Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-12-29
i they are at war among themselves on the

curing it through the medium OF SO, 900
men have cost nothing? Is he SO confident
of this as to be able to pronounce positive
lily that the price is enormous! Does he
make no calculation on the hazard attend
hing this conflict! Is he sure the God OF
battles was enlisted on his sldess Were
| France and Spain under the auspices OF Bo-
naparte contemplate adversaries? Good as
the cause has, and great as my confidence
is in the courage of my countrymen, sure
iisI am that / shall never regret, as the gen
l4tlemen seems to do, that the experiment
was not made. am not in the habit, Mr..
/ President, on this floor, Of panegerizing
isthose who administered the government CT
this country. Their good works are their
best panegyrists, and of these my fellow
citizens are as competent to judge as
am; but If my opinion OF any consc-
I quence I.should be free to declare, that
this transaction from It's commencement to
! its close, net only as to the mode IN which
| it was pursued, butas to the object'atchiev-
ed, is one of the most splendid which the
+ annals of any nation can produce. To ac-
ouire an empire Of perhaps half the extent
of the one we possessed, from the most
powerful and warlike nation on earth,
without bloodshed, without the oppression
OF a single Individual, without in the least
| embarrassing the ordinary operationofy your
+ finances, and al this through the peaceful
forms Of negotiation, and in despite too
ofthe opposition of considerable portion
of the community, is an achievement of
which the archives of their predecessors
at least of those now in Office, cannot far
nIsh parallel
The same gentleman has toldvs, that. the &C.
QUESTION, will from It's e,ient, soon prove des-
,ructive to the conEederacy. Ebis continues
Mr.. B. is an cid AMI backneyed doctrine that
a republic cueht not 70 be extensive. But tic
gentleman has assumed two facts and then rea.
soncd from them. Frsr, that the extent is TOO
great and secondly, that the country will soon
be populated. / would ask, Sir, what is his
standard extent for republic How does he
come at that standard Our boundary is already
extensive. Would his standard extent be violated
by including the island of Orleans AID the Flo
ridas (! Ipfesume not, as all parties seem to
think their acqust in part or in the whole,
essential. Why nor then acquire territory on
the west as we'll as on tie cast SIDE of the Mssfs
sipp Is the Goddess of Liberty restrained by
water courses Is she governed by geographical
lines Is her dominion on this continent confined
to the east side Of the Mississippi $50 Far trom
believing IN the doctrine that republic ought to
be conhncd within narrow limfs, / believe on
the contrary that the more extensive its dcmni-
OF, the more safe and more sdlrablr it viii be-
In proportion TO the number of hands you intIust
the precious blessings Of free government to, in
the same proportion doyou multiply the chances
For their preseryations | entertain therefore no
fears for the confederacy on account Of It's ex-
tent. The American people too we'll kncW the
art of governing and of@beihg governed, to BE-
come rho victims of party factions rot domestic
tyranny. They nor only understand the ,ruc
theory ola free government, but as well uuder-
stand much rarcr thing The true art Of pratt.cing
it. Had great nation beyond the Atlantic, 50
often alluded TO by ONE gentlemen On this floor,
understood this practice but half as well as She
did the theory, very different result would hive
been produced by her revolution. believe, slt,
there are a SET Of general causes which operate |
IN every governments, and either exalt and suprcr
il, or else involve III ruiz. II any particular |
cause has destroyed tie gogernmeus Of county, |
some general cause has presided and produced
the min. Whenever that general cause shall ex. |
sr, i. matters fttle wbetie: the extent Of the re.
pu2!ic b great OF small, for is dsst:u tion,is
equally inevitable.
Bat is the immediate population Of thar COIN.
~ even admitting It's extent were t9o great, |
afceiiafy conisqaence, cannot the general ,oycra-
ment Ee!tfaln that population within fucn bounds
as may bcjadgsd proper? Let Vi not then, Gr, |
talmc 10 ouneises 10 much wisdom and tore!iqbt /
IN attempting TO decide upon things e.hich pro-