Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-10-27
From the N. X. CondMERcIAL ADVERTISER. s

offensive and defensive with IFeat DritdHl,
we have already been sufficiently explicit. wv
regret that any federal editor should, for mo
ment, have given countenance to a proposition
so discordant with the feelings of fedsralists II
general, and SO repugnant to the interests O
our country. It is, however, with no small
degree of pleasure, we find that " The Peo
ple's Friend has retired from the bold stand he
had taken, of an alliance offensive and defenstve
in its legitimate sense and that he now advo.
Gates a limited connexion for limited and spe.
ciic object. 1t is to be hoped that he will re-
tire one stop farther, and soon come down to
level with the genuine spirit of federalism
The factis, at least as it appears to us, that to
form ain alliance of even the kind last mention
ed, would at the present moment be premature
and iniudicious. That the time may come
when the safety OF our country may DEMAND
such connexion, we shall not deny. 1t has
not, however, yet arrived and, In our opinion,
If the spirit of the country be reused, and suit.
able measures pursued, it neve1 zuA arrive
Until our own resources be called forth--untll
our own strength be tried, we shall never con-
sent to place our>reliance on foreign aid.
The editor thus accuses his federal brethren
sot inconsistency
"We cannot drop this part Of the subject,
without expressing the difficulty we find in &C
counting for the appreciation with which Mr.
Fisher Ames's reflections were received AMI
published, and the sudden revolution OF Cpl
MON which causes them now to be censured.
To this we shall merelyreply, that the we'll
written reflections enormously attributed
to Mr. Ames, do not, if our impression is cor
rect, advocate an alliance offensive and de-
fensive. The reflections were republish-
ed by us, because they contain many valuable
sentiments, anda salutary warning to our coun-
try. But, had the writer-or had MIR. Ames,
as highly as we yenerate his talents and charac-
ter, proposed g an alliance offensive and de-
fensive" with any nation on earth, the propos-
al would have received our most decided asd
jealous opposition. Our country is not n a
situation to Justify such measure and we
have vet to learn the necessity utility of pro-
posing and supportingit.
Since we are reluctantly drawn into this dis
cussion, we deem it duty to notice some o.
Their remarks in the same paper OF this morn
ing. In doing this, we have no object to an
swer but the public good.
g Far be it from us (says the editor) to say
now, that, if money could purchase certain
and eonatlete rs11,feUe, from the sentence which
France and Spain have passed upon this coun-
try, 1t should not be iaid.''
6 IF there were any assignabe bounds By
which French rapacity and American tribute
could with certainty be limited, we SHOULD be
sorry to deprive administration Of the only
/
of meeting the ruin that threatens the coun-
try
To the leading sentiment contained in these
remarks, however strongly it may be qualified,
we can never subscribe. IN saying this, 1t IS
confidently believed, we speak the feelings OF
great proportion Of our countryrnen. Can
it be possible, that the American people, on any
pretext whatever, can be reconciled to a mea-
sure 50 humiliating and dishonorable? Where
is the spirit of seventy-six, which refused a
tax, because it was deemed tributary, even to
the mother coMgtry2 Is that spirit SO broken
down, so humbled in the dust, that we can now
consent to yield to the demand Of tribute from
the French government; and this, forsooth {!
because our administration have not the cou-
rage to refuse it The American people will
never consent to purchase eae17atlon, from 1a1
at the total sacrifice of their national character
Let the cardinal maxim of federalism never be
forgotten" MILLIONS FOR DEFENCE BUT NOT
A CENT FOR TRIBUTE.
In late communication | remarked, that
federalists could not tolerate revilers of their
country, nor innovators upon their constltu'
ton. Tits my object at THIS time to point at
those who fall under the first of these descrip-
tons; reserving the latter for some future &C.
casion.
When foreigners have indiscriminately re-
viled our country or countrymen, we have ge.
Morally, suffered the injustice to pass IN con
temptuous silence, knowing that the calumny
was more than counterbalanced by the credit
we have received from the most learned, In
tellio.ent and nhilnsnnhic travellers Yet there