Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-07-22

.,,,r,erce would comnand5 and the
ear s = arise from a continuation of our
-, rational degradation.
re me objection that all naval arrangements
.Aa,,ld Be discontinued, because we are un-
NJ = cope with the power OF Britain, will
~ ~ - means apply to the interest OF Ameri-
spy - There -. Is a wide difference between a
sarce only calculated for commercial de-.
In one case fleets Of armed vessels
a ss' at sea with view of breaking the
.far;f;;me power of their enemies in the
s.bsr they only appear as the guards Of
{ . ssnoroerce. And should some OF them oc-
sss;onally be lost the nation would derive a
8 I'm remuneration in the property protected
~ them. The loss of properly captured
rniustly, is certainly much greater than the
.xnence of a few armed vessels, and the.
loss Of some OF them occasionally which
lass never could happen unless we were at
omen war. But to protect our dignity is
tbe greatest security for peace.
The effect of the federal policy from
: tro4 to 1898, when We had scarcely COM
r,enced our maritime defence, and when
,he drpredations upon our commerce both
br France and England was carried to the
greatest possible extent, should clearly prove
Mint would have been the effect Of conti-
ruasioa of this policy. England was I'M
mediately brought into a treaty, by which
our neutrality was secured, and a restitution
was made for illegal captures. France, it
i true, either despising our insignificant
force, or calculating upon our submission,
continued her lawless depredatlons upon
our commerce. But the government OF a
free and independent nation, discovering
that an appeal to the honor of France avail
ed us nothing, made an Immediate appeal to
our arms. The consequence was that after
short combat, BY which France discovered
hersclfin an Improbable contest, and which
increased as our force was augmented a
gainst her, treaty was made on memorable
terlns-and thus securing our neutrality we
continued i'll uninterrupted prosperity, until
we were arrested by the effect Of a change
in the politics Of our general government;
roT did this effect appear so evidently until
slet:ne after the change had taken place.
The progressive insults and Entertainments
upon our national dignity, was the progress
sive consequence of abandoning those prlr-
eiples which had bought and maintained
them; or in other. words, the consequence
Of Altering the principles and practice OF our
government.
In this short consideration, have endea-
vored to measure my argument upon the
principles Of nature; and as it must evident
y prove, upon the greatest human certain
~, that continuation of the federal policy,
would have brought us to this period IN
peace with all the world, provided us a ma
tiora defence, increased ourplblic and pri-
vate aiiiuence, and raised us to tie highest
degree of national dignity SO 1t shall be
more clearly proved, in another argument,
founded upon the same calculation, that the
very policy OF our present rulers has been
directly such as could only invite piratical
imposition, national insult, and the hulnili-
atng consideration of being thus driven
from our rights in the high road of nations.
II would certainly be unfair to measure
the value of any policy by one years expe-
renee on.y---Wc must retrospect the whole
We must not commence with the embargo
measure; but fairly consider those which
led toit. But even this dreadful measure,
under the circumstances, and in the man
ner in which it is imposed, shall clearly APP
s pear IN my noxt, only as a Continuation of
that destructive policy, which has nearly
sealed our national degradation.
VALIUS.