Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-03-06

S.d allsthe benefit derived from such
.sms 1;fanvbeneftcan result therefrom) with
ont Yielding such mighty effects. We must
ths,sfore seek in some other hypothesis, lot
the causes of this astonishing greatness -
the wisdom of the British laws, as they re.
card the safety of person and property. -
IS IS the safety which British subject iseIs ~
he life his person, his regulations, and MS
estatp which has stimulated and nourlsheo
that amazing industry and enterprise when
has rendered his country SO Pre-sminen'''-
Derived ourselves from the. same peopie',
from our earliest establishment we had the
bene6t of the same laws which with the alt,
Of the finest country in the world, founu
by us as it were vacant and uncultNat'u'
caused the United States to acquire m 50
short a space the ability OF throwing OF rnelr
dependence on the British empire, ana. o.
maintaining till this time their rank as a Id,
ton. Since the establishment ofthe general
government, the strict regard, which IN It's
PRINCIPLES as well as It's administration, par
ticularly at its commencement was mani
tested by it for the rights OF property, must
be viewed as the efficient cause OF that IN
paralleled prosperity which the nation has
enioyed till of late. Itought not, however,
70 be omitted, that the events which have
shaken the continent Of Europe to It's centre,
opened wide field to our industry and en-
terprize. But this industry could not
have existed except under governments and
laws which rendered the rights OF property
sacred and safe. Iftoo, we examine sepa-
rately the states composing our natlon, we
shall discover that those which afford the
greatest security to property, exllDlt at siliS
ume most strength, physical, moral, and rs
cal, and are advancing most rapidly to
wealth and power.
Under our forms Of government, with
the feelings derived from our ancestors and
! the habits of our education, invasAons OF
personal safety cannot often occur, nor can
be in any great degree apprehended until
the laxity of the laws, by rendering DIS
regard to the rights Of property universal
I and habitual, Shall remove from the minds
Of the citizens every distinction between
right and wrong, destroy all the buwark8
of moral principle, overturn the defences
of public order and correctness, AND there
by introduce into the body polite that dc,
prayitv and Ecentiousnes which at length
+ becoming intolerabie, we like other nations
may find it necessary to seek Tor protection
even in the arms OF despotism.
The progress to despotism IN all coun,
tries must be gradual, except when imposed
/ by conquest--For it IS a kind OF sacrlhce
Ito think so lightly Of human nature, as to
tsuppose such governments the effect OF
choice and not OF dire unavoidable neces-
sity. Happily for the American people,
they are SO remote from the powerful ma
tons of the world and SO defended by ma
ture itself, that no serious apprehension can
be entertained Of loosing our Liberties by
foreign conquest. They can never be lost
till the society becomes too corrupt to en-
dure freedom. The body polite will Pc
! rish from internal disease, and not from
| foreign violence.
How watchfulthen ought ourrulers to be,
not only those to whom are committed the
! general concerns, but more especially those
who regulate the particular concerns ef the
states which compose the nation. 1t is in
fact the last, who peculiarly possess the pow
er of forming the habits, the manners, and
morals OF the comnunity--on them depend
those minute regulations which touch, ex-
cite, modify, direct, and control the delicate
fbres of the social body,cn them it depends
whetheri it shall be healthy aud vigorous, or
sickly and imbecile. Whether by consrain-
ing it into early habits of temperance, self
denial and justice, it shall grow up to man
hood with constitution so firm and athle-
tic as to defy the approach and ravages Of
age or shall perish from facilitating and
pernicious indulgences in the first stage OF
its youth. 1t is in the infancy of nations as
well as ofindividuals, that the foundations
nf En1llre. nee G1lnaSs and crraatneSs must be