Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1812-10-05

we could securely anu pcHcse'a''Y
en;ov. The most charitable cocc!u
sion which We can form, III regard
70 he author Of sneh a war, IS enc.
fsta, 20 his of7scia! capacity; and a.
# Is an inevitable Inference frsm
nnouestionabIe facts, tho Necessity
oc his removal from the station IL
now .oecupics, IS equally oby.oHs.
But had the war in which we are
upbappily ;avoived, been recommend
cd by every consideration CT sosioy,
,;r Madison has incurred heavy
responsibility, in urging its cont
meneement without a previous pre-
narat;on for its active AL vigorous
prosecution. Has he not invited
The attack Of the enemy. without
waiting to put on the armour of re-
sistapce? The western wilderness
| is now bowling with the exultins cry
Of a savage foe, whose incendiary
| torch lights the darkness Of the To-
rest with the nightly fires OF de-
fere.ess dwellings, while his murder.
,ys tcmahawk drinks up The blood
| Of their helpless and unsheIteredi in
| habitants-of aged sires. Of widows.
aud of Orphans The peaceful ci-
,izen is summoned at the approach
Of winter. TO quit the fire side ofhis
| family, in order 90 traverse dreary
| desert and TO course at IL Indictment
season, in high northern latitude,
the icy margin Of or inland seas,
ia quest Ola secret and savage ene'
NV. Should distant sill meet his
weary eye from tie yet liquid surface
Of the lake he will discern at the
masthead, the flag ofliis foe.
Surely our administration is the
..:rst, that ever went to war, in order
| to raise an army, and to borrow no.
ney to maintain it; ant vet, such
considerations were among the loud.
est arguments urged in favor ola
| precipitate commencement OF hos
t;Iities.
The maxim of a great general o.
Antiquity was. q" that with money,
| he could get men; and with men, he
could get money" Our admins.
trat:on has gore to war without hav-
ing either enlisted the men, or Dor.
| rowed tho money which it required.
Had il lat listened to the voice Of
| experience, or the counsels ofpru-
| denee: had i only waited the arrival
Of tie promised treaty from Frauce;
| the return Of snother vessel dispatch
Cd Ger intelligence to that favored
land: had not the impatsence OF
Congress TO adjourn, overset all its
previous resolutions, whether OF no.
nor, Justice. o. policy, We should now
not only. BE in The actual enjoyment
CT peace. but have the consolation OF
perceiYing CUR differences with. Eng.
land, reduced TO a ground not hlther-
to urged BY The administration as
sufficient cause for actu&i hos;ilities
until the war had been resolved upon.
Fellow Citizens. we i",plore your
attention to the causes. The conduct,
and he prc5aJte consequences Of this
wQr. We have bat b.'.eils touched
upon them. The views u them,
have been mullip!ied 10 such an ex-
tent, as to place the whole subject
under every possible aspect, and to
require Of those, who are DESTROYS OF
truth and not afraid TO think for
themselves, cnIy the patience, and
The labor to read, and TO reflect.
For ourselves, and those whom we
have the honor to represent, should
our purpose and thcirs.j to accom-
plish a change in the administration
of orr government. fail Of success,
we shall have the consolation OF
knowing that We lave done our duty
to ourselves. to them. and TO cur
common country. X our efforts
shall do no more. than tend TO dis
prove the unfounded 10 sinuation a.
gainst Virginia, that her feelings
are at war with the prosperity of the
union we shall have done much. We
shall have aiiayed the iiiquic.ude of
Il large portion ofour feiiow-citizens
and by rcvivins :heir hopes of q
speedy change oftiat wretched sys-
tenn Of administration. under which
they ssffeT. only more than ourselves,
we shall. EaVasconirin the political
lies which bind them 10 AIS. and tri-
u'n:'l.anty conducted our happy con-
s'i'u'!on. and union. through the
se'erest t"ialssti:at they have been
doomed ~ encaaatcr.