Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-05-08
From she Salem Gazette.

! ADDRESS
To THE Pror.E OF THE UNITED STATES
No. VIII.
FELLOW Cir1zESs, A :.
IN the political concerns OF nctson' eA 'r
siye admiration of any man leads to dangerous
errors and if that man be notlntte Xlely Jnst
and beyond the reach of Hattery; It, on the
contrary, he has but the senolaace OF Virtue
and puts or the garb of patriotism to conocal
!. his ambition; such admiration Will produce
serious mischiefs.
Whoever reads the history OF the -israehtes
will be forcibly struck with their proneness 10
idolatry, even after their repeated experience
Of national calanities inflicted by heaven io'
i, that sin. But idolatry is not uncommon a
ynone. other nations and people. The differ
ence is, that the former worshipped dead
idols, the latter living ones.--Mr Jefferson
has been the idol Of his party !; and mucl. IN
-cense has been offered to Fin for virtues he
did not possess and for taleiits more ,plaus9ie
than solid. His jealous partisaAis have con-
sidered the declaration OF Independence as q
work of astonishing excellence, matchiess
performance. and.all IT'S merits as exclusively
his own. The history of that declaration IN
nv LIST address, showed, what share he had IN
il, and the extent OF. MS deseryngs' 1or ti.'t
eomtHaion.-Many too. have thought ms
Notes on the State Of Virginia to be a work
of great merit, which they have appiauded,
in the same breath, with the declaration at m
dependence Ina word, he has been consi'
dered as profound statesman, great phi'oso-
pher, and elninent in science and llterarlFe.---
It is not within the scope OF these addresses,
il it were within my ,competshcy,a to ciauci5e
the writings in which Mr.. Jefferson has ~
tempted to display his philosophy, his SCIENCE
or his learning. ] know, however,, that meh
of acknowledged distinction in az, Measure
bis pretensons, III these respects, 81 !no-
demte scale. 81
Mr.. Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, the s,.-
gle work in which he has appeared as ~ tu-
thor,---howe yer marked with "Imperieciions,"
IS he himself sugges,s---and abounding il cr-
rors, as others say---are,a as they relate TO the
present investigation, most remarkable ior
containing some correct statements and doc
tr!nes, to which, nevertheless, lie apples
doubling remarks; or to wh,ch his subse-
ousnt official opinions and conduct are ia di-
rect opposition Hercafter / may bring most
of them into view. At this time s.i.li no.
tice only one instahCe--.that relating TO corr
merce.
!. Great pins have been taken to make the
people c. the u. States bci W that Mr.. JeE-
ferson was a rel friend to commerce. And
to give CURRENCY to this untounGed opinion, he
has himself let slip no occssio2s to Ga nouf Tor
fAc; freedom # tile seas and the risAts. Il The
ocean; and the more because that Glamour
could be pointed against Great Britain. For
on the seas she has unlimited command : and
because she possesses the power to Cypress,
ne would have it inferred that Britain alone
interaicts. or causes the iatertlction OF that
freedom, and the violation of those rights.
IN his Notes, under Query XVII, he SAYS
" Our interest will be to throw open the doors
of commerce. ant! to knock OF ali It's s1acAles;
giving perfect freedom TO all persons for the
vent of whatever they my choose to bring
into opr ports, and asking ths Same in theirs.
What sentiments could be more liberal -
They only happen TO be impracticahle. But,
in the Same page. we find the nature and ex-
ten, of this perfec, freeden OF commerce.
that it should be ae,i0e and uNeontrouked as 70
.f6rciyaers, ard !:m'i,ed and absolutely ta&sfue
on the part Of the y. States.
After ren,arking that if, instead Of going to
war, nations would eXpcnd their revenues in
making roads, opening Canals, building ports
and effecting other internal improvements, " it.
would render them much stronger" # there
were to be no wars, of what use would be ma.
tionai strength? much weather. and hap.
pier" mir. Jefferson adds-.-This I hope
will be our wisdom. And, perhaps, to re.
move as much as possible the occasions ofmak.
ing war, i. might be better tur rs to abandon
the ocean altogether, that being the element
whereon we shall be principally exposed to
jostle with other nations to leaue to. others
to bring zohat shaH zva'nt, and TO carry 7olat
zve can shcre. This would make us invulnera-
bic to Europe, by offering none of our pro-
perry to their prize, and zuould turn all our
citizens TO the cultivation Of the earth -
1t might be time enough 10 seek emhioyment
for them at sea, Yhen the land no longer oScrs
it,"
In this passage we see the bias Of Mr. JEFF.