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

i S not cols.'ss saws the writer Of the above
sConlrilel.s q s the subtle, poison which
ss'l'ol s,ed and produced the downfall % all
is sia'su Let us briefly inaaire, whether !
sYu0ls,,., ;on Sc founded on the testimony q
si'sory he republics Of ancient Greece
Amon5 I acedrn,on were the most re-.
satlp - ,rbe former was strictly sIeak-
800 -, nerciisl state; the institutions OF
IS - mined the attention Gifts citizens;
be is'.a Ne and war. What is the picture
- history of these illustrious repub-.
asisD ~ snss 70 our view? In ths glorious war:
lss pr s,s developed the exalted herpisin OF
vh'' e.-sr;an character, we see them contends
DC S.s rorcit but the postsof dang ger, anxi-
na on,v for the liberty Of Greece, and ncoiy J.
on Inc, heir rcaown upon the destruc,ionof
sa'-., nm enemy. Bat this age OF hero
ns , ss,, n passes away Thcncxt presents
''s '.a.rsr, scene. We see unjust and ruins
a' vars carried on to CRAFTY the ambition OF
'S s.gori,c leader; pcwernost shanefully a.
$3.50. - tie RIGHTS Of their allies trainpled up
and their best citizens punished withexile
~ ~ s for. exceliing their con-
- ,,aray;es in virtue and In genius. We see
NJ TOO, concluding disgrseesul treaties
~ he tespot, who had so ohen confessed
,Ss;r s,,,sriority in the cmbattledheld. Thus
g. ,ser. IS nothing TO distinguish the COM
..se;isl. f,Dln the agiicustuual republic. Bat
;F,vs INQUIRE which OF them oxcesled III learis-
= ,ohteness, and III humanity, in all
.s 10 arts which cxalt cisisized man 50 Eur
hovc the aututcsd savage, weS shall discover
,h,t a,hens, The commercial republic, was in
i, ,AssealnrigaIled. Audit was 70 commerce,
chiefly, that size owed. this prominence. It
yy,, gop,n,erse wlichsaught them the absurd
;.v Of the barbarcas maxim, that hi strangers
re enemies, and should fbe treated as such.
4 was commerce which raised item to That
towering height, which has exeitedthe Won
der and adnliratianof succeeding ages. Nor
eau we fairly~attribute 10 commerce the Corr
aption, which ccCasioned the destruction OF
A,heDian liberty. Eos five examine into the
causes Of thai corruption, we shall iihd that
snsy were common to all the republics Of
Greece, agricultural! and commercial, The
Svartans had learnt, without the assistance of
commerce, to turn their. backs unen the foe,
10 ssYrouna lhsircity Wlth fortihcations, which,
the;rhardy ancestors, trusting 70 Fsaor alone,5
: had tisdsined to, use. That gallant spirit.
wiichbad enabled their foretathegs to triumph
over the armed mill ions of Persia, was extinct
in every 6reeian breasts the agricultural and
commercial republics crouched together.
before eMacedonian phalanx sand yiehlesl the
list remnant Of she;r liberty to the lesions Of
Rome 49,, .
\ Those neutrality-suspicious. ana their Car
tmstnivn fiypisi nca attyact our notice and
hesc, loo, tic inquiry IS, whether commerce
wasthesubtis .poisea which vitiatestth m, and
produced taaiNdowntal .Casthage was a COM
metelal aspssi&c; war and agriculture Mno,iy
occupied tae attention cEthesiigb minded Ro-s
mans History declares thas the Canthageni-
ans. Notwithstanding the 1f:iiasii;ns effects Of
their commerce., preserved i'lyiolate, their
tree andSrepublican institutions, sunti.sshe na-
f'on was extefnanatetlby its aIkcoigi aering RI
S'a. IN ihsstre s2eHicsls seonfitt which pre-
seded their dissolution, they demonstrated
s"~e 'is uSttiHi tu Gel Sci SOliIttdA tlsSatlOC
70 commerce ha;lnot unneryed taeii:arsas, had
not exsilisuishci la their breasts that ardent
0se orilbes.y (which made the lossofi more
dreadful thsnextsIsEination itself ! shallnct.
attempt 70 enprnerate the causes which {. VII
uated, and ploducc4 the downfAsi'' of tie Ro-
nan republics suffice it TO say, that anlcng the
multitude cited by contemporary historians,
echlnlefce- has never been mentioned
!, Nnrdoes tie history oflnodesn times ex-
nloa solitary TACT, in support of tho propo-
s saon taat . Commerce is the subtle poison,
Snlch.yl'iasss and produces the downfall Of
s : Notldngybut an extensive and
commerce could have enabled the
U'ase inhabitants of the seven United Pro-
-, %uc 8 10 withstand the Colossal power Of
"a. spanish monarcAy,thso war, whose lu-
' - Is unparalleled in the history of the
>, .o.iu, Commerce wassto them rot sub
!, aia destructive poison, but the genial IN
'.ument which preserved and insigorated
k~>rl. Y J.