Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-08-07

Il is understood county meeting VIII
i held in Charles County on the second
Tuesday in this month.
SUPPORT TIE GOVERNMENT"
cfrtsinly-sr,s suhk,ort tn zvqr too,-so far
:. we are in duty bouad by the laws and Con-
.d,u,ion of our County,, and SO long as our
RaIers choose 10 Garry ii on. But does this
obige us 10 stick 10 every 'aa4 nov in Office !?
Noes il obiige usto stick 70 any man Ill office |?
does it preclude the idea of charge Of Ru-
trs2-If so, our Eghtof suffrage IS gone =
our freedom is gone ;--ansl we are in state
Of Eeshotism--7ve are SLAVES
But it is not exactly SO. Il IS Que thing to
support the goveenment--it IS another thing
to suck TO men il power, z7hether right O,
wrong
When we faithfully and scrupuIously obey
the laws AID constitution of our Country, we
do all that is required Of good Citizens. We
then support the government. This every
GOOD Citizen wiIl d., whether he like the laws,
or not This he will do, however much he
NAV wish for chang Of Men. For it's the
Laws and Constitution, which secure to him
the right Of Suffrage, BY which alone our ru-
hers can be changed It is in the exercise of
this right ne right Of s'!6fiuge, aided By the
right Of free investigation, that our liberties
consist Take away these privileges, and we
are no longer frcemen--5ue are SLAVES!
Admit the opposite doctripe-and look at
the consequence. IF BY supporting Govern
ment, is to be understood, Ca. some seem to
think, an aahro6ation Of all that government
not to express our honest doubts of govern
mental wisdom,-nor TO expose what we con-
ceive to be the folly aud imbecility Of govern
mental measures,--nor to talk Of change oil
Rulers--then, how, or 7vhea, is change to be
Effected ?-.leper- Our Rulers will never
agree to change thrmsetUeS--they become at
once, permanent the President is then Pre-
sideSt FOR LlFE-or fest ConSuL---or King,
--or Emferor-or whatever else he. chooses );
and and s0e are his SiapeS
Ba,-"'WE MUST SUPPORT THE
WAR;
Truly, ne musf--as we must support the
government, lii any other measure. That Is
VIC must be ready, heart and hand 70 do alt the
6scS require to carry it on,--so long as IL issts
Euery jot and tittir cf The lay must be fulfilled
Bat does it toi0a, that we inas5 ahhrope of
the war. BY no means. Or, ii We diaGhhroUe,
does It follow, that we mast be SIenf, because
the spar is declared. By no means Oar
lights as citizens, are the same IN war, as IN
peace. Our eoR8tqafi0a is The same. We
sui enjoy tie right OF suffrage freedom
OF speech and OF the Press-the right OF IN
'estigating the conduct Of our rulers and of
resting the exercise Of the right of suffrage
upon the result Of this investigation.
Admit, for one moment, a contrary suppo-
s'ilon. Admit, what some boldly assert, that
Won vsar is dec!area--the othositiou mast be
SILENT" That is, we must no longer ex-
press oIr opinions Of men, or rneasures,--we
must no longer enjoy the freedopl of Speech,
OF OF the PrsSS-we must have SIR mouths
sfased uh--we must approye--or be sllent,-
because, forsooth, it is a time Of War-and il
Sespeak our opinions, WE SHALL ENcouKAG E
rRz ENEMY.
Whata nonstrous doctrine !--Itis the very
essence of despotism. BoNAPARTE4 the grand
EiaAt OF Christendom, asks no more OF his
meanest vassals. He allows them TO thi'2k--
provided they will not think iotd. Admit this
uoc.Flne, and Congress has onlyat any time
% declare saaf>-and then al It's St6Seqneni
Seciaratlons are, 10 be submitted to Of course
!, may declare Itself hernaanent Lit may de.
e'are 'ae Presidency hereditary Sit may de-
.'l'e Us The flies, Cor what is tao same thing,
u'e oLAVES) Of NAPoLEoN and zve nsnst
s1oa@f IN silence: because, forsooth. if we
.pCaS out ne shall encourage TIE enemy, we
."ah shew them, that gye are divided
Isohle ! !-Such IS the tendency of this
ueadlpi doctrine; and if carried into effect
'uCh viii DC its dreadful result.
Yer. Washngtonizn.