Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-02-25


snister views, By no desire OF personal ag.
grandizement, all his objects conferred IN
the single hope Of promoting the glory OF
his country.
Such is faint portrait OF the man whom
! America opposed TO all the hosts of Bri.
tain. To appreciate the merits OF the
chief let as reeur TO the peculiar circunl.
stances OF the contest In whichhe was about
TO engage. 1t wassin vain that Amcrica
asserted the sacred truth, 9 resistance TO
syranny is obedience to God. ]" An unnas
fural mother armed for the destruction OF
her own offspring. A brave and generous
people were proclaimedrebels and WASH
5ngton himself. traitor. America. not
yet weaned from a sense OF colonial sub
lection, thea extended her hopes no far,
,ther than to a redress grievances. Sue
cess offered 20 the champion OF her liberty
a dangerous reward; the gratitude OF re-
sbeliious subjects, the resentment OF an OF.
Tended monarch. Defeat, on the other
hand. presented to him the hazard OF an
@5snominious death. But what were the
s chances of success? By the jealous and
insidious policy of thas government, whose
open injustice mad at length aroused US to
arms, wehad been almost subdIed before
3 hos,illties commenced. Destitute OF the
most necessary arts of defence LOT wealth,
the chief spring of modern wars; OF stand
ing armies. the boosted security OF mo.
dern empire, we were TO encounter ma.
tion whom, for two centuries, we had con.
8ributed TO render the emporium OF the
commerce Of the world; nation, great IN
arms, asin arts; whose prowess had re-
Gently humbled the pride OF the most Po-
tent states in Europe, and whose triumph
ant navy covered the ocean. TO the pow
er of our enemy was TO be added. dlsnnion
among ourselves. The provincial govern.
ors dependent upon, were, consequently,
in the interest of our foe, and Numbered
their anathemas against the authors Of re.
sissance. An army was already landed to
support their authority, and our coast dark
S ened with hostile fleets. What had we to
expect from foreign aid? HE rivals OF
Great Britain might, indeed, be expected
TO behold our exertions with favorable In
terest: and few generous minds, to Of
/ fer up PRAYERS for our prosperity; but the
nature, as well as the subsequent events of
fhe contest, proved. thar assistance from
abroad was to be purchased only by success
at home. How sublime, therefore, was
that spirit, which neither the vast inequali-
~, nor the peculiar dangers Of such a war
could for a moment appal.! He surveys,
his caEnp. He beholds no. hardy veterans,
like those with whom he was about TO con-
xend, Injured TO the discipline, the toll, and
che danger OF arms; bat simple plough.
men, whose only knowledge was, that their
country had been wronged, and whose chief
,armor was resolution TO conquer or per-,
ash in her defence. They were In contu.
sion he arranges them. They were un-
Raught, he instructs them. They were
only half armed; here, indeed, the nar-
row resources of his country limited his
ability, bur, in his presence, they forget
1heir weakness. The unvarying serenity
of his countenance fills them with hope I; a
delightful confidence banishes disnlay.--
Britain had, indeed, truly counted the
number of our soldiers. but she had not
adreamt of the wisdom oftheir general. In
her pride she had laughed at the feeblepess
of our resources, but she had forgot TO
reckon that creative mind which was to
call them into action An enemy, who, in
Imagination, had oyesrun this vast en-.
-pire, before they had unfnrled their
standard on eur shores, are themselves
-blockaded. shut up in their own en-
,srepchments and In danger of stsry-
7pg. With secrecy and boldnesss as me-
scessary, at the time, as they were unex-
ampled in military annals, the Ameri-
can general prosecuted a siege, in which
tor many days. he was Without ammunition
enough to defend his own lines. In the
face of a formidable enemy he disbands one