedracies with the reit Of Greece which
they led, Antiochus king Of Syria, with
the maritime powers Of Carthage and
Rhodes, confederated for their common
defence, Rome would have forbmuc 70
attack either Of them, or would have fail
ed in the attempt, if fhe had. Infead Of
that, lhe attacked them one by one, maxi
ING ule ofthe fate lait fabdued as an ally
to iubdue the next. Thas fhe conquered
them all.
After this iummary of European politics
is completed, we may find leilure to pre-
TENT TO our readers di(cui1ion Of the quel4
ton, Which had the greatea means 10 OBJ
tain universal empire, Rome after the
conclufon of the Hann;balic war, or
Trance tince the late peace of Ruonparte
with Great Britain The fudy ofhlaory
cannot fail to enlarge the comprehension
of the popular mind, and to correct the
errors Of its judgment. All hfory will
thew, that great power never fails to IN
ip;re vaa ambition, and thatthe only fecari-
y for the liberty and independence of any
fate is It's own power to repel any attack.
In lhort, the errors Of the democratic
creed are on record, and the ttates Of
Greece will bear tefimony to the end Of
time; and it is tefimony not of one but
Of many who came flom the dead and are
not believed, that the power Of any Peo-
pie to be conqueror will not lie idle
and that free fates are ever fubje6ted by
an alliance Of traitor faction with the
conquerors.
France has tried this fcheme, with fuc-
cels, in Holland, Italy and Switzerland,
but, without fucccfs in Great Britain.
extremely material to the United
States, to confider whether this failure
was owing to temporary caufes, or to fuch
as are in tie nature and principles of the
Britilh government and character.
On the one hand it may be urged, that
the war routed fuch fpirit of relentment
againR France as haaed all the arts ofin.
trigue That her emiaaries could prattile:
Margaret, and the other patriots Of Bota-
ny Bay, who would have formed Britilh
convention to begin a revolution, were ex-
pofed no leis TO the hatred Of the people
than TO the rigors OF the law as foon as
holtilities commenced. Will the peace
then reGore TO France the rower of ftirring
up the rabble of London, Dublin and E.
dinburg : There is undoubtedly danger Of
it. But on other hand, the Britih gov
ernment, though favorable to liberty, is
energetic enough to keep faction down.
II may be ALTO remarked, thas faction can.
not prevail againlt any ftrong government
unleis it be that tlote who rule become
towards. 1t was the fancy to be popular
that dearoyed Louis 10Th, The govern
ment of Great Britain will not commit
that fatal mifake. The novelty Of the
French principles, as they are called is
worn OF. What once dazzled, row terri
des. The promile TO make a half naked
rabble all foyereigns has ended in making
that rabble common folders. lnfead of
a fceptre, each holds a mufquet. The in.
dufrious poor of England are not much in
danger of abfolute want, and the propen-
Cry to infurrettion is not great unlels in a
time of famine. This few millions to
buy wheat may prevent.
It can be no better than matter Of OPT.
mon, but we prelume to hazard it, that