Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-07-23
! III en- fhe Nezu 10fk l7sraits'

/. moss cagrnt 4 easun;ng. Il was ever Tug
8 daearsne of The fSdrlahsis wien 10 power
{ thar as the e S. was naEarally eeftanrI-
afeeun4sy, as IT'S cossmrrer was the s. and
source Ut is prosperity, as;i's commerce
Offered sssoD6 ten piation 10 the raPacny
ofSevers forsigp maritime nasion. thas our
govrrnmenl ought CONSTANTLY 10 appToprss
are porssoa Of iia sben1 ant resources 20
an incressesof The AaasionaI power aud
means If dsfspce. We say, this was
the Gacltins ofs,he fsasralisis 10 power j
they believed It, and pracsissd according
Il, and under their mans Cement, as the
weal.h IF the country aug nirnssd, its eha,
racitr became mogr aud Raorc respect.
cd.
Men Of different politics succeeded 10
administering tlfs sfsirs.Of The nation.
They d,sayowrd these principles /; they sx-
sr,ed stemsSlyesto render them obnoxious.
a.hexisisnafy and fatal position was ad.
vaEcsd. that all Gscsual means of protect.
ing commerce we're inconsistent. with that
plan of sconomy. which was the true poll.
cyof this couotry thar !" Reason was TO
be regarded as the sovereign Umpire"
betw cen civil led nations. and accordingly
every pss~ions measure which had been
~scootemplstrd for ang:n-nsing our martins
force was suspended not only SO pat re-
pfobated. And 10 reconcile the people 10
course SO dangercns; thsy were prrsuad.
ed btkieve, thar when men recommend
ed an increase sof warlike means. it was
only frofa wanion dispositioa 10 burden
the people with uselesstaxes, aud TO Place
I 10 tie nsndsrof government, power which
would be dapgsrops to the liberty Of tie
-aecplr.
The consequences Of This important ra.
y0lntiens, 10 the avewrd pelicy Of our rulers
was easIy prsdiced. Mr.. Jefferson, how
ever, .periinac.ously reduced bis lheory TO
practice. He comme pdcd no measures,
wiihlsgard 10 the physical strength of the
nation. bat sAeh as threw damp on the
!. pride and energy of the American charac-
ter. IDsul,s bankruptcies were offered from
! cne .qnarier and aa o.her---he endured and
expostalsfr9-nay We confidently say, thar
for some of ths most fragrant insults that
s could be offered TO d nation. he never asked.
redress, but endeayorea to keep thc dis.
s grace we had experienced oat of sight, by.
pccnaiary spseriations.
70 discerning minds, TO men Of even
common understanding and observation,
the result Of Ibis policy has long been very
ob ioas. The end of these thing. has bren.
oiisn and mos solemnly predicted. From
year to year We have waited patiently fer
90 accommodation of early wr.ngs, We
{ have been bAaled, amused and deceived
until executive forbearance seemed at enc
MONIES exhausted. and a. recurrence 10
: force, was represented as an event thar
would ,pfubshly soon become necessary
How that little spasm OF resSnsn,ens yield
ed 90 further suits and ne gotiasion, the pub.
lie well knew,
In the mean time the consequences of a
depTscation OF national character. began to
Man,fest themselves in new insults offered
80 our Aag and national sovereignty.
8 French government vessels. Hike pirases,.
have pluedefed and burnt our vessels at
cd. with. inpuni.y- Spanish gun boats
s conduct our Mediterranean merchantmen
into al gsziras. on what prinsiple, no one
knsws. "A desfee has been passedby era.
peror Bonaparte, against considerable
portion OF our commerce, the intention of
which has been ssndersd dubious, by by.
\ pccridsai and informal communication.
Z while the letter OF tbs decree has been, 10
many Instances enforced. The British have
10 various instances adopted principles. in
their courts Of vice admiralty, of which it
IS not known tha, the American govern.
ment had any notice; and the sacri6cs of
our properly. inssoms cases, ID more the
: dstsntion OF vessels aud dsrangeEens of
: voyages have followed.
II would be endisss TO pursue this histo-
~ i - ID all (lne. farf is estahlished hernnd