Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-01-19
Thc following is extracted from AZ article in
the American Citizen:

y & y ~ . Il
"An article. half male md half fem ale,
-appears IN a Washington paper 10 rrbu.
assertions Of Freooh ifaprnce in Gu,
prrsen' zfairs Alhlrga am DOT nam
cd, although !, meets d,recfl, nolhitgf ha,
| have written, ys, am noi nis.asen
4Mhru ! say that the article is n ende,' rs a
reply TO some'h;rg 'ha, is supposed to have
dlofPtd from my ren.
II proceeds On the snepcsiinn lat The
executive charged with having advised
The embargo 10 compliance with he de-
msnds of Napoleon. This is unfortunate
ls'he supposi!ion the oR,prirg Of a COP.
sciousr4ss Of the fact?
] have made 70 such chatge--I have not
done my duy-l have mol spoken ou,right
dow shall I atone for shr,ekirg: from
the slightest Obligations at period g With
the fate of this grea. and enlightened pa.
ton?
Fhave ,eprcsen.edt the er.bargo as hav.
iag been laid, not in compliance with, hu.
in defiance of the mandates Of N%polc.
CD.
But 10 truth we hsrdIy know wha, TO
think, what 10 say, o, VIVA, TO do.
For the transaction is wrapped ia~mys,
tery.
An ct dire CITY ard eminrp.ly involving
the rights, liberties. interest, prosperity &
happiness Of this last best hope CT mse, ,
is systematically, aud with he gripe of
death concealed from The public eye. We
know, 4iadred, il is, BIZ, We knea notwHy
it is.
In such state of ,hipes, what is TO be
our guide /! Passive obedience The doc.
thine is sometimes exce!enf, Bio, npder cir.
cnms,anees Ike ours, threatened aswc are
with the greatest Of peril. il has been eceut.
ed ia England and rev ol;ed frcm in ,ha u,
S.
In sachta state Of .hinge private sources
Ut information is all that ws can expect,
and informa.iop from these sootcea is. y.
larmias---is is insl,nared 10 M by az pure
republicans as this nation can b0asr, C1eo
sho in tho gloomisss hines hsvs. Ike re
cor bated i-federalism aod will conha. /.
again, that We, are al his n1un &c tbs
vosacious jaws Of Napoleon, aad ,hat Il
we cscape wishou, beirg csatktd, mas'i,
Gated, and des cured, We shall be rsore
dezte'ous and lucky than other Stations
have been.
-Letu examine, rcircumstances for cir.
cums.ances are all ,aasewe Brs permitteG &c
exsminc
The Washington paper. after asserting
thst he US not the friend Ct blind conf
sdsnee in any executive" says.
{. 9 From the otgsnigation of the execu,
tive 'pswer, be alone knows the Present
ground 90 which we stand, and ,hat OF
which, in failure negociat,cns, it is mean,
TO place Us"
Granted The executive alone knows
the present ground on which We stsnd, anj
had be not called on congress to TAX mos.
imposiau, sep opon that ground, one which
may bring upon the country al! The ca!ami
ties OF war, I~would say sha, the know
ledge should be conGn ed to The president
a!ane, far 10 this case he alone is 10 set. !
Bet mhen the executive founds upon
ti,ss knowledge . call on congress to lay 30
embsrgo which may indu:e war. awsy
which ougress.alone can declare, surely il
is necessary for eosgress to have TIA,
knowledge communicated with the cali. 4
should no longer remain with the pyesidcn, !
!" alone" There is 90 mediom between
this sound constitutional doc rine, and that |
"h'ind" confidence in ".oay executive"
which the edi.er Of the Nauona! In,elIi t
,sercer very properly disavews.
Now did The executive communicate that /
knowledge to congress? 4 assertuben IN
aa6ifab}e authority that he did not He KEEP,
20 hsm,si; alone ,hss into n anon which was
necessary to enable congress to judge Ii.
herally aud correctly Of the important mea.
sure which he called upon theH to take, +
ard i'll 4h..z a IL. ~. 3, c. L. :. L. B