Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-05-19

T. 9d4 GoSM 10 ~ 49, ~ 80
ourselves. he said ii YVES aa aisoa rod OF OPP
,,ress;oT, but gutilesas a measure at correc-
lion uson her; more especially since by
the late revolution In Spain and Po,tlgai all
South America was thrown upon her COM
merciai enterprise, and the corsuraptioa OF
her vast nnanufaosnres-(a trade, which we
100 might have shared, It we had been wlse)
and even. should Bonaparte conquer Spafn,
England would-s still enjoy this commerce !;
for Sontsa America would either become her
dependency, os.rouslag her vital energies,
fo~rynfheTself into an Independents state. No,
MrModerator,as real might our government
attempt to chain the essmeatss or create q
snow bank IN simmer, as to coerce the bel
Egerents with paper proclanaations, q an
embargo system OF starvation.
But the igabecility Of the e1nbargom re-
gard tosforeisn nations, and its distressing
effect upon ourselves, was not the worst:
It's provisions were contrary % every
principle of liberty, and tending to COM
plete overthrow of oar constitution, as the
military was thereby raised above the judi
ciary, and al the. Branches olPower thrown
lii the hands Of the president. Rd IS It;
said he] Mr.. Moderator, agreeable tothe
Spirit OF liberty, that Legislative, executive
and judiciary powers should all be concen-
| tyated IN the hands of one mail: | treinble,
| sir, to see the Judiciary giving place to an
constitutional and d~ictatorial laws and we
have lust grounds TO fear a military juris-
| dietion. Already indeed have we been a
harmed wish a midnight military force, as
sembled on yonder shore, to control and
oxerawe oar port.
a system SO imperative against foreign.
nations, SO distressing TO Ourselves, and 50
| Unconstitutional and arbitrary in its princl-
| ples could not be expected to be long maia-
tanned without farce. Accordingly We find,
that an auxiliary act is on its way through
congress, for raising an Amy Of tIrrK.
THousAND 1aen. This 100, IN addition TO
the. old standing fierce which has been kept
up to maintain our frontier ports-ln addl-
ton to the six thousand men which have
been recently raised among Us, by a law ct
last session-and in addition to the 10000
militia detached, and now in readiness to
march at a moments Warning! How con
trary to the spirit and genius-of liberty and
repuhlicanisin, and to the principles OF our
constitution, to have avast standing army
in time Of peace. And It IS really curious
Says he9 TO hear my brother republicans
quoting as a Justification the precedent I'M
der the administration Of Mr.. Adams-an
administrator which they have SO greatly
disapproved, and more for that particular
measure than any other Tie provision for
Altering thesefroops las proposed in the
BID DIR. B. considered to be also ~unconsti-
t~utional, that being givenWholly to tie pre-
sidenr, without the advice OF the senate SO
that hence they would be more completely
his creatures, and subserviert to his viii
Itcoald not be Supposed that the,clause OF
the constitution BY which congress might
vest the appointment of oRe uytyaafoio-
GERS and those he conceived were seacc CT
tiae civil, not OF the military establishment
IN the president alone, authorised theta to
give him The appointment Of the generals
and high officers Of the army: a power
which, under all former ADMINISTRATORS,
has, agreeably to the constitution, been ex-
ercised by the president 6geaad W'fh adpice
the senate. And how dangerous Is pow
er SO accumulated infhe hands OF one man !
How long would Aaron Burr have feared
an impeachment, if possessing at once the
Legislative, executive and judicial powers,
and commanding national forces OF his own
oaiceringe How soon would he have en-
dertained them with B~onaparte's tune to the
Frencia council of five hundred, when he
drove them with his g~renadiers from the
legislative hall!
Dr. B. said it was rot his business to IN
peach. the motives of government but ne