Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-02-08

~. q 80 IS !. 4
The author then proceeds to give the
details, from which We have made The fol-
lowing summary. 49, !. g &.
AN writer's previous to the French reyo-
tuition, concur in respsesins France g she,.
ter 6,.ed ihm any ethes power for The &C
,,inmens Of universal empire-her seogra.
phical posi.ion-.he nanbsr, the compact.
ness, andths ns,sial character Of her po.
paulation-,he ambitious projects and rest
less in.rigues Of her rulers-The cores
pondenee between the foreign ministers es
Fsance & their court & the domestic. annals
sfthas court towards the close Of the lass
reigp, are convincing proofs thAt the French
politicians Of the day were profoundly cen
sibie of rheis advantages, < eagerly soushs
an opportunity Of exsr.ing them for the
establishment, Of an Unlimited control ever
the continent. The obstacles to the accom-
plishmens of this end, may be discovered
in the civil institutions, in certain establish
ed habits, aud in the limited farms OF SO.
vsrament Of which France then Pa1took
withthe rest Of Europe. Ths balance Of
power which prevented the destruction Of
any one independent power by;'vio'ens
means, and exhibited, before the dismem.
,bermeut of Poland, nineteen distinct pow
ere of the most unequal strength, is to be
ascribed, not to the moderation or to'tae
jealousy Of the four great rivals, but to
what may be termed an equilibrium u
weakness in.sheir military ceassiss.ions.
Celebrated writers on political arithmetic
have computed that no state can at one
,ine maintain more than the one hundred,h
part Of its military population, in atms'----
This arose from various Causes lst. The
necessity Of proportioning the military
force, not merely TO the numerical popula-
ton, but tothat which remained after de-
ducsieR in favor Of the agricultufe, the
commerce, &c: 81. The maxim univer.
sally adopted, that 'n:sney constitutes .hs
sinews Of war, and consequently the extent
of the aa duration Of hostilities,
..sspuree. ofAe
Senigssen(1 s1es of supporting sr-
mics upon the territories of an enemy ap-
pears never to have been entertained. Ma
lions Of husba2dmen, Of artideers and ma.
nufacsures, were utterly incapable Of pur-
SUNG a regular plan, or Of FURNISHING the
means for the attainment of universal en-,
p;re. Ia conjunction with these causes the
pursuits Of commerce, coHspired to keep
the leading powers witlia their proper
sphere, and to prevent the exer,ion oil tho.e
means, BY which France has since been
enabled to SKATER the strength and to crush
The independence Of the continen.. This
trseical catastrophe, OF which half the evils
have not As yet been disclosed, was retad.
ed by the mode in which the French ar
mics were recruited. The system Of 70.
lansary levies is whaIy Incompatible with
a plan, Of boundless aggrandisemeus. and
it was shrrefors general Jourdaa sxul.ins!y
declared to the convention, when they IN.
acted the .yrannical law Of the requisisioa-,
" that the moment they pronounced the
compulsory levy en ,sasse to be permanent,
they decreed the power Of the republic to
be imperishable.- - -.
. ~ (Ts be sen!inEed.j =. l,tr:.s
AA1rrYnAYx nxxonno 49,