Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-07-20

g In the extensive establishment cfa Doitsn-
teer militia, rallied together by political creed,
armed and differed by erecati0e fo70er, 50 as
to deprive the states Of their constitutional
right TO atthoint militia o6fcers--and to PLACE
the great bulk ofthe PEOPLE in a defencesess
sitHatjon.
" In swarms of officers civil and military,
who can inculca,e political tenets tending to
consolidation and monarchy both by indulgen-
cies and seventies and Can act as spies over
the free exercise of human reason.
/" And that we may shorten the catalogue,
in establishing by successive precedents such
a mode of constituting the constitution, as will
rapidly remove every restraint upon federal
power
The exclusive patriots of the West, at Lex
ington, Kentucky, have burnt Mr.. Pope In Ell
fgy for voting against the war with Great
Britain.
The following extracts from Jefferson's
Notes on Virginia, although frequently quoted
before, we believe cannot be too often brought
to the recollection of the public, especially at
this time, when his counsels and policy arc
supposed to have had a principal influence In
bringing the country into its present danger
Gus situation. We recommend them 10 the
serious perusal of that party whose idol he is.
They show the hckleness of human nature
even in Sc great man as he is reputed to be-,
and how much at variance his former recon-
mendations and present practice are.
JEFEERsoN's NoTEs ON VIRGINIA.
Desfotism.
Page l7o.-l73 despots would surely be as
oppressive as one.
republic of Venice.
AS little will it avail US that they are chosen
by ourselves.
An elective despotism was not the govern
ment we fought for.
Corruhtion in governments.
Page l72.-The public money and public
liberty, intended to have been deposited with
three branches of magistracy but found mad
vertanty to be in the hands of one only, will
soon be discovered to be sources ct wealth and
domiHion to those who hold them distinguish
ed too by this tempting circumstance, that
they are the instrument as we'll as the object
of acquisition. With money we will get men,
said Caesar, and with men we will get money.
Nor should our assembly be deluded by the
integrity of their own purposes, and conclude
that these unlimited powers will never be "a
5used, because themselves are not disposed
to abuse them. They should look forward to
time, and that not a distant one, when cor
ruption in this, as in the country from which
we derive our origin, will have seized the
heads of government, and be spread by them,
through the body of the people, and make
them pay the price. Human nature is the
same on every side of the Atlantic, and will be
alike influenced by the same causes.
Wur
Page 253, Never was so much false arith-
metic employed on any subject, as that which
has been employed to persuade nations that it
is their interest to go to war.
The best 1treharafions for War.
Page 254. A land army would be useless
for offence, and rot the best, nor safest instru-
ments of defence For either of these pur-
poses, the sea is the field on which we should
meet European enemy. On that element it
is necessary we should possess some power.
A small naval force then is sufficient for us,
and small one is necessary. What this
should be will not undertake to say. | will
only say, it should by no means be so great as
we are able to make it. Suppose the million
of dollars or 800 900 pounds, which Virginia
could annually spare without distress, to be
applied to the creating anavy. A single years
contribution would build, equip, man, and send
to sea force which should carry 800 guns.
The rest of the confederacy, exerting them
selves in the same proportion, would equip In