Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-01-31
coMMUGIc ALTON.


arefaSsn a-om lbs remarks on the United
8*atsa.
/ The government of the u. S. seems to
/ bewithout a parallel. find nothing like
: it in modern times anciently the Greeks
/ had something which resembled it, but that
! resemblance was indeed remote and feeble.
/ Their Amphictyon:c Council was little diff
| ferent from an assembly of ambassadors,
saving that they met regularly both as to
| tine and place, and when convened, their
proceeding were more like some kind OF SUI
!; pre.ne court, than a representative leglsla
tive body.
Our government is no less singular as to
It's nature than it is in its origin.-'ils per-
! haps, the only government whichn all It's
parts, was the result Of plan, foresight, or de-
sign. l,sost governments have been Junabled
LIMO existence from mere accident, by con-
cuyrence of unforeseen events. Great things
have grown from small beginnings others
have been faeigucd into compliance with the
dictates Of prompt and daring ambition, and
have acquiescetl in a system OF arbitrary
power, But IN our case, nunher'of men,
competent to SO great work, sat down and
planned our government before them lay
tte legislation Of past ages.-lhey saw the
shoals on which many have dashed they
aiI what shev could Cor our benefit; tn plan
they formed was dictated BY their know
j LEDGE Of cur circumstances, end II IS Proba-
BY sFe ablest and best plan OF government
ever formed by man.
Bot without virtue in the pecple-lndeed
without great wisdom and elrcumspectloa,
the best theory that ever existed on paper,
will be Ike paper wall opposed to the can
! mons mouth. The wisest regulations, the
best laws w.l be censurcd as unconshSuAoa-
Il through mere perversion. Inc constr
tne;on Itself viii be assailed under pgetsxt OF
an,enelnene, it VIII be curtaiiei., mu1iated,
! undermined and destroyed. Nothing can
nreyent evils Of this nature but pubic VIZ
tue.
Il is WORTHY Of remark, that emigrants
| from Europe are, from a more advanced
state Of society than is generally found III
this country, or at least an older state. -
thence happens that many OF them' even OF
the lowest grade, have certain knowieeee
Of mankind. the necessary result o. mingllng
| with an immense mass of population. MS
knowledge indeed, is chiefly made up OF
| vanity and vice, but it helps them to great
! vo;ubili,v Of toague, snartness OF reply &
| a SEEMING knowledge of things which hand
| ed out on all occasions, readily sets many
! people 10 staring at them as at sohnsthiiie
extraordinary. For this very reason, many
| Of them vuisarly pass for people OF great
information, especially in the circulating
| ,o};tics Of the tlav, and of course they are
placed IN posts of considerable resPonsiOiii-
!. The people brought up in the bosom IN. OF
the British kingdoms are esseAsHu'} a ~:
Lent from, us both in their views and feeAingS
| about governments though they may use the
!; same words that we use, though they eAI
nress the same adherence Of tyranny ana
| OPPRESSION, vet liberty considered as crea-
tire Of the mind, is with them diftefeh
thing from, what it IS with US. 1t is ne az
! Gcnlf matter to account for the iicenslo"s
1 views of liberty and the romantic laeas ~
the freedom Of this country enter'alnGo ~
! the. lower classes Of Europeans. from
! their infancy. they have associated WIN 81,
rerrn,ent and law, the idea OF tyranny ana
! ;,;ns,ice. and with liberty, state OF soci-
~, ~ - ,nr4strained as a state OF nature
/ When they come into this country ana I hna
low aoa government of steiner cast t'lan
/ thew had figured to themselves, they soon
crow ,j,sconten.ed and seek for revoiu-
tion. os+
The people of every country are the mos .
suitable to govern their own country. soula
PIT and Fox be restored to lite, they woui :.
not make good legislators in America; =