Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-06-04
ALEXANDRIA.
THURSDAY MORNING, jam. .
9ro STEW
THE VERY AGE AND BoDY OF yYr r,u.
HIS FORM AND PRESSURE"
SENEX, No. I.
TO THE PEOPLE or h8rFp ,

mt Of the "at'0n' tie voics Of the Peohs
call upon them to avenge their wrongs and >,
sert their rights in this way. These prcter,..
have never been wanting in the mouths of3.
magogues, for the support Of their own wict.
ed views. This pretended t" voice Of y.
people" has ever been the Syren song to hr.
them TO their ruin. They are first caioIed
then deceived, then led on, before they h,vo
time to reflect, to be the instruments Of tAei,
own undoing. But can this be called the real
voice Of the people, and will not those be "a.
tally deceived at last, who would use sucb
forced wishes, as the ground of their conduct.
AS well might we say, that the passionate de.
clarations Ola man to destroy bis neighbours
stock, because they had once or twice broken
into his grounds, although his fence was bad
and his servants negectful, were the sober
dictates of his mind, or would upon reflection
govern his conduct. The people, no more
than an individual, would act without pgu.
dcnce and forethought we're they not hurried
on by artfui leaders, to the folly Of passionate
and violent measures. History does not pre-.
sent us with more instructive lesson, upon
this head, than the conduct Of the Athenians,
in the Sicilian war; to which they were
prompted, by the mad ambition of Alcibiade;.
and in vain restrained, by the prudence and
Judgment of Nicias. His sentiments would
be well to be considered, by our violent war
PREJUDICE and tasSion, that gives success to
affairs" We know the dreadful termination
of this war, to that deluded people; and let
our demagogues beware OF the tate OF their
Athepian predecessors. When the news OF
their defeat, says the Historian, was confirm"
ed, all the Athenians were seized with the
utmost CONSERVATION, and they vented the:
rage against the Orators who had promoted
the enterprise and fattered them with suo-
cess. These men, like our would be orators
in Congress, had supposed and declared, thai
the conquest of Sicily, like the conquest Of
Canada was certain and easy. May We es-
cape the last awful catastrophe Of that lntatua!.
ed measure, which am sure, however, We
shall not cscarc, if we suffer ourselves 10 DC
led into French fraternity. "The defeat Of
the army under Nicias, was followed by the
taking Of Athens, the Republican government
(Which was changed by Lysander," Having
presented nv countrymen with this instruct-
i've piece of History, which so strongly she"s
the danger to free people, to suffer them
selves thoughtlessly and passionately to en-
cage in war, to crafty the views OF designing
! ambitious and interested indiYiduals--l shaI'
in some future essays endeavor to shew, lsP
mr.. Calhoun, from South Carolina, 7yAo F."
! said to br going man Of some fG9eHF"' "
| steech alton the reference Of f6e 1leIl'''tS -
| eainst the embargo, &avS, 50 jar from 9e'I'5
| unhrehared, Sir, belieUe that ~ louf wen
from, the time that declaration Qf 79dr IS Hea'"
on our frontiers, the whole of Upper, and a
part of Lower Canada, 7yal be in 9af posses
sion !'' Is it POSSIBLE flat a man q any ~
derstanding could seriously make sneA aeE' "a.
ration !? Has he dcceived hmsry, or e'eS 10
zvish to deceive others Sach Orat0Ts 0NsliI
and zuU meet 7vith tie contempt ana aeteSta"C'
of the heotle, qyhen they ind Themselves Jg'
| tallv dcceiyed 6v their Predictions. lAese aa'
nsirers Of French Politics ana ta"S00S ,br,,
ally deal so mach in heroic vefo"S0' "a. - I'm.
are Perfectly above common reason a'N'
ter and Lozyer Canada, FuM IKE inc Is,'I,'"',
la Of Stain, by the ERIN QF BGnafa,lfl % 80 -,
once reduced by clap Of thunder J''m o~,
| CahitoL sent from Metongues q OH "''''
Demostheneses.