Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-03-09
For the Alsxasaria Daily Gazette.
AURELIUs No. II.

natlOnS,r as Wen do Oh iHulNldueuos tnsss sAA~
foundations of future. usefulness and great
ness must be laid" Just as the boughs are
bent the tree inclines.
The most important duty therefore de-
wolves on those who at the present period OF
our existence hold the direction OF our pub
lie concerns. In national existence we are
but an infant--a child of day. In strength
weak for every object but defence against
foreign invasion-and against that, weak
! too, unless sn unity of will, stimulate to an
units observation-disclosures are strong enough
to DEFY the attacks of the whole world
Nature, all bountiful, has made US strong
for defence by placing us at great distance
from those who are able to attack us. For
offence, neither our numbers, our wealth,
the extensive bounds of our empire, nor
the thinness of our population give ability.
But conquest is not consistent with the the
ory of our political establishments. lndi-
yidual happiness is their object, and In this
respect we NAV consider ourselves as pecu-
liarsy fortunate in our local position On the
globe-thereby safe from sublugation by
foreign yiolence-and exempted by our own
weakness from indulginS in schemes of am
bition or conquest towards other countries.
Under such circumstances we have. the
fairest opportunity Of fixing our future des-
TIMES. BY giving 6rmness and stability to
the primordial principles of our republican
system. What are these? They are to be
found in the declarations Of rights prehxed
4 to our constitutions, & in those constitutions
themselves. They all recognize the same
principles. In that of Virginia We find as
the first in order as importance-Ihe en-
joyment of life and liberty, with the means
of acquiring and possessing properly and
pursuing and obtaining happiness and safe
la, ranked as " inherent" and unaIiena6le
rights.
It is Only by recurrence to this funda-
mental principle, and conforming all our
public measures to it, that we can expect
to maintain system liable to continual a
buse from the ambition and aYarice Of cor
rupt individuals or the intrigues Of mischief
working parties. The more popular the
torn of government, the greater is the dam
ger from the passions of men. For it is
under the banners OF liberty that the pas
sions have their fullest play, and are WELD
ed with most success TO effect It's ruin. We
can only hope by keeping the great mass Of
the society sane and correct, to preserve
sufficient counterpoise against the machina-
tions of the wicked and designing. In other
words, justice, purity, temperance, forti-
tude, and self-denial must be the distin-
gushing characteristics of a people who
exercise the right self-government if they
hope long to retain it. This is truth not
only derived by reason from the nature of
man, as he has been found every where.
but established and illustrated by the uni
form history and experience of the most
celebrated nations of the world.
Under republican forms of government
man in all ages has exhibited himself in the
noblest and most dignihed state.-In Greece
particularly, all the accomplishments of the
mind and body-all the eleganeies and I'M
provements of arts, were carried to the high
est pitch under the auspices of well regulat-
/. ed commonwealths. A part of their system
however--perhaps the most efficacious part,
provided for the education OF their youth
under the public direction, in manner suit
ed to the genius OF their governments
They deemed it not sufficient to pass laws
only to controul adults-but judged it expe-
disnt for the good of the society, that the in.
FAINT mind should be early imbibed withright
notions Of public and private duty-wisely
considering that early impressions were the
most durable, and not easily eradicated.-
Nor was their attention confined to the
mind--it extended to the Improvement of
the body by habits of strict, temperance
and exercises which gave vigor and grace
90 all Its movements.
The peculiar condition of the world dur