The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-12-04


fogrer. hoyv zoouid they haze held the reius
Of government =
The Federallsts are for ever complaining
OF the misconduct of our rulers-Now. 1t
would be curious to enquire, in what way
fhey would have managed better how thcu
would have stcered the vessel of State
and in what port we should now have found
ourselves, if they had been at the Helm. -
n slight comparative sketch of what we
ourselves haze done and what thew zcouid
haze done, will perhaps enable us to de
eide better upon the business of their CON
plants.
Judging, indeed, from what thew have &C
tually done, 7vAen they were in power. the
language ofcensure seems to come. with 4
very III grace, from their lips. 1t il be DO
liticai purity alone that gives the privilege
OF complaint, these men would be doomed
to the silence of the grave If he that is
without s'n," is to cast the first stone and
ii no man is to see the moat in his neigh
boris eye, without first pucking the beam
from his own there would be no health
IN them. They have sins enough upon their
heads to gag them. for ever. IL am much
mistaken y = very slight comparison vi what
HAS been done by them and by the ruling
party respectively in fo7ver. would not be
calculated TO damp the zeal of far more i'm.
maculate or less resolute critics, than these
gentlemen.
The reins were in their hands, for several
years. What benefits did they render, dur
ing their auspices?
they increased the public debt, s 5, S22,.
$40. AZ cts.
They loaned 8 1000 900 at per cent.
they extended, in the mean time the
sphere of taxalion.
They laid duty on Salt.
They levied an Excise on carriages.
snufis. refined sugar, and domestic distilled
spirits.
They levied stamp duty and a land
tax
They trampled on the constitution, by the
establishment of a national Bank by Alien
and Sedtion Acts
They subjected the unfortunate Alien
to the merciless discretion of the Presl
dent.
They struck from our hands the sacred
LEgis, that guards our Liberties the free
dom of the Press
They saddled US with host of midnight
Jndges--they attempted to enshrine their
sinking cause on the bench of justice. and to
check the responsible representatives of the
people by an irresponsible judiciary
They set up badges Of distinction among
us--they had their sign and countersign.
1871 "o'S" "OihS anu CuIkduSS tuey at
tempted to ave us by cries of suspicion and
to silence all opposition
to their measures by 1.-The reign of terror
they set up the ridiculoss cry of French
influence and denounced the best men
In the nation as jacobins, emissaries, disor-
ganzers.
But they overshot their mark. The peo.
pie were Uotyet ripe for their sickle. They
carried every thing with too high hand
wise and sober nation were startled by
the violence of their steps, and calmly put
them down. They were weighed in the
balance and found wanting their " Kingdom
was numbered" and taken from them.
The reins were then transferred to other
hands.
They repealed the Alien Act.
they halloWed the Freedom of the Press.
They broke up the batch Of midnight jud
ges--yet the courts were adequate to the
wants of the nation.
They abolished the duty on stamps, and
on land, and all the odious machinery of the
Excise.
They had recourse only to a Loan oil
b 100000 at sir per cent.-imposcd on
them by crisis as extra ordinary, as it was
embarrassing.
They have paid off S 34.706. 900 Of
| principal of the public debt.
| They have acquired the island of New
| Orleans, the territory of Louisiana and the
sole right TO the Mississippi aud its tributa'
ry streams.
For five years, every thing wen, on smooth
~ Tbs vessel of state sliGed chearily on