Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-02-25
From the PUBLIC LEDGER.
Mediterranean affairs.

mineled with some address, in palming
upon the public for SPLENDID victories,
what in effect will be found to have been
defeats. Awaiting themselves Of the en-
,husiasm of the people, whose judgment
was lost or suspended in admira,io, of the
bravery ofthe;r coun;rymen, the EDITORS OF
those papers have had the art to dday the
investigation Of a subject, which, were it
closely examined, would considerably aug
ment the mass of disgrace that already
loads our deleterious administration.
The war with TripoIi is coeval with the
administration of Mr.. Jefferson; and has
been SO conducted as in period OF nearly
four years to afford no one solitary Instance
of advantage no single circumstance to
console the nation for the immense expense
1t has oceasioned unless we hnd it in the
pride which warns every American bosom
when reading the relation of the iadivi.
dual g&llantry displayed by his fellow citi.
zcns, wherever it has had an opportunity
of being exhibited; a gallansry which
proves what might have been accomplish
ed had it been allowed a proper la'l;ud',
were it not curbed aud rePressed by the
pusillanimous auspices uoder WHICH It is
condemned to act gallan,ry whleh gives
the assurance that the American name is
vet destined to appear with ,lotre in naval
history, maugre all the philosophical
whims, of trembling spectators, who would
supply our hands with no other weapons,
than the hoe and the plough share; who
would ann!hilate our commerce and Us de-
fence and CONVEX: us into dwelling ma
ton of cultivators.
Itis now clearly aseertained that theirs
AS been no want of talents or OF courage
in those who command and man our little
fleets and if nothing has been hitherto ct.
fected, We are obliged to conclude that thu
fault is in those who, at home render all
all their talents and ,heircourage useless
both to themselves and their country
whose ambition might desire to obtain the
end, but whose niggardly and contempti-
bic economy denied the efficient means.
The force originally sent int the Medi-
terranean as was adequate to no other OBJ
ject than that Of exciting the jealousy, con-
tempt and derision Of the Barbary powers,
but was altogether insufficient to produce
a respectful impression of our strength
while to its physical imbeeelity was added
moral weakness, in the silly instructions
which restrained commodore Dale from
making any assault upon Tripoli, or from
capturing any of her cruizers, unless In
actual defence of the American trade.
Tbs we believe is prs,ty nearly the smoani
Of his orders from which it those OF
Commodore Morris differed, it was only
in this, that they gave him the authority,
b.; not the power CT doing much injury.
Of this the administration were sensible,
when, to protect their own reputation, they
basely sacr,Sced his.
One or two cosclusions must have been
adopted by the pira>ical powers ur-, the
arrival of such feet asw as first disracn
ed from the United States, and its inn
mediate conduct either that the govern
ment was incapab.= of any great exes,ion
r unwilling, on account OF the expense,
to mpley greater force. Ether of hose
conclusions must have produced the same
effect. Perhaps the latter reason would
not have suggested itself to them, although
the true one. The force we know was
within con.roul, but the expense was the
bugbear that precuded its being resorted
to. No one can approve of srodigslity in
the disburse ment of the public treasure );
but there is kind of unsystematck and
peaurious economy which is infinitely
more destructive, and is always attended
with di5graee, because its or ginis an error
or faction, & its progress uniform meanness
and deception. Such is the species of aco-
nomy openly and pompously boosted of BY
our present political rulers.
The bad effects of taeir own system they
have most strickingly evineed; of all the
surreptisisus means of which they availed
themselves to get into power, none was
managed with more successful dextsrity
than the imputed prodigality of the Fede.
raj administrations. On this subject they
had committed themselves and when they
got the power into their own hands they
were sensible that, to maintain the posses.