Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-01-28
TUESDAY, JANUARY %. 3
READ!
On THE FOLLY AND wIcKEDsEss OF WAR.

seems to have prevented the mind OF man rom
viewing it in the light of an absurdlty, and
an object of ridicule as well as pity. But five
could suppose superior being capable OF be-
holding us miserable mortals, without COM
passion, there is, think, very little doubt but
the variety of military manoeuyres and lorna
lities, the pride, pornp, and the circumstance
of war, and all the ingenious contrlvances Tor
the glorious purposes of mutual destruclion'
which seem to constitute the business OF many
nations, would furnish him with an entertain
ment like that which is. received by us from
the exhibition of farce or a purpet shew,--
But Notwithstanding the righteousness OF all
these solemnities, we, alas ! are doomed to
feel that they are no farce, but the concomi-
tant circumstances of most woeful tragedy.
The causes of war are for the most part
such as disgrace an animal pretending to ra-
tionality. The rulers of two nations elevated
with the distinction of being placed at the
head OF their respective governments, take
offence at each other, without any reason, or
with the very bad one of wishing for an OPP
portunity of aggrandizing themselves by max
ing reciprocal Gepredations. The creatures
of the court, and the leading men OF the ma
ton, who are usually under the influence OF
those in power, resolve (for it is their lnterest
to support the governors OF the nation, and
are never at loss to invent some color
able pretcnce for engaging the people IN the
horrors ofwar. Taxes of the most burthen-
some kind are levied, soldiers are collected,
SO as to leave paucity of husbandmen re-
views and encampments succeed, and at last
twenty or thirty thousand men meet on the
field of battle and coolly shed each others
blood, without the smallest personal animoslty,
or the shadow Of provocation; the rulers
and grandees in the mean time who have en-
ployed those poor innocent victims to shoot
bullets at each others heads, remain quietly
ut home, and aln,se themselves with balls and
pleasures OF every species. Old Horace very
trely observes, that whatever mad frohcs en-
fer into the heads of the rulers ofnatlons, It'll
the common people, that Is, the honest artisan
and the industrious tribes In the middle ranks,
.nofended and ane6sading, who chiefly suffer
in the evil consequences. IfNapoleon Bona
parte were not at the head of some of the best
troops, he would be Judged more worthy ofbe-
mo tried. cast s, condemned at the bar Of cri-
minal court, than any shedder of blood, who
ever died by halter-But he is an Emperor !;
but he is hero; and we enrol the butcher
of mankind among their benefactors.
When we consider the dreadful circum-
stances that attend even victories, we cannot
help being little shocked at the exultation
which they occasion. The Joy which is ex-
pressed at victorious engagement between
the contending armies will be abated if we
would pause while, and consider, that to
cvery one left dead on the field life was no
less sweet than it is to the survivors, that to
the far greater part of them there were wives
fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, sisters
brothers and friends, ali of whom may be a,
The moment ofrejoicing, bewailing that even,
which occasions the foolish Joy and brutal tri
umph. The whole time of war ought to be 9
time OF general mourning, a mourning in the
heart, mourning more sincere than on the
Death &C one of those persons whose cursed
ambition or folly is often the sole cause Of
war IadcSd mat whole people should
toslc.y s.9.a., % s2e evils of war because it is
The will Is = tw aln, selfish, ignorant, tho
exs!es go, V phenomenon alncos1