Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-02-01

ssiai.f ui.C. ti.St y l.!S .Shoss'', % ''o'
c.-dedaway : Francp. We might ok j
th4s coa3act On t.er parr, and The keeping
ii entirely .ecfe1 from US, was eTdei,cc oi
tricnaihip' But We fhali leave this topic
aod pats on to another OF more conie-
qaence. Has France given any aaurances
70 our government rejecting the po.nt IN
.il1ae? We pseiume not. Are we no; then
imperioaAyGgailed upon for every Poiiiose
pyecau,ion, while prscaution may yer be
of any fervice? Or are we to Delft from
attempting TO avert the evil with which
we feem to be threatened by two sormida
bic powers, I'LL il is TOO late &c avail our
felves Of ,hole advantages now III our POI.
FELTON,, and which, if taken n time, may
fruarate every dangerous de6gn3 In fuch
cafe we find the rule he, that 7O6ere Il
is imSaJFdir o, roo dangerous 10 zOzt fl, an
a6/oiate ctytainiy, qee nay al on a reGj9n-
able 5yc/umptiou. LA aanser, Jays
Va,teI, preients his piece at me 10 awood,
| am not yet certain that he dehgns TO kill
me but lhall I, in order to be convinced
of his de4ign, allow him to fire ; What
reafonable cafuiit will deny me right of
prevcntinghims But prefumption becomes
nearly equal to certainty, if the fovereigr,
who is on the point Of ring 70 an enor-
NOUS power, bas alrrady mqnJcatd an
aaiimiled Pride and inlaHadle am6ifiou."
II is for the administration TO Judge. whe
iher he who is now to come in,o pcnyiiion
has or has not manifefed an unlimited
pride and m/atiable am5ifiOn, which pro-
mites neither repoie nor fafety to any ma
ton whom he can once approach.
Again I" The interelts Of nations are
Of a very different Importance from thole
Of individuals The Chief Magiara;e is
not to be INDECENT or indifferent in the
care of them, or from generoiify to wave
his fulpicioEs. The whole nation lies a
take when il has powerful and ambitl-
Gus neighhor. As men are under necei.
fly of regulating themtelyes generally by
probabilities, ,heie probabilities claim
their attention in proportion to the imbor
fGuce eft5c Jubyet7, and TO make u(e of
geome.ricai exptellion, their rishs Of OBJ
waiting danger is in compound ratio G.
The degree of appearance and of The great
nefs of tie evil threatened. |. the quef:-
on be Of an evil eafy /affo,t0bh, Of a
Nsnde, loG, matters are not to be hurried;
! there is no great danger in delaying op
| petition to it till there is a certainty OF
or being tt,satenel. But, if the fsiety OF
the State lies at fake, we cannot exceed
in precaution and foreGght. Are we to
delay the averting of our ruin ulI it be
| comes inevitable If the appearances arr
| 70 esG!y credited, it is the lauis OF the
| neighbor who has betrayed his ambition
by flch indications.
g Its fill eafer to prove, tina, thould
| this formidable power betray any unjua
and ambitious d(rollfions by doing the
leaf injury TO another, the nation injured
IN y avail itfelf Of the location, in order
to reduce the ambitious power, ADD difa-
bleit from loeaGly opprei1ing its neis hbors,
or keeping them in continued awe and fear.
! Fer, an tnjxry gives a nation ri;gbfts
br9UIde for rs future /afrL, BY taxing a.
spay ham fbe voAlter the means ofoppysi.
| .FoA.
!" In fine, fhould this formidable pow
| er plainly entertain deGgns of cppreaion
and conqoea tfould il betray It's views
by preparations or otber motions, the
nelghooriog nation has an objectionable
right to prevent it. And if the fate of
war declares on our iide, turtbrr ,igbf
70 make ME effbis bapy opportunity far
qceak|uing and reducing a poqVer dangerous
to Tx common kbe,y.''*
Here we cannon avoid bringing into
view the Gtuation of the fares of Obio,
Keafael!ys zsnneDrr, and The AfllsEppiIer-
a L