Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-10-02
From the BosroN REpERroRT.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS ON THE PRE-
SENT STATE OF AFFAIRS.


Britain, American liserty will be in peril.
Atremains TO be seen, WHICH. IN the opi-
MON of our rulers, is trustworthy of pre-
seryation, that liberty or their own popula.
rity. If ihey choose 10 keep the couatry
defcndeless, and 90 permit the people to be
careless because they are YET blind TO their
dagger, they may continue TO enjoy their
political sport, like children a, play 90 a
precipice. tsli the Foundation of their pow.
er slides from under their feet. For no.
thing is more certain that that if BoDaparte
prevails against England, and Mr.. Jefer-
son prevails much longer against our hav.
; ing any efEcacious system of national de-.
fence, the French emperor will be our
master if be chooses. But Bonaparte has
said, and it Is possible our rulers may af-
fectto believe, thar France is satisfied with
her ample dominion. that, weary and ex.
hausted by war, she seeks oply TO establish
the more glorious aud universal empire of
the arts, and whrn she is no logger embar.
raised in her hene6cen, designs by an OBJ.
sfiDates and jealous antagonist the world
4 viii then begin TO enjoy peace. without a
. disturber of its blessings.
Is this, however, the nature of ambi.
tion? Is i, an appetite that is ehoaked
and cioyed or made rayenous by its glu,'o-
ny A creation. only once in ST & days would
not be made fast enough 20 keep pace with
the growth of ITS desires. The whole
world is not wide enough to keep pace with
ihes grewth of It's desires.
Ambition confented with it's limits -
! Have we seen the, ocean SO full that it
would not drink up auotherriver? Inquire
of the winds whether the lass storm has
crippled their speed thar they will never
blow again. Ask of the pestilence. whe.
thsr, weary. of havock, It's iron heart re.
lucts 70 tread once more Its circle of de.
struction. Yet SIX naonths of the posses.
sion of the British navy by France, the
oceansswould swell beyond the Allsgauy
ridge, that tempest would scatter blight
and mildew over all our plains, that pest.
lence would eranp every heart with terror
and spot every honest face with coatagion.
We should see the temple ef our liberty
10 ashes or in sackciosh, and If we did not
loathe life, it wonld be because we couIJ
endure TO drag il onin servislde aud dis.
grace.
Who then will say that Bonaparse would
not desire the empire of America, or WHO
that has nor slaves heart already, could
view with any. calmness the almostirresist.
ibie means he possesses OF to obtain it, and
10 obtain il without strikieg a blow? We
have men among as who would view il
with comp!acency, if not JOY, ,rcn whom
liberty could not elevate, and whom the
whip OF the oppressor woald not degrade.
Shall we be told that if Bona2arte pos.
sessed the British navy he could not go.
vern this country it he would? Has he not
governed it 10ithous that aapys What is
there sto oppose his will? Have, we at
Washington Roman senate, who, if the
French Hannibal should laud here, would
make an auction of his camp? Is il con-
ceiyable that they should have the courage
90 resist, who have not the courage to pre-.
pare the means ofresistance Would those
men resolve to face his legions who have
quaked athis ulnion's frowns?
Suppose however that peace ensues, that
Great Britain retires with shame and defeat
Jon the contest, leaving Bonapartc master of
Europe, ana solely anxious to be her master,
can we doubt whether his first care you'd be
to strip her of the means and especially of the
naval and commercial means of ever renewing
the contest. Would his victorious peace make
his influence less In America, and need it be
greater here than it Is already for securing his
success. What success could be more invit-
inc or or,ortant than n emf fsf Inv q Strok of
the pen, sall intercourse whatever between the
United States and Great Britain: Mr.: Jeffer-.
son says the farmers are Gods chosen people,
if ever he had chosen people, and that we
have iand enough to supply the thousandth ge-
neration of our posterity. The reasons, the
pretext and the motives, are thus avowed, and