Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-07-11
For the alexandria Gazette.
YIRc1NIA, JULr, 1911.
IOUDOUN-No. vi.

That corrupt aHnDitioa "hi0" W." f
20 the dirty means mentioned in the last
number to obtain or retain power, Is ca
pable of any act, however atroc'ous' now
ever immoral, however destructive OF our
country's liberty, honor, or happiness
which it may deem necessary to ITS sue
cess or ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Such an amo'-
ton will not hesitate to rush into the most
ruinous and fatal war, rather than aoah-
don, power, eminenee and wealth. Men
of such ambition will be ready to sell their
,sbuntry to foreign. despot, to eonslsn
their fellow-citizens to loathsome tyran-
ny, provided they be permitted to govern
as the satellites of the tyrant: they wouid
.conyulse the nation with civil connections:
they would invite foreign invasion. Such
men have no generous fselings-no phi
lanthropy-no love of country. Mean,
sordid selfishness is their only principle OF
aetion-to rule-per fas-aut nefas-the
first ambition of their hearts.
But must we despair Are the peo-
pie really so depraved, so blind as to be
duped to nourish at 1.-THE risk OF their llves'
their property. and their liberty a despl-
cable ambition Of this kind! Will they
engage in q roar, 1cithout any rational ob-
jsct, merely to subserve the personal views
of a few aspiring individuals-that they
may hold power, while their country o'eeds
in every vein. This indeed would be de-
clarinc to mankind, that we are unwor-
thy of the happiness we possess OF the H.
berty we enjoy,
But what have Republics to do with
wars of ambition Such wars are vio-
.atiye of the fundamental maxims OF our
policy--safsty not conquest, liberty not
empire, the enjoyment Of the fruits OF our
Industry in peace, not rapiHe and 1oar'
are the proper, and ought ever to be the
generous objects of their pursuit. When
ever the ancient Republics engaged In
wars of conquest and ambition the uni
form testimony of history confirms this
truth. that they then began to decline In
their morals, until their liberties sunk un-
der the combined effect of corruption and
military violence.
1t is our duty then to avoid wars of Am
bition. Shall we engage in war OF Re-
yenge
Revenge is the most ignoble passion
that belongs to fallen man. 1t is worthy
of a seat only in Erebus. tits inconsistent
with reason, with our duties to God anu
man. 1t violates all the charities and IN
functions of our Christian belief. But
why are we urged to revenge !? Is it be-
cause we defeated Britain in her attempt
to subiuyate us. Is it because we were
completely successful in the object of our
conflict? Are these proper motives to
invite us to such a WARP Revenge belongs
not TO victory. 1t is a passion which APP
pertains to the oppressed, the desperate
and fettered slave. This happily is not yet
oureondition. Inwhat country inthe world;
in what age ofthe world did any people ex-
ercise more fully the rights ofself govern
ment? Haiany people ever more COM
plete and acknowledged a jurisdiction over
their conntrya
But We are insulted on the ocean
Yes. not only there, but in every foreign
land not by one nation only. but almost
by every nation to whom we have eoniid-
ed our persons or cur property. ihere IS
scarce nation in Europe or in Africa