Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-05-26
From the REpERToRY.
No. LII,

The spfficiency or the briusn auauCe1
20 supply the enormous expenditures OF to
war, is usually the first inquiry tor It's SO
fu,ion. We cannot, however, refrain iron
remarking, that rhe bankruptcy OF tn
French government has been necessarily
expected TO prove the boundary OF TN
Is French power. II has happened, on tn'
contrary, that power has made ITS own re
sources. No governments certainly no ar
bsrary government, will cit still ana 'd.e fol
want of means, whsnthey are to De foune
within its grasp. Ir,w Il pa1forth the fano
of violent Injustice and reach thea. nc
rulers of France toundwealth enough vita
inland without, and they have never h les,
!, tated to use it. Their armies hourlsheo
while their artizans starved, and their farm
era desponded. The decline OF all employ
/. ments bu, tina, of arms, SO far from stop
ping the course of their victories, maferl.
: ally contributed to accelerate 1t.
The free government of England IS less
, disposed and less qualified tor these ex'
tremes; but then il will not be equally un'
der the necessity Of resorting to them. HE
wealth of individuals is incalcnlable, and
the a achinery of the Englishlaws and 60
5 vernnent for extracting It IN loans ana
saxes, with some degree OF equality, aud
withou, popular oppositioo,lsProoabB aoeo
quate TO great annual augme n'a'ion' we
forbear to say wkat is the utmost that ma
chinery could effect. An>urgens pubic ne.
.cessity, SO palpable as to contound all
doubts and cavils, we should concelvewoud
enable, government TO drawtrom the people
larger supplies, by equal laws, taao could
be obtained by arbitrary violence 1t IS
however, We confess, afrighstul- prospect
for an honest English minister, that ne must
spend. for the public defence, more than ne
can raise by taxes. Hi,herso.' we believe
he has not been able 10 produce by his ways
aad means more than thirsy-6ve or forty
millions sterling, nor>to bring his exPendl.
lures under seventy. :.
q In this extremity, some uenhave asked,
whether the government ought not, with.
+, cut further hesitation, to spupge Oft their
national debt. The iacobiu members OF
our administration will wonder, why they
have delayed it so long. Fhe English 60.
<Sernment would long trust and painfully
try the public spirit the nation, rather
than destroy the debt. We have men 10
power, among Us, .who>would'ssoner de:
pstroy any debt, public or private, than,ha.
* gard their popularity; nay more they would
spunge off all bebss for the sake ot popular
ity. But in Egland nothing. short OF dHe
necessity will bring the rulersto touch the
property, that has so long been conhdec to
she safeguard Of the public faith and moralsi
nor will they, of choice, withhold a penny
= of the interest.
L. is true, necessity, though as the
grants plea, is a sufficient one, when 1t
lists, for the best government There is
REASONING against necessity, but when
Els any reasoning about It's existence,
nantes, it does nutexist. 1t not, oaly
It's own law, but It's own evidence.
es like the Are, or food, or -pessi.
nd renders doubt as much impossi-
sistance.
tting then, the sufhciency sot the
ecessity to vindiea,e the withhold.
,e interest of tbs British national
the public creditors, the fact that
sssitye2ists is still to be made out.
already said this sober arguRen.
lknS out of necessity is inadmls,
Though it is better the national
uld perish than the nation, sill II
IS true that the spunging OF the Ma
ebt is measure of violence; which
II the justification that an Irresistible
,y can afford. Necessity is>a law
axes all other laws silent. III would
ale the ssoppage ofshe interest of the
al debt. 1t is equally manifest that
ng short of actual necessity will jassi'
ch an act.
W while the English goveFnmentis
regular course of paying the interest,