Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-05-07

j rousr know their cause. 10 this also have
| adyertcd; viewing those evils as originating
chiefly in the unprincp!ed ambition OF lie"
; men, with Mr.. Jefferson at their head. It Is
necessary that you should understand his cha
racter, in order rightly to estimate his pubhc
measures, into an appreciation OF which great
! portion of the citizens of the U..ited States
have been beguiied.
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
When Mr.. Jefferson entered Oh the presl-
dency of the u. States, he found them, by his
own confession, i'll the full tide ii Success
full experiment" And YOU all know, that
while the government Was IN ms hands, this
tide OF national pros perity abated and towards
the close Of his presidency, and III the TWO
wears which have followed under his success
OF, pursuing the same systcm) it has fallen
TO the lowest ebb. Such is the fact. The
principal csuse will be found i'll My. Jefer-
sons ill-;udged and deceitful policy n which
We are to expect no voluntary change under
MIR. Madison, whose cordial cooperation with
his predecessor, was pledge Mr.. Jefferson
sadly that he would perseyere in the same
system.
had contemplated giving detail, III the
order in which they took place, OF the princi-
pal acts $50. For as known to me) of Mr. jelter-
SOFAS pubic life OH which might be formed
lust estimate OF his merit; and from which
the sinister policy which has governed him
would appear. shall, however, not confne
mvself to this course; but anticipate some
facts and conclusions, as circumstances may
direct.
Mr. Ueff-rson's first claip, to distinction
seems to have Leen founded ON the Declara-
-ios If Mdenrndence, of which he is reputcd
20 oc the writer. So much applause, indeed,
mas been hcaped upon him for his agency in
that state paper, that more merit could hard
w have been ascribed to hi.n, if, instead of
.grtias dsc!Gra{ioa,r he I'D been the author
Of the ndctsnHrece the United Sites. The
history Of rnat decl,r.tior will show how slen-
er is his claim to distinction icr that performs
ance.
The journals OF Congress present to us the
following t-c!s.
On the 9TH Of June, l776, " certain resolu-
tons respecting independence were moved"
They were considered the next day; & "a g,in
on Monday the tenth. The first resolution
was In these words: 4" That these United Co.
lonies are, aGd of right ought to be, free and
Independent States; that they are absolved
from Ill allegiance to the British crown and
that all political connection between them and
the state OF Great-Brit in is, and ought to be-,
totally dissolved" The farther consideration
of this resolution was postponed to the LIST day
of July. But that no time might be lost, in
case the Congress should then agree to the re.
solution, it was now resolved that commit
tee should be appointed to Prepare declara-
tion to the effect Of that first resolution And
on the llth of June the appointment was
made the members chosen were Mr.. JEFF
forson, Mr.. John Adams, Mr.. Franklin, Mr..
Sherman, & Mr.. r. r. Livingston. And Mr..
Jefferson being the first on the list Of the com.
mittee, was of course the chairman. A par
ticular policy governed the choice. In the
early period Of our revolution, it was deemed
expedient, in very important questions, that
Virginia should take the lead Virginia was
then the largest and most populous of the CO.
lonies. Perhaps, too, it was expected that
her going before would powerfully influence
her neighbors to follow in her track. There
might be other reasons. Such, however, was
the fact; as was once assured by the late
Mr.. Samuel Adams (then member from
Massachusetts, with significance of counte-
nance, in making the remark, which distin-
euished that willy politician. 1t was, then, in
pursuance of this policy, when the minds Of
the members of Congress, generally, were, by
the actual state of things, and some previous
proceedings, prepared for the independence
cf the colonies, that Richard Henry Lee, OF
Virginia, moved " the resolutions respecting
Independence" and by the like concert Gas
have understood) John Adams, of Massachu
sets, seconded them. MIR. Lee would, al
most of course, have been the chairman O
the committee, had not the dangerous sickness
of some of his family called him home. II
his absence, the choice fell on his colleague
Mr.. Jefferson.
1t my seem too obvious to remark, that
IS IN ordinary cases, so especially On this gres