Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-02-27
ALEXANDRIA.
THURSDAY MORNING., February 81
/" TO sHEw
THE VERY AGE AND BODY OF The TIrtE
MIS- FORM AND PREssuRE.s


perry" Our conntrymen (says he) once felt
proud in hosting the national colours, but now
it is as daneerous to show them as it would
be to jingle purse of gold in the ear of
robber." This is deplorable fact; nor is it
scarcely less true, that I" the whole world is ct
war with us, and we with nobody" Do the
American people not see their error, or, what
is as bad, will they not acknowledge it?
The custom-house officers are very busy
in some parts of the u States and they ma
nifest most praise-worthy anxiety to suhhort
the government. For this purpose they lately
seized upon consignment of CLAIMS and pota-
toes in Portland, which unfortunately proved
to be of domestic origin, and SO escaped the
Genevams The Portland Gazette sarcastical-
ly Observes" Great suspicious are excited
against a brig near one OF the bay islands
said to be loaded with clystcr p pes and grind
stones" This will undoubtedly be valuable
prize-when taken
1t appears by a calculation in the New York
Evening Post, that the state printer OF New
York receives about forty thousand dollars
year as reward for his patriotism. This, as
the, Evening Post Justly observes, IS a pretty
snug little sum to be drawn from the people
according to lasp. If man, thus suhhorted,
should refuse in return to sahhort tic gouern-
ment, he would surely be the most ungratefui
being or earth Indeed, he would prove him
self most stupid elf; because no man Of
common sense could refrain from acknow-
lodging the value OF REPUBLICAN, government,
when forty thousand arguments were pushed
home-into his pocket.
A writer in a northern paper thinks that he
who understands the object Of the measures
lately proposed and adopted in Congress, has
more pretensions to the appcliation of a pro-
phet than statesman. This censure was
we'll meritcd but perhaps strictly speaking,
it goes to shew that the national legislators
possess more wisdom or separation thap some
are disposed to admit-unless 1t is allowed
that they arc themselves ignorant of the OBJ
iect of their own measures an opinion which,
We are sorry to say, is entertained by vast
numbers.
The Connecticut Mirror has some keen re-
marks in speaking of the manner in which
Mr.. Gailatn's late report has been treated by
his own party. Mr.. G. (says the Mirror
could not have been the subject of more OPP
problious railing and virulence, from the par
ly, and from the newspapers, If he had been
all his life the most virtuous, upright, and
meritorot.s member of the community. This
| is certainly very hard on him, and not very
discreet in the party If they become thus
| promiscuous in their scurrility, if they do not
con6ne their reproaches to the honest, intelli-
gent and patriotic, Chat is the federalsts) they
will soon remove one Capital inducement which
| they have heretofore used to draw men to
| their ranks, and who knows, when they have
provoked their leaders beyond certain de-
| gree, whether from resentment, if from no
higher motive, they may not lose SO many de-
| serters as to find themselves once more in a
minority. "a gain /" They have so long
| been accustomed to falshood and hypocrisy |;
Mr. Jefferson had so completely drilled them
| in the tlrudgery of deceit, and fraud, that the
| ruth is nauseous potion to then They
cannot endure it, even when absolutely neces-