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

the government on this fcore, the particn-
! lar circumstances in which the natiea Is
placed at different periods lhould be taken
into confederation.
The hrlt enquiry then, in the prelent
cafe, lhould be--what has been the cir
cumRances Of our country during the pc.
Rod now under contemplation? Has our
circumstances, as q nation, been iuch ilnce
Mr.. Ieherfon came into office, thar 60
vernment could have been juf;hed IN
fpending as much of the public money, as
was ufed in the fame length Of time under
Mr.. Adams /? Every candid man will an
fwer in the negative.
During thar. period Of time which Mr..
Adams was in Office, all Europe was IN
fate of the mott dreadful convulfon.-
France, Aulhed with victory was making
rapid ftfides to univesfal dominion. No
thing under providence but the naval pow
err ofGreat Britain ieemed 10 ffand in the
way and to prevent the execution OF their
gigantic icbenes. Our Commerce was
afailed. The property Of our Citizsns
was daily falling Prey TO authorized
robbers On the ocean. Our coafs-nay
or very bays were infected with thole
licenfed pirates. In this Fate of things,
to what meaf1res did our government re-
fort? They lay a humble iupplsant at the
feet ofFr4nce! One Embady after ano-
tier was rejected with naughty dlidaln-!
1t was time, full time, TO take mcafures OF
defence, unleia, indeed we had eholen TO
throw ourfelves into the arms Of the nary
fanged monitor, and GRACEFULLY TO receive
from ouresisfe, refubhr frasernal iqueeze.
Fortunately, however, for our country,
national degradation had not arrived TO
fnch pitch. Our public rulers, that is
ieryants, at that time were not fLch phllo-
fophers as they axe nowadays. No. al'er-
native remained but reGffance or uncondi-
tional fubmiGion. Such was our fitnasion
! when Congrefs paded law for building
| a navy and rating an army.
In the year SOC, which was the laif
year Mr.. Adams was in Office, things be-
gan to take a more favorable rurn for US
in Europe. Bonaparte had adumed the
government of France. He msniicfed q
| pacific dilpofition. A new ies of Enlbaf
fadors was ient by PRECEDENT Adams 10
treat with that Government. In the
mean time Mr.. Adams, in conformity
with law of Congrefs pafIcd at their laf
! leGion previous thereto, vefting him with
discretionary power for that purpole, dit
banded The army.
On the r3ih Sept. 1900 convention
was fgned at Paris between the Uoited
States and France. 1t arrived at the CT
ty of Wilmington while Congrefs was in
felton,, and was Immediately LAID before
the ienate, who ratified it with lome few
alterations, and iuch as was known woaio
be acceptable 10 the French Government.
Mr.. Adams Ggncd the infrunenr, and
Congrels paAed law fer reducing the
navy TO a peace eaabI!fhmenf. I" All
this was done before Mr.. Jeferlon came
in,o Office" | appeal to the journals OF
Congrefs may, might appeal TO every
we'll informed man in the nation, if this is
not a true fatement Of facts.
But Ieferion carried the law, for rednc-
ing the navy, into execution, lays this
unknown politician, and therefore to him
alone Il prefume is what he neans) and
not to them, who authorized ard Clothed
him with power for that purpofe, is due
all the praile Yes, he is entitled to about
as much credit for that a6t as my fefvart
would, to whom fhouId give the priyi
lege Of Ealing three fourths OF my Stock
OF FIorf,s or Caitle, and OF applying the
money to his own ufe, the fellow, If he
had common ftnfe, would not heatate TO
carry fuch an order into execution; no
more wonld Jef:rfon to fell the navy, as
the money, although il did not go dlfett-
Y - yba r,t,hI ir