Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-08-10

Edmund Burke himself, in the very work
Of which YOU seem to be SO fond his
Reflections on the French Revolution,
which, in truth, may be called mass OF
prophecy, speaks thus:--'' You efo nos l.
imagine that 1 wish to conhne power, an
.sthorltv. and distinction, to blood, and
uanes and titles. No, Sir, there IS no
qualification for governments but virtue and
wisdom, actual or presumptive-wherever
1hey are actually found, they have, ~ What
eyer state, condition, profession or trade,
qhe passport OF Heaven to human place and
aaaour." Now, Sir, give me leave to ask
..oa. IL there anY reason why wisdom and
virtue should aot be presumed to exist IN
ona man as naca as II another: or why d
rams being bosn IN penury aad low ilte,
bred I'D in ignorance, and grown old III hard
ebour and indulgence, should prevent his
being as. qreat law-giyer assSoion or Ly-
GURUS, as deep 2 metaphys cian as Aris-
tote, as great an astronomer as Newton. as
great natlematician as Euler, as subtle a
iogician as Fox, and rs great genera and
statesman as hiuglon himself.
You have taken great pans to display the
genius Of Burke, and the wonders OF his
foresight. You have even raised him to
the rank of prophet. Tl1at his penetration
and political sagacityewas great, none that
kaow the histories Of the American ana
French revolutions, and read l,Is works and
his speeches, VIII venture 10 deny. His
volumes may be considered string ofpre-
dictions which time has converted 1870 MS
tory. But give me leave to tell you Sir,
that we have n ohr own country, & man
whose prophetic powers may vie with those
of Burke, or Of William PIT, the elder
ave-or Of Oliver Cromwell; whose pene-
tration and Sagaclty gained him the rePu-
tation of a sort of prophet, Of the diabohcaI
kind. Yes will demonstrate that our
president, ThomasJ atftrson, or Gfhe will
give me leave to cali him so) Mister Tho
mas Jefferson has, at least in one thing,
given proofs of protective mind too evil
dent to be deaied-too glazing to be over
looked; and, what may appear a little e1-
traovdinary, the very same event which
YOU mentioned il Thursdays paper as a
proof Of BurGe's, is also the proof Of Mr..
Jeffcrsou's {. beg his pardon torthe dl1stgr)
prophetic powers.
And here, YOU must in, cahdour confess,
Mr.. Editor, that YOU have been rather hard
upon dat gentleman, and not done the ils
tice you ought to have done, to his sagaci-
ty and discefament; at least, you will ad-
issit II BY and be. You blamed the good
man for his violent liking Of the French re-
volution-you called it, | believe, vicious
and foolish but it was the reverse Of both;
il was not, as you lnslnuayed, froyn an I'M
due attachment TO democracy. No-he
liked the French revolution, because he nat
0,Ly san that it g0a5 enlightened, bit he
foresa7V that it zyouH terminate N B0HG-
bartc being Emberor Of the GntSs, end his
family fixed in hereditary successi2n Oh tie
throne.
Bonaparte imposed by force the cons.i.
tuition of the third year, undtr Ba-ras.--
g Excellent" exclaimed our great man,
who, by the bye, had exclaimed "excel~
lent TO all the preceding constitutions
g Excellcnt," cried he III transport-And
why? Mr.. Editor do you think-Why,
because he say that Bonabarte 7OaS enAght
ened, and .t0rssazU that i zyol.R terminate
in Bonatarte a1dhi& family dejAS hcrea.tu
~ empet2rs oftAeaGaa&
Bonaparte, after having sworn fidelity
to two former constitutions, ard broken
both oaths, swore fidelity to the constjtutI-
| on Of 53arras, and put both DArras and the
constellation down. !" Well done y ex-
claimed -oar great man, like this, fori
foresee it will end IN Bonanarte's Being En-
per0r q The Gnsks Oh, enlightened govern
! nae7it y France!