Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-04-10
From The Connection. csurens.

8 The essence Of despotisni with the shadow
! tsof freedom y 5EE, Shefey.
Isisyery possible that nation possess.
ing thesfrseest and the best constitution OF
government, may suffer tyranny OF the worst
kind, and az the same time all the forms OF
IT'S conxtitution kept up. Its very post
bic that It may be so hereafter with our
own nation. 10 effect this there IS no neea
thar elder branch of the legislature should
be abolished they may each continue no.
minaly al they are; also the judiciary may
slomiifsily possess all It present powers.
There Is no need expenging from our con-
stit0tion Single article that was meant to
guard the public liberty; nay. let 1t be
guarded and, feuced, if you please ten
tines snnore strongly. if possible, than 1t
now is,yetin spite OF all these precautions
an horrible tyranny, under the specious
guises Of irvedcmamay be practised. and all
our constitutional barriers nevertheless re.
main unbroken.
= Al this may be effected in great uea.
sue by influence arising from the power OF
;bestewing Offices aud other fayors. When
! evera president Of the United States can
by these or by another means, obtain such
influence in the senate and in the house OF
representatives, as to lead majority OF
: them to adopt his me ssures, not from their
own, conviction, but because they are h's
gseasares, his single will becomes an on
,njpotent, and II were better, as the ex.
pence would be less, that he should govern
alone, than that there should be two great
bodies Of men to maintain at the public
charge merely for the purpose of register
ing his edieEs.
We viii state few serious facts, that
our readers may clearly see what may be,
from what actually has been. When Mr..
Jefferson proposed laying on the embargo,
a rash and foolish measure that cost this
country notIsss than forty or fifty millions
ofSdollars, and diverted from it, probably
forever, several of the chahnsls of its form
err commerce; when Mr.. Jefferson propos-
ed this measure efraught with evils to the
country, and the minority in the senate
asked time to deliberate, up starts an ho-
porabie senator, who has since been re-
warded with mission TO Russia. and said,
I" + would not deliberate, | would act"
plainly manifesting that he meant to be
guided implicitlyby the presidents will and
pleasure. And it is evident from the re-
sult that the majority of both houses OF
congress, at that time, were brought down
TO this ignominious grade OF obsequieus-
ness to presidential authority, though only
single individual among them openly a.
vowed il. The president, in that instance,
governed absolutely according TO his own
viii, just rs muck as though all consti.u.
tional forms were done away, and he were
emperor of This country. ...... s..
The safSrring act passed through all our
republican forms It was voted by clear
maioritiss of both houses Of congress ma
iorities devoted to the will of an individual
TO thosewho suffered under that horri-
bic act of tyranny and oppression was It
any comfort to reflect thar that they suffered
BY law, passed according to republican
forms, by . majority of their own repre-.
sentativess What could have been the
difference to them, whesher the oppressive
ace were the ctof an individual despos, or
OF his minious, called che representatives
of the peoples Whether they suffered
this oppression under Turkish drspotism,
OF under the forms Of a free constitution ! )
Mr.. Madison has taken A;s attitude -
towards England IL was a menacing war.
like attitude. What than 1.-The had act-
ed imprudently and rashly, or from mere
personal prejudice and resentment, twas
there no remedy None. Fer according %
the. language Of another honorable senator,
whsn che p,ssidsnt has taken h;s attitude.
C IS TOO lass even for congress- 70 make OPP
pcsition !, And how. did the doctrine take
with congrsss Mighty .weil, for in CON- |
formiiy 90 i. :iles war Tsselus,ons passed
by great majorities, though the absurdisy of
them, 90 things duly. Sonsidersd. must be
s.idsns - svssy saan OF common senss.-I