Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-05-27
From TIE Connecticut Courans.
DISSERTATIONS ON THE DECEPTIVE ARTS
OF nEMAGoGUEs.

: <.
The demagogues of our country, among
"a hundred .glaring instances OF their artful
and crooked policy, have successfully at
tempted TO tlupe the paalic BY professions
of veneration for the character and admi-
nistration of Washington. They have the
-uumeasurable assurance 10 enewIne his h o
nors arouad their lewn brows and TO at.
temst. building their characters upon the
column Of his immortal fame. They insi-
s,dioasly pretead be pupils Of his school,
to cherish win tenderness and affection his
hemorv, and to follow his maxims: Yet
they had plated a,cyszun Of thorns for his
head, and had planted tne stIngs of scor-
pions on MS pillow. It was an early peri
Cd of the administration of Washington
when the same men who have at length
opened 20 themselves the road to power,
were found leagued in a general conspiracy
against his measures and using their ut
most efforts 10 weaken and disloint his,au.
thoritp. Their first attempts were con.
Quoted with caution, but wnsn increased
in numbers and strength and borne forward
by the tide of success, they became open
aud lnsolent. They yhrst dropped hints
and artsuliy excited suspicious they feign.
ed jealousy of executive power and pa
trcnage, trembling of neart at the ex-
IRENE danger WHICH from hence threatened
the Liberties of the people: shey pretended
to have no wish TO derogate from the cha
racter of Washington, no disposition to
deny the merit OF his services or to cues.
stion his integrity; bat considered him fai-
slible and corruptible, like every other NOR.
tai: liable to be led astrayby evil advisers
and TO be corrupted by power. 1t was,
they pretended, hazarding the safety of the
commonwealth 70 repose such bouudless
confidence in one man, and toinvest him
with such ample powers and extensive pa
troDage /; that the vas, extent Of bis popu-
Iari,y and the weight of his character rem
dered him but the more dangerous, and
that his having long acted as a military
commander must have inspired him with
despolic sentiments. These arttul inuen-
does and surmises, alter having Eoated
some considerable time On s'le public mind,
at1ength changed their shape and assumed
the serlops characterof positive and direct
accusations and the onset once made,
their hostility agains, this excellent man
never ceased till he dropped the rens Of
government, nor even till he dropped into
the grave; and perhaps concerning some
of them, it would not be 100 harsh to say,
that s' their affection at his death zvas
drozvned in their Jay" His actions they
ar,tully discolored by misrepresentation,
the foulest imputations they fixed on his
motives, and no nsans did they neglect,
no arts did they leave untrird, to stain his
honors and blacken his fame. They adj
vanced, they retreated, they shifted their
ground and mode of attack, but never lost
sight of their main objects every opportu-
nifty for aalumny that }ortune threw into
their hands, thsy eagerly seized, and &C..
lions the most disinteresed and patriotic
they CLOSED into crimes. i he danger tina.
threatened the public from executive power
and ambition. was the fruitful theme of
their declamatIons
Those crafty watchmen pretending zeal
for the,peapie's rights which they never
1 felt, busted themselves in throwing up IN
trenchments to prevent the encroachments
| of the president and every possible CIR
cumstance, was seized as a ground for
charging him with the assumption Of uu-
| consiitutlonalauthority. His proclamation
for national thanksgiving, was loudly ex-
claimed against as an alarming stretch OF
power, an infringement Of the rights of
the people. a daring violation of the con.
stitution. That executive act, dictated By
! pieey drew forth an extraordinary fcrvor Of
zeal and bitterness of invective, and efforts
were made to alarm the public mind as if
the main pillars Of the governments had
been shaken. What then! does Washing
| ton presume TO proclaim anational thanks.
| giving? There is no such article In the