Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-03-12
ALEXANDRIA DAILY GAZETTE.
TUESDAY, MARCH IL.

The democrats. with that art to which on all
important occasions they SO well know how to
resort, are endeavoring to draw pn5lic atten-
ton from the conduct and measures of their
own party in Congress, during the late session,
by exciting hue and cry agains. the federal
members The sycophant editors of the In
telIgencer and the Enquirer, furnished with
the proper hints by their superiors, have al
ready commenced the diversion, and are sure
to be promptly seconded by every other mem
Der of their fraternity in the union, who has
wit enough to hitch borrowed idea or two in
to paragraph.
They accuse the federal members of the
house of having entered into an unfair comb
nation to impede the operations Of govern
ment.
We pronounce the charge unfounded and
malicious, and appeal to facts for decision.
So far from impeding, the federal members
have constantly manifested an anxiety to ex-,
pedite the important business of the session.
Bot this was not what the majority wished.
They hid a crooked path to follow, which they
well knew would not bear the scrutiny OF
close examination. They had measures to a.
dept measures of noXious tendency to this
country and mean subserviency to France,
which they were UNIV ling to have infinitely
investigated. They we'll knew that Is an OPP
portunity were afforded, the busy probe of
federal eloquence would rot fail to pierce and
to expose the rotten parts of their system.
They dreaded the consequences OF such an
exposure aud dc determined to prevent it. Tie
whole of the session, therefore, until {: c very
eve of its dissolution, Was FILTERED away in
doing nothirg. Entire days and weeks were
wasted In listening to the sins-sons of kiiea
or The frothy rant of Bob Wright. The de-
mocrats then expressed 10 patriotic regret at
the unnecessary delay OF business they re-
sorted to no vote of the house to check the
freedom of debate. This delay was the very
tfiiifsSo Ivy "ioASd ioA' A. CAV uiSli siio W
mature their plns, to drill their forces, and ia,
delay the naischiefswhich they ploretf ard
measures they had planned unit, the lateness
of the hour afforded them plausible excuse
for examining them down the Threats OF the
people by nidnist. vote, or by an arbitrary
prcclusion of debate that should prevent the
minority from exposing their basercss.
Accordinglywe Hnd the supplementary nor-
intercourse, measure equallcd for its folly
and Injustice only by the embargo; a nca-
sure which affects the most vital interests ct
the country, and embraces In its views ind
consequences the whole circle Of our foreign
relations, was never introduced in its present
shape until the session had nearly expired,
and multiplicity of other business demanded
attention. 1t is then brought in. An attempt
is made to weary out honest opposition and
preclude due investigation By night session,
and to take the question when weary nature
was spent with watching, and some of the most
able and eloquent federal members were o.
b.iged to give up the contest from indisposl-
ton. The want OF quorum, however, de-
feated this intention. The resort was then
Immediately made to call for the previous
question, vote of the house precluded de-
bate, and thus by the irresistible potency OF
ayes ard nays" commerce is once moro de-
stroyed and the nation disgraced
Nor should il be forgotten that this is not
the first time the present majority have at
tempted to abridge the freedom of debate and
to force obnoxious and ruinous measures thro' I.
the house by midnight sessions and by silent
votes. The St. domingo bill, the first pledge !
of our vassalage and subserviency to France, :
was passed in this way. In the same way also, :
the infamous forcing act and the suicide en- ,
barge were carried through. /
That the present bill therefore should traTei