Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-09-07
From the Federal Republican.
REFLECTIONS.
Duration Of the French Empire.

Before the French revolution, @EaroPt
exhibited a very different spectacle from
what it does now. Its governments were
all of them vastly better than they now are.
The work of Improvement was very visiby
going on in all of them and many OF them
promised to become in the course Of time,
very temperate and wellregulated govern
ments. Providence, however, has pleased
to put a stop to all this, by succession OF
the most wonderful revolutions, that the
world has ever witnessed. France, INTO
whose government the revolution has IN
fused such martial spirit, and so much
energy, has been the instrument o. these
changes. Reformation and Improvement
was the FIRST object which the leaders 10 that
revolution, had in view. Finding, now
ever, tia. their visionary schemes must ta'i'
that the wandering delircus hopes which
they had indulged concerning the future
happiness of their country must be extln.
guishsd; that the people Of France, instead
of living under republic, must nave
strong energetic government established O.
yer them; .hsy began to frame plans OF ma
tional ACCOMPLISHMENTS Ihis, am per-
suaded, was not the first oblect which they
had in view. Those men were not tore
sighted and comprehensive enough, to see
that the state Of anarchy which prevailed
from 90 70 'e5, would eventually and OF
course. give rise TO the establishment OF
despo.jc government. They were so MI
serablv cgteltive in mind and talents, as
not even 10 understand thar fundamental
max,m in politics, that governments must
ultimately grow o.,t ii the state OF society
where they ex;s. We are to attribute the
French revolution TO nothing else, but the
influence of inGdelity and jacebinism among
the people. The course ct things was very
widely different however, from what was
expected. A despotism, instead OF re-
public, was established "a government
which, as | have already remarked, is IN
an eminent degree fitted for conquest.
II may be questioned whether the ma
tiors which France has subjugated, have
been more equal match for her than the
same narfons were tor the Roman empire.
# is frequently said thai they have bat
et, 1t is true, that Europe is Infinitely
more civilized aow, than il was 1900 years
ago, and that the art of war, and the means
OF Internal and external defence are far bet.
ter understood now. But, il is also true,
that France is much more powerful ma
ton, ard endowed with vastly more strength
.han Austria, Spain, Italy, Prussia & Hol,
land and in Just as great a prob9rti5n as
R9mr formerly was. The conquest OF Eu
rope, although ca the whole greater work
and greater EVENT, now, than it was Is
centuries ago, mas not really been accom-.
plished with greater difficulty. The French
are as much better soldiers than the Ger
mans and Spauiards, as the Romans were
than the ancient Gauls and Britons. To be
sure, the French have practsed arts and
iatrigues OF peculiar kind to ensure their
conques,s. The influence of jacobinism a
mong the nations of Europe, has efrctual
ly prepared them to be subjugated. Aud
Bonaparte has in numerous instances, |
bought over the enemy. But, the contest
has been extremely unequal, independent
of these things. And with regard to jaco-
binism, as the nations where it has prevail
ed, were, by their corruption, prepared to
lis introduction and influence among them,
it would be fair to attribute its ravages as
much to their weakness as to French IN
trigue.
How long will the French despotism last,
is question in which every civilized nation
on earth must be deeply interested. If the
governments of Europe are 10 be shattered
and in the end utterly destroyed by this new
power, it is impossible for the mind 10 fl
CURE more deplorable and gloomy specta-
Gle than that quarter of the globe will afford |
in twenty years state Of things perhaps |
as bad as that of the first ages of the chris