Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-08-25
Aom tie PsagHkeessie Joaraai.
OAKLEY.S GRAFTON.

unhappy dissention, wiz ch-aas 'nserfuptsd
that peace and harmony so dear to,,ls all.
The friends of moderation have wished to
celebrate the afa of:their. eoIngry's lpde--
pendence add Glory, up6assed by political
zeal andpreiadiee. They have anSiously
soughtan union with Acknowledgements
in which they might barry every eauseSot
aninosity, and devote this day, a. least, TO.
ne pleasures. of social intercourse. 1hesr,
wishes anu exertions have proved alike
fruiYless. They have seen tsasir*et1beral
terms of CANCELLATION rejected with an .oyer-'
bearing violence, which nothing, bat the
pride OF power. could offer, and toNvhlehl
4aothing but pusilianimity cansublnlt. Let
an impartial, candid people judge between
us. TO them we appeal tor the rectitude
Of our intentions, and the propriety OF our
conduct; and we trust that they will fix.
the mark other disapprobasicn, on those
men, swho have violated that decency and
moderation, which ought to prevail On the
day we are now assembled to honour.
Il has become a custom for the orator GA
she fourth Of July, to entertain his audience
with high and lneli;ed eulognm on"the
heroes and patriots of our revolution. 10
those in whose breasts the recollection OF
their services has been impaired BY po.itl.
cal hatred, this. custom may be necessary.
But trust thatwe need not this annual tri-
bate of applause to awaken In our minds a
lively remembrance Of their merits and SUIT
ferings. Let others boast of their attach
ment to the men aud the principles OF the
revolution. Belt ours to prove our vene-
ration for our political fathers, not BY pro-
claiming it on the house top, but BY man
ly effort to maintain, in its purity and yigor,
the noble inheritance which they have be-
qaeathed us.
Let us, then, on this occasion, turn aside
from the beaten path land instead OF re-
viewing the events of the revolutionary
war, let us devote our attention to SUBJ.
ject deeply interesting to us all. Instead
contemplating the manner In which our
Liberty was established, let US endeavor
TO learn the more useful lesson how IL may
be preserved.
We had hoped that a constitution, like
ours, which had been the result OF great de-
| liberation and wisdom; which had recon-
cilec the jarring interests OF the union !;
and to which these United States owe all
theirpolitical prosperity would have escap-
ed the destructive hand otinnovatlon, and.
would, have been suffered to exist, unmuti-,
lated, tilllong experience had pcinted out
its detects. The three last years have prov
1.-The vanity ofour hopes: and have shewn
the friends of the constitution, that the
same enaity which opposed It's establish
ment, is now bent on Its destruction. A
short examination of some of the leading
acts of the present ruling party, will evince
the truth of this assertion.
The liberty and happiness of any country
must depend in a great degree on the purity
of its courts of Justice. The arbitrary
kings of England stood in need of the Star
.Chamber1o complete their tyranny and
the jacobins Of France did not consummate
their dreadful work of destruction, till
they had organized their criminal tribunals.
In the star chamber, the will Of the mo-
march usurped the place Of the common
law of the land; andsthe Judges being the
creatures q TIC crown, t{ic sf,oitt1SdL ftocEkV
iof the subject was totally destroyed. In.
the-criminal tribunals of France, the admi-
nistration of justice was one continued
sceneof cruel moekesys The men, who.
presided-in them, were placed there only to
rsgulate the procession Of the victims of
TIE ruling faotion, from the dungeon to the
sscaGold-; and ,ossee that the s6loody work
was carried on. with suth cient vigor,
I, 4. cannotbe too often repeated that the
liberty pf this country depends chiefly on.
ITS courts Of justice. Corruption, in this
branch of our government, is the rock on