Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-08-30


three feet wide, with SO twenty four pound
ers; and to use the words Of Capt NJ. Cadiz
was considered as strong as the rock of Glib
raltar; and it was the opinion the French
could never obtain it-BoSt Cent. aug. ID.
CHARACTER OF BONAPARTE.
Mr.. S. T. Coleridge, who it will be rs.
collected by our literary readers, has been
friend and coadjutor Of Mr.. Wardsworlh-
in the ntw cast of poetry manufactured
near the lakes of Cumberland, HIS lately
instituted political paper, called The
Friend" in which the character of Bona
parte has been handled with great severity
of apprehension, and assaulted with creative
hemence of indignant feeling. For this
Mr.. Colsridge has been attacked, and he
has vindicated his expressions in the Courier
newspaper, in seres of letters. The fol.
lowing observations on the character Of Ma
poleon, introduced fer the purpose of shew-
ing the proprie,y of the epithets which he
has applied to it, will be perused with IN
,erest as we'll as advan.age.--Bost. GaS.
-'If l had been one of those who first
clamored for peace with France at the very
time when tie war became Just and neces
sary, or if during the experime n,al truce OF
Amens, had hurried with the crowd Of
English patriots to the usurper's levee, and
had offered to him every tribute of respect
which could have been paid to Washing
ton, however defensible might deem the
terms themselves, l should have no right
70 complain though the worst motives were
imputed to me personally 70: my inconslss-
ency in using them. | am proud, sir, thai
employed that interim very differently, in
rousing, warning and ALA ming my country
men concerning the dangers of peace,
which was doubtless in high degree very
beneficial, but beneficial only as the means
Of making all parties unanimous for the re-
newal of open hostility. But not even then,
sir, did backtn the French ruler as the
enemy Of Great Britain; but as The entmy
of whatever makes not onl y Great Britain
but life itself worth fighting for; as the
enemy Of our comm On nature in its dignity
and in its loveliness as the murderer of the
hopes Of good men; as toe tyrant who has
waged an unceasIng war against all the pin
ciples Of human grandeur, and all the sop
ports of human frail.y. Would these OBJ.
iectors expunge from the dictionary of our
own and all other languages, every phrase,
every word, which docs not represent some
external fact, but only expires sss the feel.
Jugs of complacency or aversion which arise
in all well constituted minds from the con.
temptation of certain facts? Or if we are
permitted 10 call white, white, will they
please to assign their reason why black
should NOT be called black If when a
Washington having purchased the indbend-
ence OF his country by tar-sigh'ed patience i
and enduring courage as warrior, and then
established and watched over her freedom |
with the wisdom Of parental love, unmovcd
by the entire aties of his citizens, lest
by yielding to them he should form pre-
cedent injurious to their posterity, retires
10 the unanabitious duties Of private life,
and disclaiming all titles bat those given by
domestic love and reverence, bows at length |
his dear and venerable head 10 the emanci-
pa,ing angel, and restores his spirit to that
great Being, whose goodness he had both
ado,ed and lmita.eds-if for such man we
collect ak terms of honor & affection, & fond
" involve his name in phrases expressive of
b;s virtnes. nust we remain mule, and stiae