Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1812-10-31

mining in cold blood, upon the adop-
ton of a state of Peace or War.
This is question that was never bess
fore submitted to the common sense,
of nations. 1t has ever been hither-
to, the pride--the wrath--or the self
| will Of Princes, that has involved
their Fellow Men in the crimes, and
in the miseries Of War. They ne
YER consulted their slaves, upon the
subject ; bnt have driven them to the
| field, like sheep to the slaughter.
War, my Countrymen. has been
heretofore contemplated by Mora
! lists as the sport of Princes-the pc
culiar pastime Of Emperors, and
Kings. 1t remains for the only re-
naming Republic-happily nation
too wise to be deceived, and too pow
erfui to be condemned. to confirm the
speculative presumption; or to prove
by tie language of conduct, that Re
publies. too, are fond Of War. That
the people is as inconsiderate. and
bloody minded a Sovereign, as the
Prince.
III, 1T the will, and to defend the
character Of James Madison, an inns
polite Negociator, and an equally
ly imprudent and improvident COM
mander in Chief, YOU shall decide
at all adveptures-for continuing the
War, your thriving Marts Of indus
try will be converted into Barracks
and Recruiting Houses-yonr fer
tile Plains will be neglected and for
sahan by the cheerful yeomanry that
cultivated them. and your once smil-
ing Frontiers, where the native TO
rests rapidly disappeared before the
laborions and indefatigable settler,
will again become wilderness, in
habitei only by savages, and beasts
Of prey-But this is not the most
deadly wound that will be inflicted
upon the breast of Frcedom-lt is
not the most vital injury that must
be snbstantiated by Independence
il she survive the conflict, OF FO-
reign andDomestic Foes, let loose
for her destructiou-My heart blecds
at the i'!ca-that the descendants OF
Hancock and Adams--of Franklin
and Waslington-of Morris & Dick
inson-of Thomson and Jay-and of
the generous Companions Of this
band of patriots. in every grade OF
public duty, during the yirtuous
struggle OF Liberty and snaepen-
denoe, must shed their bload-thc
blood Of true RepuhIicans-lf ever
there were any--in The unhailowcd
cause Of Universal Monarchy. Such,
by tie sure concatenation OF causes
and effects. will be the inevitable
consequence of'ningiins in The bloody
fray, which has 50 long desolatcd
Europe where the potsherds ofthe
earth appear even TO the eye Of Rea-
son, to be fulfilling the Jewish pro-
phecies, by dasiling one another in
pieces.
Should we too. bind ourselves, in
voluntary thraislom TO the triumphaI
Chariot. which is now rolling in
blood and slaughter, to the ancient
capital Of Russia-the whole ciyi-
lized world. as we proudly call that
portion Of the globe, which is iaha-
hited by Europeans and Descendants
OF Europeans. will be Immersed in
war and confusion and who can tell,
how hittera portion Of national dis
tress may be the lot oi-hithcrto--
free America. With powerful ma
vies at the mouth of every harbour,
upon orr long drawn coast Non-
grei population Of inimica' French
and Spaniards, upon our Southern
frontier. and even within our unde-
Enable I:nes-a Savage Enemy upon
the boun,!less Western border-and IA
na,ion Of Brother Scttlsrs TO the
North. whom we have converted into
implacable enemitc. by an unprovok-
ell. and unsuccessful invasion-To say
nothing Of IN internal foe. now a
sleep in oui' bosom--!ike the frozen
vipcr-aut I withhold the applica-
ten Of the tahietO the situation OF
tie Negroes efthe sou'h-(the sab
iect is TOO delicate. to be touched
even fer warning Of approaching
dcsolation.)
AID ] forbear to shade the portea-
tous outlines | have drawn, because
] know MY countrymen are brave. to
a fault. and they will neither be de-
TERED from danger by weakness nor
By fear.
Alas! that such dauntless perse-
verance should not be better direct