Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-08-30

59v will Justify. theNSoundest basis Whereon
speculative opinion can be grounded.
The territory ofth United States, as
has been observed and IameHted by The late
General Washington, 10 his Farewell Adj
dress to the Citixers, has been characterize
ed by three geographical descriptions OF the
Northern, the Southern, and the Western
divisions. The Inhabitants Of the latter
have, in two instances, sheWn IN intracta-
bility aad desire(o separate from those
Of the tW6sformer, and have been retained
only by trrcs, vhich-is gate incompatible
win The Doctrine oi "A Unian fcundcji on
nllSs lai convenience and pgfitv. Io.pre-
vent their breaking out into an oper revolt,
government has been uece&siated to IN
crease an alreadytoo large extent Of terri
tory, and to break through their nacurai
boundary, such as to. ever5' one must APP
pear to BE that Of the Mississippi on the
western side. They have been combellrd
to purchase an immense tract CT land lor
which they can have no rea' use, and which
must prove 81 incumbrance although the
acquisition Of il mas cost the northern and
southern divisions, on which the ezpence
must ultimately fall without deriving any
ben, fit from it, the sun1 oi sixteen millions
Of dollars. Can II be wondered az, chat
such 2 measure Of inutlIIty and expence
should have created, as II has, great tsai
Of opposition on their part? Certainly not.
I'hr vast extent Of the United States was
already detrimental &c them, because it drew
off ana Scattered the population and njgli-
rated aGaiast ies Improvement and security,
which were onlv TO be attended By stated
settlement. Eiultitodes daily locked 10
the Wesf, and increased the strength Of
those who we're ttisaaected TO, and evident
" discovered an intention OF Withdrawing
themselves from tbs Union. 1t was there
fore a matter 81 serious consideration for
the government, whether it was not more
political even to have given up the western
territory, which was unmanageable, thanto
have. added to 1t at & vast eXpence ct the
eastern, over which they had perfect CON-
mand. As Washington in his Farewell Adj
duess Justly observes, 1t is the unity Of
government which is the main pillar in
the edifce Of the real Independence OF the
United States the support oftheir tranqui-
iity at home, and their peace abroad: of
their safety, CT their prosperity, OF that Ii
berty which we so highly prize" Was it
not then madness TO add to the magnitude
Of that ed3hce, whose magnitude before
threatened It's falling TO pieces? Lopisi-
ana has not only added to magnitude, but
destroyed the compactness Of the United
states, without which Union cannot sub
si3t. Each statenust be SO situated rela-
t.Velv to the oshers, as to draw mutual
sene6t from the union Of tae whele. Lori-
slana is totally distinct from, and must re-
tbei Prove q clog than 81 advantage to the
JGtcd Sta:vs. If the government was
ofopiuion that tl,esiree navigatioE o. the
Mississippi was naispeusable to their n-
terest, it woald have b1en Infinitely better
for them and SPAN 10 have treatedslor the
pBrch@se of the Fofidas, which would
have given that a.yantage, ard have per
tected the affendfysea,rnt OF the United
STATES. without atforlling any cause of iea-
lousy 10 SPAN. The Mississippi would
then have been an etfectual and unquiys-
cal boundary TO both but there is now no
boundary between them but an imaginary
None, & the consequence must be aconstanl
1Neauburning anlIa serious expostulation,
! VIC western territory, which. might Rave
| ssSn extremely variable to the u. States,
~Eagain be6ometa.desert, IS its inhabitants,
Attracted bv tie riches OF Mexico, will cross
! over(l Louisiana to pagtake ofthsm either
| in ttect OF Indirect manner. If they
were lFI&c;aae IN the western territory,
they Of course become ~nuch more SO
at greSter distance; and beng secured
! from lheA,hvr parts of4she Urited States
/ BY the .yslssIsaippI, q strong barrier and