Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-09-18
From the Boston Rrpertory.
L oMMuNIcATIoN.
STANDING ARMY.

Ghe democrats draw their chairs closer to-
gether. They ses the candle burn blue.
They are afraid to look behind them, or
quiz the grog,shop and go home alone In
the dark tor fear the standing army should
wxy.iay their Keeling steps. This subject
has made an Infinite number of calls for
the other meg. They begin upon the
grievance with a contagious panic. Rum
iasp1es the tipsy disclaimers with second.
hand elaquence add more rum fills them
with vslor. They atlength curse and defy
the federal conspirators who intend TO sub
.jugate such a brave people. Then they
hickup the praises of Mr.. Jefferson.
There are seme matters on which preju.
dice pronounces judgments with SO much
suddenncss. that common sense has no
time or opportunity TO put in word. Mr..
Adams's administration is charged with
the offence Of raising vast standing army
OF tzeeEve regiments. Has the time vet
come. or will 1t ever arrive when.common
sense win be heard on the accusation
The force zuas unnecessary. But we
were then at war with the French by sea.
St, Domingo was then full of troops. E..
gvpt was then invaded by 80, 600 French
meI, aud who could foresee that no at
tempt would be made on our southern
states. Invasion is bag.bear, they tell
US. Only about 90 years before thar vast
army of IL regiments was ordered to be.
raised, the southern states were oyerrun
BY a British force Of or 5000 men,
Charleston was besieged ard reduced. All
Georgia was liz the power of an enemy,
and a few squadrons of horse kept the
whole coast of the two Carelinas in awe.
Tarlton drove the governor and assembly
OF Virginia beyond the mountains, as Mr..
Jefferson may perhaps remember. Now it
is not the elearest thing in the world that
the French could not in 1898, send twice
as many men from St. Domingo or Guada-
loupc, as lord CORVALLIS had ia his army !:
Nor IS It quite certain thar black army OF
invaders would not have had another black
army to join them in the southern states /;
nor are we convinced by the hufing and
clustering of our Hectors, that very small
force landed at the southwark, would not
have resisted the militia of the country sill
regular troops could be mustered from the
distance of many hundred miles TO expeil
them. The wisdom of having some re-
gular troops for that purpose might be
deemed manifest to any man except yea
lot of party.
The wisdom of the measure is however
matter of opinion and honest men might
think the danger greater and the regular
troops more essential to repel it than the
Jacoblns may be willingto allow and this
they might sincerely think without COM
hitting any offence against the laws OF
good sense or the laws of the land.
Besides TO prevent an evils better than
to remedy it after it has happened 70.
reign powers look at the revenue & troops
of state as the measure OF its strength, &
they seldom attack nation that is ready
ard prepared TO repel their attack. Who
everwas prouder than D0naparte What
king or emperor would sooner give the
fefgns TO his passions, and think II concern
I'd his dignity to make as feel his forcebe
cause he had so much oft? BY preparing
force We did in fact, change the naughty
language of France, and instead OF any
longer intimidaiing all our three ENJOYS,
Talleyrand did one of the three the great
honor Of selecting him as the 6ttest tor
tool. Instead of threats, he resorted to
intrigues, and indeed carried his point wish
the poor creature. Who, then, has a right
to say, that the spirited measures of the
congress that vesed revenue, ships ard
troops, did not prevent serious war with
France Had our national spirit beef Their
asst is now, In our shoes, we should III
evitably have hada war, at least France
would have waged war. We, perhaps
should have taken the blows as we do now
from Spain, and returned none. Wheu
the jaeobins aver that the twelve regiment;
were unnecessary 1t is out Of their powe'