Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-03-22

A. H
. der the &maaisn eftte Screen United Pre-
oinces, then called the New Neither lands.
TIE old governor, Peter Stuyvesant, was
$50 peIverse II, his disposition, that ne would
aaeyer suffer one Of the, able councillors by
whom he was surrounded, to intrude his
advice and save the country from destrue'
Ftion. -.
Scarcely, therefore, had he Departed in
his { xpediion against the Swedes, than the
old fathers o EWiiliam Kief's reign, tegsu
to- tiarst their heads above water, and to ga-
t~heryogelhtr in pelnicai meetings, to dis
suss g the state Of the nation" AT these
assruiblies, the busy turgomasters and their
letfteieus schepcns, made q vera considerable
.hgues. These worthy dignitaries were no
longer the fat tranquil magistrates, that pre-
sided in,,he peaceful days OF Van.er Van
TwtIst ON The contrary, being elected by
the people, they formed in a manner, a stus-
dy bvlwark between the mob and the admi
nistfation. They were great candidates tor
pop1Iariiys and strenuous advocates for the
Tichls oflhe rabble /; resembling in disin-
.tsfsstsd zeal, the wide.mouthed tribunes OF
ancirn Rome, or those virtuous patriots Of
modsin days, emPaatically denomlnated
g the friends oil 'he people"
: JadeEthe tuition OF these profound po-
l~ititians,iit is astonishing how suddenly en-
lightsnsdthe multitude became in matters
NV. their comprehsn sion. Coblers, INK
ersana Tsylnrs, all a, once felt themselves
insp3rsd, Ike those religious idiots in the
glorious iimes OF momkish illumination, and
Without any ~prtvious study or experience,
became Instantly capable OF directing all the
movements OF government,
hut as ,Prt,r .S.uyvesant had a singular
inclination to govern his province without
the assistance of his subiects, he Eel, high.
--sy~furrnsrrprrrsrcrurn ru rrru tre Tacrfous
appearance they had assumed during his
absence. His FIRST MEASURE therefore was
20 restore perfect order, BY pros!ratins The
dignity Of The sovereign people in the
dirt.
He accordingly watched his opportunity,
and onr evening when the enlightened mob
wa, rmhtrsd together in foil caucus, listen.
i'm 10 q patriotic speech from an inspired
Cooler, the intrepid Peter, like his great
pamssakg Of alt The Russias, all al once
nppc arcd among them with a eounsenance
suiScisnt to p,ulty a mill stone. The " hole
meeting was thrown into consternasion-'he
orator seemed TO have received a paralytic
,,roke in the very middle of a sublime SEN
t.nce, he stood aghast with open mouth
and trembling knees, while the words no.
nor ~,yranrs ! liberty rights! taxes! death!
I,sruc,ion and a drlugc of other patriotic
nbrasr., came roaring from his throat, be-
fore he had power 10 close his lips. The
shr<wd Peter took 20 notice Of the skulk-
mo ,hrong round him, but advancing to the
brawling bully ~-rufian, and drawing out .
bnce silver watch, w%ivh might have served
IN Zines oil ,ore as a town-cIock, and which
;s Grill retained by his descendants as a IA
niIv curiosity, requested the orator to mend
!, and set il. going. The orator humb!y
confessed it was utterly out OF his power,
as he was unacquainted with the nature OF
Ia construction. Nay, but" said Peter,
utrr YOUR ingenuity, man, you. see all the
.nr;nrs aud wheels, and how easy the dunn
x;ss, hand may stop it and pull it to pieces,
and why should it not be as easy to regu-
late as TO stop III -
Tho orator declared that his trade was
wholly different, he was a poor cobter, and
had never meLdied with a watch in his lite,
here were men skilled m the art, whose
h,.;r-ss il wasloaeseRd to those matters,
bur for his psrs n should only mar the
wo,i rnanships SaaI ut the Ghole in confu-
.;on.-e Why, Rsakss MS Of mine,"
c-;,a Peter, turning S1aG-n5Nupon him,
nth : countenancs that asSess Purified the
rs,eher of shoes into = perfect ~lapstons--
< Dos, thou pretend to meddls, with the
nes.r,ep,s ofgoyernment--to regulate and
ne, and patch and cobhls a complicated
eo' ,s;n.. .hs principles. of which are above
.h. anm,s.hension, aud It's simplest opera.
ton. too, subtle for thy understanding
wasn iSon sanst not correct a "'s'ns ss!'s