Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-10-03

So +. -
heretofore, pass sundry flaming resolutions to
brighten women. and children, -debate week
after week about triAes,--inyoke the Spirit Of
'7e with great ponap, -.raise public expecta-
ton on tip-toe, relative to some mighty pro-
iect,---and, in conclusion, adjourn, after hay.
ing, like the mountain in labor, brought forth
a mouse. Such are our fears. Very differ
ent are our HOPES: These are, that Congress
animated by the genial influence of Patriotism,
will leave all idle staggering to the petty par
tizans of Debating Club, and act as becomes
the digniGed representatives Of an enlighten.
ed People. There is, in truth, much for them
to do: and not the slightest part of their Ia
Dor will be, to retrieve the character OF an
American Congress- The difficulty, howe
yer, is not insurmountable, if they resolutely
set about the task: Let them instantly aban-
don their old course, and their path is as clear
as the sun at noon-day-
Wonderful 4Preservation.-Some time since,
an apprentice boy ran away from his master
in Fauquier county (Ya.) and on being pur-
sued and taken, contriyed to make his escape
second time, and leaped into well sixty
seven feet deep. A bucket was let down,
and, to the astonishment of all present, the
boy came up without having received the
smallest injury! He had been in the well a.
bout 20 minutes.
Another ominous visitor has made his APP
pearance, five may rely upon the account un-
der the N. York head, in this days paper---
We hope the visit of this alustrioas stranger
is not the harbinger of mischief Perhaps,
hearing of our Terrapin system, he resolved
to discover whether it bore any resemblance
to his family; for it will be observed he has
fve stripes upon his back, the exact number
of our Embargo Laws. What an amazing
Journey he has performed, merely to CRAFTY
laudable curiosity And how ungenerous
was it to force him into 6 dignifed retire
,nent on his FIRST arrival in the land of liberty
The subjoined account Of the dreadful effect
resulting from an unbridled propensity to
Gaming, is copied frem the hatcher Ga
zette OF September 5-rnay it prove warn
ing to tho thoughtless! -
On Friday evening LIST. man Of the name,
as we understand, of STEPHEN FAIRS, drown
ed himself in the Mississippi, opposite the
city. 1t appears, that this man had lately come
down the river, as working hand in boat !;
and on the day of this rash and fatal act, had
received the amount of his wages. In the eve
ming he went, or was taken to one of those in
fernal seats of gambling below the bluff, where
he was robbed of the whole of his money; ON
which, in fit Of desperation, he rushed down
to the ferry, went on board boat, and plunged
into the river.
This is an awful instance in the catalogue
of crimes arising from the federation of the
numerous gambling establishments in this
place-establisbme from which, we venture
to say, f1ow more evil, distress, and corruption
of morals, than from the aggregate OF all other
causes Whatsoever. Whether this practice, 50
disgraceful to the city, and the Territory, and
the extent Of which, we apprehend, Is not ge-
nerally known, in which, we are told, even
some of the officers of justice, appointed to
execute the laws, are concerned, can be abo-
lished, we know not we fear it cannot. We,
however, determined, that our press shall be
substantially useful TO this country, offer all its
aid, with our own personal exertlons, IN and
out of the office, to suppress so damnable
practice, reduced to system, and followed as
profession.
FRENCH EXPOSE.
The democratic editors publish the French
Expose with as much reliance on Its state