Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-03-23
From he United Siates Gazetse.


Ger. that me Government yiew'it in the light
of a most serious, unprovoked, wicked, and
hostile outrage upon our national rights ana
sovereignty, This fact being ascertalned, II
remains to be seen with what promptness
and vigour the administration viii resort to
the proper measures for expressing the re-
|sentnAent ola powerful and ylrtuous people
against such treachery and violence. we
shall soon know whether it be true, as has
been asserted, that our democratic rulers
g cannot be kicked into a war'---whethef
I" digni6ed retirement Sc restrictive ener-
gies,'- be, indeed, the uni
versal and only cure for all sorts and ali de-
grees OF bruises and buActings which can be
inflicted upon us
If ain acquaintance of mine were to inform
me that he had detected his next door neigh
Dor in a habit of eves-dropplng about his
house; instigating misch;evous boys to break
his windows and beat and MAIN his children;*
employing tale bearers to lnslnuate theIe-
selves into the confidence of his servants and
dependents; pryinginto little family disputes
and sauabbles for the purpose Of fomenting
discord, and destroying the harmony OF his
domestic economy and endeavoring to Sc
duce the affections of his wife by exciting
jealousy in her mind, and infusing suspicious
of want of fidelity and honor on the part Oh
her husband and were he to add, that all
this had beon done by that neighbor, not only
without rust provocation, but G in The midss
ofamica51e trofesions," and during an unin-
terrupted interchange of friendly Offices, my
sympathy for the injured man would be ex-
cited to the highest pitch, and should teei
correspondent indignation against the wretch
who had manifested such cruelty or DISPOSE
ton, such unexampled depravity ofcharacter
Should he tell me further, in order to remove
any doubts that might be entertained as to the
full extent of these enormities, that BY means
of a good round fec, he had obtained written
proofs of the whole matter in the scoundreFs
own hand writing, and that OF ms complotters
and corrupt SCENTS, it would be difficult to "a
void espousing his quarrel III person, aud
wreaking my own vengeance upon such
miscreant. Should he proceed IN the same
strain to say, that previous to the discovery
of this last and greatest possible aHront, the
conduct of that neighbor had manifested "the
character as zveH as the effect" OF a decided
hostility, not only to his acknowledged rights
but also to his personal feelings aud rePose,
though uniformly accompaniedby no other de-
cIarations than those of sincere friendship and
re gard that in consequence of this conduct
he had long since made up and declared his
min,i not to submit to such injuries and insults
anu had actually incurred the expense Though
compelled to borrow money tor the purpose)
of procuring a cowskin to be manufactured
snecially for the occasion, which he had more
tfan once shown to his rascal OF a neiShbor
s explained. in the mo tspeciic terms, the use
TO which he intended to apply 1t; that beside
this, he had advertised IN the newspapers that
he had hired resolute, sturdy porter (for
which, likewise, he had borrowed the money!
to handle the cowskin, and had given public
notice. that as soon as he could bring matters
10 bear to his liking, he would enter the pre-
misses of his neighbor by certain well known
back gate provided, however, said gate should
not be locked} and would, then and there,
with the aid OF the porter aforesaid, and one
boz 70 watch the gate, chastise the scoundrel
to his hearts content: the oddly of the con-
ceit would Danish all seriousness from my
mind, and | should at once suppose that had
all this time, been made the butt OF sportlve,
waggish humour. But should my champion
preserve the gravity OF his countenance, pro-
rest in the most solemn manner, that he was
in downright, sober earnest, and that he would,
in due time, and in proper form, execute eve
ry title of what he had threatened and in
proof of his earnestness, should he inform me
that he had already manifested his resentment
to his adversary by refusing to speak, or touch
his hat when they met by prohibiting every
member of his family from holding any inter-
course with TIE wrong-doer or any of his con-
ncxions by compelling his wife, during the
whole winter, to do without shift to her back,
or a blanket to her bed, because they could be
obtained only from that fellows shop or manu-
factory and finally, that he had, over & over
again, told the story of his wrongs and OF his
intended g rahid." back door attack, to every