Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-08-17

Of the CITY unnnolested; nay, such IS the pa
mic which pervades the city that even hohEs g.
men court the smiles OF this monster ihsoAi-
Gated with riot and stained with blood
Were this spirit of anarchy and violence 's
confined to, Baltimore did 1t originate IN any
other cause than hostility to the principles up
on which the salvation of the country depends,
and detcrmina,ionto suppress the spirit O
political enquiry, then indeed we might pc
contest TO sympathize only with those VINO
have fallen and still are to fall victims to It's
fury-but when We mark its progress thro-
out the country, by the gradual snbyefsioh OF
rights, the violation OF laws and OF the pfihcl-
pies of religion, we must be aroused from our
| fancied security--we must meet the monster
at the threshold of our liberties. The time
has arrived (early indeed In the history OF orr
! republic0 when the united exertlons OF all
GOOD men are required to rePress violence
and 10 enforce the laws. The question OF sub
mission to the worst part ofthe community IS
now fairly before us. 1t now TO be seen
whether the wealth, the talents and the worth
of the country is to be trampied under loot by
the refuse Of foreign nations-or whether they
| will exercise the power which they possess of
correcting these abuses and restoring order
| and security to the country,
There arc two points of view in which the
late riots at Baltimore naturally present them
selves. First in regard to the editors otthe
Federal Republican--and last in regard TO the
citizens of the United States at large. 1t Is
we'll known that in the commencement OF
these scenes of outrage the press OF the edl-
tors of the Federal Republican was destroyed
as punishment for their tementy 10 declaring
their determination to exercise the right Or
enquiry into the measures adopted by the
present adrninistation.-It is equally well
known that the second attack upon the pro-
perty of the editors, which ended IN the mas
sacre az the Jail, proceeded from an attempt
made by the editors to circulate their paper
after having resumed the publication OF It IN
Georgetown. There can be no doubt, pre-
sumo, even with the advocate OF a>moo, that
the editors of this paper had a constitutional
as we'll as q natural right to express their OPT
Mon As TO tae measures which have brought
us TO our low estate-that in their Capacl-
ty as editors of newspaper, 1T was not
only their right, but it was their business
TO examine into the characters OF puoiic
men and public measures, and to enilghten
their readers by the communication OF their
own ideas and discoveries, ms duty they
proceeded to discharge--and as punishment
for their independence, the first outrage was
committed in demohshing their printing OF
fee. Ii is expressly charged by the editors,
and no doubt they fully believed, that the civil
authority Of the city had been apprizcd OF tals
intended outrage-that they could have pre-
vented it, but did not-and therefore they
Justly attributed the sacrifice of their proper
ty 10 them Their loss had been cnns!d re-
ble-their feelings had been wounded-thelr
paper had been suspended, and In short they
had been compelled to abandon their own city
AID seek protection for themselves and Their
property in another place. Under these cir
cumstanceS it was reasonable to expect that
the editors when permitted to speak, would
have spoken in the language of injured men-
that they would have complained of the wanton
destruction of their property under the very
eve of the civil authority. That they would
| have exclaimed against the lneficlcncy OF
laws too weak TO protect the citizens from
such an outrage, or against the wlckedness or
timidity of those who were entrusted with
their execution--but wanted the inclination or
the courage to discharge their duty This
was the miIdeSt rebuke which the civil author
| ity could have expeeted--it was the least OF
the means of redress which the laws allowed
! the editors. Did they do more! Was the
! aspemty of their remarks too great for the
injury which they had sustained On the
contrary they furnish an evidence of forbcar-
J ancc on the part Of the editor which relieved
his oppressors as much as it surprised his
1 friends. But to prevent the circulation OF
their paper altogether in Baltimore, was the
/ obiect-to attain which, the second resolution
was formed by their opponents and executed
in the shocking manner of which we have all
(, been intermediate let US take nearer view
of the picture. The destruction OF the print
| ing office OF the Federal Republican was as