Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-08-22


that period to the present. will not invite
them to recollect the ardent and persevering
zeal, with which those men continued to
defend the right Of France to exercise, in
this country, the choicest attributes OF So
vereignty; nor will | call their attention to
the malignant rage with which the. best pa
triots Of our country were pursued for de-
Tending that sovereignty. But it will be
useful to advert to one fact which appears to
vescscaped the public attention, andwllich
is Of some importance in marking The tenn
per Of those who govern public opinion. It
is this: IN the measures adopted by the bel
-liyersnt powers which are deemed injurious
to this country, France has generally taken
the lead. For the purpose Of evaporation
the past offences Of Great Britain are fire.
quently recapitulatsd. Among themis the.
order Of the 9th of June, 1898. Neither
the subsequent treaty, nor the ample com
pensation we have received for captures
made under that order, can erase it from our
catalogue ofdnjuries. Our resentments are
still to be excited by it. Yet we are never
tod, that III the preceding month, decree
still less defensible in principle, still more
injurious to our rights, was made by the
government of France. We are never told,
that for the captures under this and other
DEGREES OF the, Same power, which subjected
to conhscation every vessel sailing under the
American flag, no compensation has ever
been made. Degrading % Our government
be the claims and practices Of France, we are
neverreminded of this, or Of any other fact
which might disclose to us our real sitaa
ton, whilst every. measure adopted by a ma
ton struggling for her own liberty, in which
ours is involved, is presented to rs IN the
moss odious colors, and dilatcd upon with
an .ssiduity which never relaxcs.
shall not rely On the conduct Of those
now in power, while they constituted an op-
position; but shall pass othose transactions
which manifest the temper with which they
have administered Cur national affairs.
In the United States, as in all popular
governments, public opinion is in a great
measure regulated by the Press. It is, OF
consequence, the vehicle by which the go
vernment conveys to the people those senti-
ments which it wishes to lnculcate. In those
presses, therefore, which enjoy the sunshine
of ministerial favor and patronage, which
are professedly devoted to the support OF the
administrations, and to the fnrtherance of
It's designs, we may lock with confidence
for the certain expression of the ministerial
will. All hove perceived with what I'M
wearied diligence these presses have labored
to ditfuse through the mass Of the people, a
most rancorous and envenomedh hare OF Eng
land, while every fact, which might open
their eyes to the real dangers to be appre-
hended from France, has beencaretully kept
out of view. No man. who will look into
these papers, and they have been read with
partiaGty bya great majority Of the commu-
nifty, can refuse his assent to the tru:a, that
the ruling sentiment which prevades them is
hostility to England, and consequence &C
cordance with the views Of France. will
not cite paragraphs to illustrate the truth OF
this assertion. make it fearless of contra
,d;ction. The columns ofthe papers alluded
too, are replete with evidences of the fact
and those who are not satisfied OF its verify,
woald require some proof auxiliary to his
own splendor, that the sun shines at midday.
No man can inspect the Aurora, the Nation
al Intelligencer, the Enquirer, or any other
paper enjoying the favor OF the administers
ten, without perceiving one unvarying ct
fort to lead the American people into war
with England.
/ do not mention this fact as one which |
has not been observed by others, for therc
are few who have not felt Its influence, but
for the.pnrpose of requesting the attention
of my follow citizens to It's origin aud In
tended effect.
Can II be believed, that papers which are