Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-09-20
From the Connecticut Couraat.
(" THE BLAcKsEss OF THE DAY."

"rHE BLAcKsEss OF THE DAY."
| e But To-! where sunk in deep despair,
| Her garments torn, her bosom bare,
! impatient freedom lies.
| CoLLIUs.
The times which have passed over U.s.,
from the CONNIE ncement OF our Datlona!
independence, have been at no period more
perilous than now. Our confederacy of
republics is the only nation in the known
world that SO much as bears the republican
name. In name and manner OF govern
ment, we stand alone in the earth. The
republic of Holland, the little republics OF
Venice and of Italy, the confederated re-
! publics of Switzerland, are all swept away,
t and there remains scarcely remnant OF
their former political institutions. France,
lately the pretended nurse of republics, Is
the monster that has devoured them. She
has buried the liberties of the other nations
of continental Europe in the same tomb
! with her own. Such of their eminent pa
| trots as escaped the sword and scatiold,
are languishing out their lives in her prisons
and dungeons.
There are but two nations in all christen-
dom or even upon the face Of the earth,
which can now be properly said to enjoy
political freedom Great Britain and the
United States. The former is left, alone
and single handed, to maintain the mighty
conflict with France, aided BY all her vas
sal states and kingdoms, and led on by Ma
poleon, whose astonishing talents and pro.
| digious resources are all directed to It's
overthrow. Great Britain is struggling for
national existence. She must fight or pc
IRISH. She burst not, under present circum-
stances, make peace with France. This
is acknowledged On all hands. 1t is ac-
knowIedged in even the speech of governor
Gerry. Its express languages is as follows
" Thus unhappily circumstanced" (ssys his
/ excelsncy) "is Great Britain, and she
views her safety in war. She conceivcs
! tina, by peace, her great and only national
safeguard, her navy, must be demanded ;
( her Numerous foreign seamen viii return
with Joy to their nauVe shores sEst her
national saamen, i'll part, will be compelled
, TO seek employ ment abroad; and that,
| when imperious necessity shall again re-
aui,e her navy, in It's present vigorous
state, an event which would rapidly follow,
the measure would DC impraoticabIe, and
| the result her conquest" his is the stu,
! alton of Great Britain according to the
statement of governor Cerry, who never
thelcss in another part OF his speech, CEN
sures ana reproaches her for continuing the
bloody struggle! A hard case truly. If
they submit they are slaves !; if they resist,
they are blood thirsty wrctches.
But though Great Britain is struggling
for every thing that is deas to her, tho her
very independence is at STAKE, tho she is
| magnanimously determined, if she must
perish, 20 die in the last ditch YET has she
| never asked, much less demanded, that
these United States should become party
with her in the contest. All she processes
| to wish, is, that that they would not be
partial to Ter foes Whereas the emperor
Napoleon, on the other hand, insists that
they Join him, by making war on England.
He insists on this as a sine qua non, as the
! only means TO obtain his forbearance: and
? threatens us with his utmost vengeance in
case of refusal.
Things arc brought now to crisis a
| most important and solemn crisis. Politi-
cally speaking, : life and death are set be-
fore US Life, if we act wise and manful.
ly. Death, if our nation submit to the
mandates of the French emperor. Not to
mention that the very act of such submis.
sion would be a complete rslinquishment of
| its birth right indepe Rdence, and would give
the French forever thereafter, contributing
influence in its councils: the whole train Of
consequences would be fatal and de.truc-
! tive. A league with France on such condi.