Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-02-01
ALEXANDRIA.
SATURDAY MORNING, February !.
{" no sHEW
THE vERY AGE AND BODY OF The FINE
HIS FoRM AND PRESUME.
Observation-Disclosures,

We have frequently published accounts OF
the civil dudgeon" prevailing amongst those
gentlemen who have the direction OF our
country's affairs. This we have done under
the impression that the opinions they express
Of their own fellow -laborers would have
greater tendency to undeceive the people than
any arguments we could advance. We are
still under that impression, and shall, with the
same views, continue our notices of squabbles
which so cruelty disgrace the American cha
racter.
Our readers recollect that Mr.. Dearborn,
former Secretary at War, has been appointed
Maor-G cneral. In allusion 10 that appoint
ment, the Baltimore Wing says:
1" At time like this the officer appointed
to high command, ought to be one who pos
sesses the finest military talents-I he is
DESTITUTE of these, Though honest and
intrepid) can the appointment be truly termed
matary7 Is is not rather seoSrahhieo-to
cal 90
The Wing was so terribly afraid that this
hint would not be understood, that he imme-
diately adds :
I" Can that usage be productive of public
good, which tak-s chief magistrate to exert
all bis art, during one term, to secure are-elec-
ton for another! In such predicament, are
rot the interests of the nation sacrificed to
those of the individual :"
We shall only mention one other subject Of
disagreement amongst the exclusive republi-
cans, and that is no unimportant one either.
it is the subject of a Navy. The Wing says:
"Ought one day longer be lost, in prepar-
ing the best floating and fixed defences OF our
seaport towns, which are practicable !!
The opinion of another republican was thus
expressed in the House of Representatives
/" Mr.. WHkiams said, a navy was unnecessa-
~. The existence of the nation depended no
more Oh naval establishment, than on sys-
TEN of air-balloons We were born as ma
ton without navy :; we were triumphantly
brought through the revolution without ma
w We had since risen to grandeur, and &C
CURED an unparalleled amount of mercantile
tonnage ano prosperity, without one (; and he
therefore inferred that We could now do with
out. A navy was unsafe; it had always de-
ceived the hes. hopes of the best people on
earth who had depended Oh navy for Its pro-
lection and prosperity {"
Again-Mr. Williams observed:
GA gentleman (N1r. Widgery) had said,
that the n,aiority were not disposed to protect
~, J,,l,
in the expression of his FEELINGS, he
would say that SUCH A MAN deserved
STRAIT JACKET. They had done every
thing TO protect commerce. The navy would
no. be adequate, either to the defence of our
commerce or our maritime frontier. The
British navy would crush our IL seventy
tours, which his colleague proposed, station
them where you viii, as easy as he could sh
an egg-shell He contendcd that sailor was
more expensive TO us than soldier; that the
estimates for the navy were Always less than
the expenditures, until last year. He thought
Mr.. Hamilton entitled to credit; he KNEW
HIM to be an HONEST MAN, and an honest
man was Sc tho noblest work of God" IT he
held the key Of the strong box, it would be
safe. But by SOME means or other, there
had been the most unaccountablc waste and
extravaganza heretofore in the navy depart
ment. He hoped there was power some
where to catch the rats; or the cheese would
be all eat up"
Hear Mr.. Williams once more:
Gle said the augmentation of the navy
would DESTROY the party in power; it was
the mad naval extravaganza ofthe mad admi-
nistration in 'os, that hurried them from Of
fec He believed that the republicans of
Soutb-Carolina would experience similar
fate, ii they supported similar measures. He
looked for the prosperity Of commerce to the
5eeraom s inyigorating principles .ofourinsti-