Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-09-11

intercourse, TO non-IsbloFt"Ioh an
walton. and to all the vast and muiupliea
evils Of war--and if that treaty might have
been renewed, and these evils avoided, had
it not been for theunfortunate politeness
and prevaricating hypocrisy OF Mr.. Jeifer-
son. a war with Great Britain VIII ap-
near TO them to be unnecessary.
8. Ihey must conrince the tederaltsts'
that q zear roth Great Britain 1ci't not De
the means of thro7cing as immediately INTO
the arms Of France. Federalists believe
that the curse of Heaven will light upon
the nation. that voluntarily leagues itself
with the impious blasphemer and tyrant
that now governs that country. 1t IS no
argument in favor of this alliance, to tell
them that /" Bonaparte lores the sanert-
cans" or that he is endeayorins to esta-
blish {" he freedom Of the seas when
they find one symptom of justice, humani-
ty, integrity, or regard for the rights Of
nations, or the freedom of man, in his cha
racter. they may possibly relax little in
their utter adherence OF him. untE!they
can discover. that he pays some little re-
gard to freedom OH land. where ne has a
powerful command, they will never be-
lieve that he would establish freedom on
the seas. if he had the command there
Federalists are extremely unwilling to
tread in the footsteps of Holland; to have
their independence destroyed, their cam
merce annihiIated, their houses filled With
armed ruffians, to be governed by the bly,
onet-and to have their sons led by tie
BLOODY " CODE OF CoNsCRIpTIoN"
in letters to the field Of battle, to be
butchered by thousands for the gratiIica-
ton of his fell ambition. Until there is
moral certainty that these effects will not
follow war with at-Britain, federal
lists will not cordially support such a war.
H. Fsderdlists must be Convinced that
something 1ciiI be gained, or, at least,
that nothing zciIl be lost by acar 10Th
Great Britain.-They neither like the Il
dea of killing their feilow-ereatures. nor
of having their own sons butchered, mere
~ for sport. ia war is begun, it must,
first or last, have an end. We are very
sensible that MIR. Jefferson and Mr.. Madi-
son, and a regiment Of foreigners in this
country, would be extremely delighted.
il. by engaging in war against Great
Britain, we could assist France in de-
stroying her. Where the WITNESSES Of
phiiosc, cher can be INDUCED and sratitied,
without any essential injury, it is well E.
nough to let him make himself ridiculous.
II is one mode Of curing him ofhis folly.
Thus, for instance, every body was willing
to let MIR. Jefferson speculate OH such
harmless topics as dry-doc!s. salt-moun-
tains, prairie dogs, and gun-hoats. and
Mr.. Madison en- torpedoes-such things,
let them do their worst, could only ''pici:
our pockets and break Our legs" But
war undertaken for amusement OF spc-
culation. is pretty serious thing. 1t
would be but poor consolation to the pa
rent who should lose his child, or the
widow who should be bereaved OF her
husband, in the conflict, to tell them.
that the war was undertaken TO amusc
the fancy, to exercise the ingenuity, or
to CRAFTY the malice Of Mr.. Madison or
MIR. Jefferson. Besides, the country has
an interest in this business. War will
cost this nation fifteen OF twenty mil
lions of dollars annually; anu probably
a good deal more. After five or six, or
perhaps eight or ten years. ii must come
TO a close, and peace must be made
By that time the nation will have in
Cured debt OF $50 or 900 millions of
dollars, for the privilege Of settling their
disputes in the same mode in which they
might have been settled fifteen years be-
fore-that is. by treaty. is any man
of common sense so far de!uded as to
believe, or flatter himself. that Great
Britain will at that time yield those points
which the extreme folly Of the Jefferso-
mans leads them to demand of her. viz.
the absolute freedom cf tho ocean ?-Wby,
we Right just as soon expect her to lay
her neck upon the ground. and ask the
favor of his Imperial and Royal Majesty
to set his foot upon it. Great Britain
would not exist three years as an indie
pentlent nation. if she were to grant this