Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-05-19

longer operate--it must unay0lda6ly tall ;
either sink slowly into the dust, and another,
Eor.nc,. In the same state, and by the same
peoDle, arise on its ruins, or it must bend to
he first blast of foreign ambition, and sue
cunb TO the first hand that stretches out Its
sceptre for its destruction The people OF tie
United States are not SO tame, as to submit
to sink calmly, and without a struggle, INTO
subiection. If they nave not virtue sufficient
TO maintain their republic, they will adopt
the plan of government suited to their IDEAS
and situation if interests mutual and similar
no longer exist to bind and tederate them,
they viii seperate as their interests ana lncl-
nation dictate. 1t remains with us to calcC-
late the probable chances OF such events ; We
have the clue in our hands. II virtue, interest,
or coneenial views and sentiments remain to
unite us, our union is firm AID durable; for
these arethe fundamental principles on which
depend the whole safety, yigor and animation
of our government.
To decide en- the prevalence or decline Of
virtue in our country, is a subJect OF nicely.
To declare that we decline III 1t daily; that
vice on the contrary makes rapid strides to en-
tire and undlsputed domination that the good
| sid doctrine of love fol our native soil is not
cherished with the same ardent warmth as
formerly, and that venality and corruption are
not viewed with the same honest, patriotic IN
tignation as few years back, would perhaps
betray a partial and snarling spirit OF invec-
tive. But We may be allowed to adduce and
colate the symptoms anu the causes OF those
| alterations from virtue and morality, to COM
| pare reasonables with appearances, to connect
/ with what we observe at present the probable
/ consequences, and to form our judgments ac-
/ corcling to the result of cur reasoning. And
if we Judge Of the subject in this manner,we
will find that in all ages, the rehnements OF
luxury are introduced only by commerce
that they tend IN the end universally to sink
the ~,oral virtues, and to introduce vices most
dcleteelouS and lebasng; that the sllurements
OF passion are then found paramount to the
obligations OF duty, to ourselves, friends and
country, and uncontrolled by reason or cen
science. The public arm IS unnerved; the
imbeciilty On tile subject extends 20 the mi
nisters Of the laws, laws, whose whole force
in a repabiic is interviewer with the virtue,
spirit and patriotism Of the governed. In the
United States. this acme Of refinement is
within short period of completion. Before
the contest Tor independence, our commerce,
and with It our wealth, was extensive and I'M
mcnse. That Independence once established,
olir resources were called forth with more
enterprise, than any other period had wit
messed in this country. We became an4lion
Of traders, whose wealth and luxury kept G.
quail pace. II is not my business here 10 dis
cuss the absolute evi! Of luxury, as productive
Of vice and immortality. The necessary CON
sequence of trade, and productive OF weak
ness and irabeciity in the members of any
community, it is individually incompatible
with the existence Of republics, whose sup
porting pl incipie is virtue. Luxury is GER
tain wherever wealth becomes eXorbitant, arl;l
as surely as luxury extends It's Influence over
the republican, SO surely his government be-
comes irnbecle, unstea Y, and at last lnsup-
sortablc. But although luxury be iItolerable
in arepublic, it is not SO in monarchy Vir-
tue is not here the principle which binds, sup
ports anG energies the government; it is, in
political, sense unnecessary, and luxury at
its greatest heisht interferes not with the ope-
rations of the state, affecting their vigor or
para!izing its exertions. Which form ofruie
is therefore best suited to a large, productive
and commercial country, whose dignity as a
state depends upon wealth, derived solely
from trade, Is paipablc to the sensc.
But interest is, as we'll as virtue, tie pre-
seryative Of the union. Could the views of
cmolHment be the safae--were the soil, pro-
ductions and manners similar, the consocia
ton of interests alone would ensure our COM
bination, and preserve the confederacy I'M
broken. Unfortunately, however, neither the
interests, the sentiments and the manners Of
this unwieldy mass are the same; and althe'
in the early pepiod of the association, imme.
diately succeeding long season OF calami-
tous war, the differences in sentiment, GUS