Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-08-11

Madison pledge, which, howeverimprope
", not to say unconsttudonally made, It was
calculated, would secure to Mr.. Madison eve
ry vote south and west Of Maryland
To procure speedy and an honorable peace
for our country, and what is infinitely more
important, to preserve the union of these
states, the rock of our political salvation, an
opponent Of Mr.. Madison must be found in
the south, and such an opponent as will be
most likely to detach from him some of the
votes of the southern and western states.
Virginia holds at this portentous crisis, the
fate of the United States in her hands. If she
will persist in fastening upon the middle and
eastern states the obnoxious and fatal admins
tration of Mr.. Madison, we may bid adieu to
the Union, and prepare for the horrors Of In
testine commotion, civil war, and all the Gala
mites that have desolated the old werld. /
refer those who are bold enough to he incre-
dulous. to the Signs of the Times. forbear
to dwell on passing scenes they are sufficient
to appal the stoutest heart to fill with dismay
the mind of every genuine friend to his coun-
try and as yet, we are but on the Threshold
Of calamity.
Under Impressions such as these, ] wrote
to a gentleman at Boston, friend 10 the u
Mon, and of civil liberty, and of grest weight
of character, expressing my own, and requir-
ing his candid opinion, of the prospect before
US; and particularly desired to know what
would be the conduct of the New England
states in the approaching Presidential Election
and now send you an extract from his an
swer,
This answer serves to confirm me in an O.
pinion before entertained, that if Virginia
would support her abIest man Judge MAR
SHALL, for the Presidency, his election would
De certain.
And why should not Virginia support him
He is her son--and a son whose talents would
reflect honor on the country that gave him
birth, in the proudest days Of Greece or Rome.
His qualifications and his dispositions to
revive the fourshing state from which We
have miserably fallen, none can doubt. Is II
possible that any, except placemen, can re-
gret to part with Mr.. Madison? | call upon
any sensible Virginian to point out the mea-
sure Of his government, for which he ought
ODE retained; upon any candid Virginian to
saywhetherthe unyarying tendency of hiswhole
policy has not been to outstrip all foreign go-
vernments in inlicting wounds on the prospe-
rlty, the security and the happiness of the A.
merican people. Where is the agricultural
or the commercial citizen 20 be found, whose
comforts he has not diminished, whose suffer
ings he has not increased? 1t is poor conso-
lation to the millions who feel the ruin he has
inflicted, that Mr.. Madison, in private life, is
an arDiable and yirtuous man. Let him return
then to private life, to scenes he is fitted to "a
dorm. In the deplorable state to which he has
leuueou Us, we want the abilities OF able states
men, to arrest our progress to destruction,
and to restore our wonted prosperity. III vain
do his friends charge upon the injustice of
foreign governments the evils which are tear
ing our countrysto pieces. When were TO-
reign governments more just Were they
mere just in the time Of any one Of Mr.. Madi-
sons predecessors Certainly not, and yet
We all remember the hourishing state of the
country under every one of them. There is
an energy in freemen, which enables them to
setat naught all that foreign governments can
do. 1t is Only BY the weakness or wickedness
of the men who administer their own, that