Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-06-02

y tnoy evsW pRHuStV$S ~ Suss ~ - ,-Sssf
Isien su8 ihEg was n .netnsn .afy sbglll.
] siop. 81 paaaiou oseas,entd by the weshdtd
pride OF our secretary ofiSlA,s. Even the
di,rnisson ct Nh 1Sst 500; therefore, y 10
Tar from ipaieA,ingfsAl energy Ia our snun'
eils or decision OF thatieter IN the individuals
who conduct ii, d, ,ks.'i,is, ny inference,
( q proof Of their h,betiti,y. The aSIoLu.
TICKS Of eur .vise congress, ini. nded %
salvo to the rsbines; for that proevtd ding,
tending 10 reali,y only The more completely
to expose their wtakntts /: like 4 drunken
man; who instead Of .eenss railing his saua'
tim by sitting still and saying nothing, mus.
needs discover his infrmiIy to every one BY
continually surating ttdf he issetrr.
1t is natural, in cona mPlatine such a
mass stupidity, weakness and stato insist.
ency, to enquire whence it proceeds. and
how It happ, ms that The affairs. Of a .grea. K
! growing people, naturally inquisiHve and
jealous resp. citing their political ranssc.
tic MS, are conducted in : Mariner which
might have <li,graeed the talents efa school
boy. ., 80 -. -.
:" We're I TO answer the enquiry, should
attribute the whole to the. pee uliarities in
the character of Mr.. Madison The Wing
has cslled him KING loc,S and believe
an att. ntive observer will be s,rutk with
the characteristic aptitude of the ,i:le+Th
Nr. Madison is man Of no common uni.
Outstanding or requirements, fsaaif rtsdi.
ly eoncede, On question Of abstract po-
li,ics, no man can reason more learied y or
argue more Huen,ly but the reason and
arguments would not be his own. He could
quote you, chapter and verse, what all the
celebrated political writers of,he three last
centuries have said upon any subiec he
could point you 10 an hundred logical rea-
sons for adopting this opinion andrejec,irg
that, and two days afterwards he could
raise at least as many unanwserable .objee-
ions to these very nasous: bu, you would
readily perceive that not one! sscp in the
whole progress Of conviction or rrfuta,ion
was his own, and tina, at mos, he had hut
iurnished an ingenious sup. rsttocture to a
borrowed foundation. II Is his misfortune,
that with the NEST ample materials and The
most brilhsut talents for forming iddq.
msnt of his own, he almost uniiol My
chooses TO rely upon hejudsm-n, Of others.
Ills mind has wonderful capacity. but no
decision !. can lhrerize with the most
brau'iiul pstspicuisy but il wants thu, E.
mercy and fxi'y, that unbt hdipy frmn.ss
end prr,naci.y. which 10 .quisHs in re-.
due'ng theory 10 pstlies and practice to .
syWem. -. .
II do not greatly mis,ake, the prseed.
Ing sketch Of the character OF our presi.
den. will furnish complete key 10 the mys.
terry which nigh. otherwise involve III.
late transdetions Of our government. Il
will explain how !. happens ,ha, Mr.. Mndi.
aon, with oil his talents und hh popularity,
10 In reality bu. 4 mere eyrhrr In the rrnu.
h.ion'of our political tran,ae,iens. with.
out tnstSy 70 form and enforce h will Of hs
own, he leans upon the will Of o.hern-
When the tempest begins to threaten tho
ship Of state, he skuIkA below himself.
porksts the chart, throws the compass over,
board, and leaves The helm 10 the mana e.!
mens Of the frat one that can s<ise ito q
secretary. . general, n srna,or, or a,ior.icn
mini.ser. These men are all opinioaa,ed,
selfish, hsadsreng and ambitious, each has
diasrn, port" in view, md each, as he
can get momentary pull at the rudder,
s,eersN,he ship Different course.
But to drop the simile: a, great-pa If
our present difficulties, both 10 our foreign
and domestic relations, have been occasion.
I'd by the presidents resiguing the RESPONSE.
bility which twas his duty to assume.-
'Ins,ead of.acting from and for himself. he
has been guided ia enc measure bySm;,b.
in a second by a Gallasin, in third by Giles.
and in a fourth by Macon. The oonse.
suence has been that, the presidents inau.
enee and control so necessary to marshal
and direct diseordant' sentiments and pas.
'sions having been lost, every one hss acted
al suited his own within, Interest," or molina.
ton. Our cabinet ministers, like the old
feudal bsrons in . regal minority. oorr.
strsined by presidential guidance aud Az.
thority, have fallen 10 losgerhsads .monp,,