Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-31

male sly. Com nleTCtjCo presents hii q. &c Ct,
awful ard terrible to TIE mind alreat.y Icnt
on despotism. The spirit it generates is that
Of freedom. 1t enligbtens the public mind aid
gives energy to the public sentiment 1t H.
spires !. a zeal :or liberty, thirst for epter-
mise and masculine franess of character"
which are uncrring pledges of a nations ai,i!.
itv to be free. But through another ch:,...u
its effects though more remotely. are itot less
sowerfully felt. 1t is to Grea, Britain an IT,
exhaustible source of cpulcEce and power. 1t
Strengthens the arm already strong, and gives
energy to the heart already beating high in
the cause OF liberty. Around the proud pro-
tectress of mankind, it throws shield Of tii.
ple brass, {. robur and as tripiex," which for
tihes and renders her :inpi egnabie, and while
; her commerce is secured, the world has vet
something to hope The laiSce OF despctis,n
! NAV rebound, and fall 10 the earth, an useless
weapon, " telum imbeIlc sine ictu."
The famous continental system thenit is e.
vident must be traced to some other source,
than mere wanton and. unmeapiDg hatred to
commerce and Great Britain. That source
can be no other than the ambition oiits author
ane. firm resolve tn render Europe the heart
of military despotism, whose effects shall be
felt in the remotest corners OF the earth
How admirably too are lis plans adapted to
the accomplishment CT his purposes. His
system of arrondisenlent is nearly completed.
The maritime and commercial countries of
Europe, are already either annexed by force
to bis empire, subjected by intrigue to his
will, or are fast approaching to the desiinies
of their neighbors. The conquest OF Spain
and Portugal must render him master of the
whole western boundary ofthe continent, from
the Frozen ocean on the north, to Cape St.
Vincent OH the south The commerce of the
Baltic unless the late news from Russia be
correct, is already at his disposal, and that of
the Mediterranean Must be, sooner or later,
perhaps in few short months. Thus may
his continental system, as yet. itnperfect be
completed in all its parts, and this powerful
engine, while engaged in secretly nndermin-
ing the spirit OF the continent, be made to aim
deadly blow at the existence of Great Bril-
tain. II so, adieu to the liberties of mankind!
Great Britain cannot fall alone, but like the
strong man in scripture, must be buried be-
meath the ruins of that temple, around whose
pillars her arms are entWined. The CONT
nent, already enervated and debased must fall
an easy prey to the despot, zuhose uaie, from
Necessity, no less than choice is zuar. The
whole world must be drawn within the
sphere Of his influence, aud all the nations OF
the earth made to play around this dazzling
lu.n;r1r YIN urtirs uniform md movements
regular" ss,-e -effs,.
There are many Of your party, my dear f.
who, acquiescing In the correctness of the
picture / have drawn, seem nevertheless to
forget their apprehensions from this quarter
in their detestation OF G. Britain. That natl
on is represented as equally ambitious with
France. The same unbounded views. the
same unwarrantable designs, the same desire
of national aggrandizement, SO universally at
tributed to the latter, are declared to be the
only springs Of action to the former and the
existence of dispositions such as these, is
cons 4 red sufficient not only to Justify the
extinction of every thing, like gratitude for
her services but even to render criminal e.
very wish for her success. That both the
people and government ct G. Britain, possess
the dispositions inseparable from human ma
ture, that they are DESTROYS cfnational aggrali-
dizement, ambitious of an Increase of power,
and in many instances, most shamefuily re-
CARELESS Of the laws of right and Justice, can
never be denied. This will be only 10 ac-
knowledge their resemblance TO every nation
that ever did or ever will exist But that
their views have been, during the present
contest, or are at this moment directed to the
destruction of the liberties of mankind, is
position that must be established by some o.
ther testimony than has yet been adduccd. A
nation contending for her existence, has but
little time to plan or to execute schemes Of
ambition pride will cften induce, and ne
cessity sometimes compel her, to violate the
rights OF others; butoccasional traDsgressions
of the limits ofjustice, ere no proof Of set.
tied and determined plan Of conquest. They
should rather be attributed, in some instances
to mistaken policy, and in others TO una
voidabie necessity. Such is precisely the Sic
tuatlon OF G. Britain, not her prosperity al
lone, but her very existence is dependent on
her superiority at sea. Her CONDUCT then in
the maintenance of this superiority is not to |
be decided on by the strict rules of natioEI