Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-05-07
Erom the B9st2a ResertorY.

s"sthe republican system is lnthe full tide
of successful experiment.. With what
sincerity or consistency this was said BY
him in March, 1901, VIXEN he meditated
the great changes of the officers and prin-
ciples, and even frame OF the government
itself which has since takea place, may be
matter of party dispute bat is no longer
any kind of doa5t with sensible mea. How
successful a system can be when the worst
men rise, and rise not only by tae worst
arts, but By the very nature OF the system
itself, which leaves every avenue open tor
the p:acsice of those arts, is a question pc
cularly ftted to the logic and agenaity of
the philuso phers, WHO IL every affair OF po-
lRicai business lay mater OF TACT out OF the
case. Principles, they will persevere in
saying, are eternal: the republican system
is ever the best, and most emphatically the
best when i. tosteYs the ambition OF dcana-
cogues and kaaves to use il and ahuse It
for their own exclusive advantage. They
will certainly maintain their theory I'LL
the array or the mob administers or inter-
press the constitution, instead of the iudg-
es, and until MIR. Jefferson is successfully
chief of the directory, first ccnsul and EN-.
peror.
Bat from the s,ckeniug and terrifying
contemplation of the means by which eaese
bad men rose to power, let US turn to the
figure they make in the possession OF 1t.
iiave we any hope of nasionnl glory to
console us for the shame OF submitting 20
the despotsm of the meaaest ADD worst OF
men. While we have rulers whom we
cannot possibly obey without disgust and
contempt, it would be some comfort, and
some advantage too, if they were men
whom foreign nations would not hear with
out respect, nor offend without dread.
But alas! the mob counting arts of our
demagogucs are not lower than their spirit.
They reserve their courage for their party
foes, aud all their meekness for French
and Spanish agsressors. The cut-throal
decree Of general Ferrand, denouncing
death to all lawful traders with the blacks
of St. Domingo, obtains infinitely more
regard from our rulers than the proposed
amendment of Massachusetts, showing
conclasively how the rights eff the state
are subject to the controui OF Virginia,
founded on the votes given for jus, such a
set of blacks. The Hastians will shew
fifty tines. the spirit on the occasion, that
the ceurtat Washington will feel, or dare
to shew if they felt. Holland, OF the Cis-
alpine republic, would as soon Offend Bo-
naparte, as our emperor hazard any mea-
sure that would call or our power to via,
dicate our national rights. Sooner than
hazard popularity he will sacrifice COM
1nerce. When has it happened before IN
the world. that the least warllke or the
feeblest nation has thus sunk into servitude
without blow. We know now what The
famous bill for prohibiting all intercourse
with ST. Domingo, was introduced tor.
Our government was first to forbid on
pain Of forfeiture, to ahste the shock,
when the French should forbid On paid OF
death. Is there any condition of disgrace
below ours? The Datch are forced 10 be
slaves; they can say ii is OWING to these
bonds; bot we are abject in spirit and sink
into dependence, because we could nor
bear the constrsint of keeping ourselves
screwed up to the dignity of na.iea. We
have bought Louisiana when Spain, the
beaten, hun.bled Spain, occludsd the pore
ef New-Orleans. We thought of no o.
Their sort of redress than such as southern
revenue would buy.
When France robbed our trade, Mon
roe the minister of Washington, officially
assured the Directory, that the people of
America would rejoice if Our sPols went
to aid the French republic. Mr.. Jeasr-
sons own election was publicly a,ged as
proper, because it would be agreeable TO
France. No wonder such men have con-
trived to sink the nation down to their
own level. No wonder Mr.. Jefferson
bears the wrongs suffered by commerce
when he considers all active commerce as
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