Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-01-22

! Surely q remarked to one OF the merchants
it must be our export trade to France that Is
so very valuable as to be maintained at the ex-
pense Of privation and war. So far from it, he
replied, that France by her regulations ex-
cludes from her ports almost every article OF
American produce-tobacco IS SO restricted
as tn he in fact excluded--hour is MT want
ed; American cotton is burthened win great
er duties than the same article IRON other
countries, consequently but little used West
India produce from the Z. States absolutely
excluded, except i'll vessels sailing unesr sPe-
cial French licenses and even whenan A.
merican vessel arrives in France she IS not
permitted to exchange her cargo ioi such
French goods as may be wished, but must
take two thirds of the amount IN SILKS, and
the remainder as the owner pleases. Inc
consequence of these vexatlous restrictions
IS, as I was informed, that vessels that SO
to France, take hard dollars principally to
buy their csrgoes The fact would Aence
appear to be, that the people or the Ctlteo
States have for some time past been MADE TO
pav double prices for the comforts and neces-
saries of life, procured through the medium
of commerce with England. and are nov TO
be taxed 40 millions per annum, (or gq III
debt so much) to supports war with E1si'Mu ;
for what For the privilege OF sneaK'ig !"-
to French ports, crouching to wrongs and ln, ;,
suits to Law out our dollars In wines, SILKS 1ho
laces
These things seem TO me very strange, lpf'
Printer. and should be glad to. know II Trey
are true. Your Alexandrians may have been
martial in their statements. Having livedas
the neipbbors of Washington, and inhibited
the hirhest veneration for his virtues and ils
talents, they have long been remarked as eie-
mics to that party which Washington en-
phaticaliy termed the curse OF their coua-
try." All if the maxims OF that great man
had been pursued, things would not have
been as they now are. lie taught ms coutry-
men that to secure peace they should be pre-
pared for war. 1t was discovery reservel
for his successors, that the best security a.
gainst war was an eEpty tieasufy.-Alas !
that security seems now to fail them.
When the people took the government from
the hands of the Federalists ard gave II to
their present rulers, what vast promises were
made us of riches ard of Happiness, and how
economically were they to manage the funds
of the nation. True, they have been econo-
mist4s they have saved US the expense OF a
fence round our field, but they have let IN the
neiehboring stock which has destroyed the
crop. They sold off the infant navy, and our
defenceless commerce has since been the COM
mon prey of the pirates OF every nation. 1t
is for our political sins that we have been sub
;ectad 20 che Niunkish discipline OF s~lf Gssol-
lat;en. to embargoes, non-lntereourse and
non.importaton laws, 10 such system OF po-
licv. as if indeed, had the constitution made 1t
the duty Of Congress to "provlde" agalnSt
g the general welfare they could scarcely
have adopted one more obedient to the III
junction. Happy would it be fer our coun-
trv if we could cease tobe deluded by names
and fair words, and learn to Judge OF our pub
lie affairs by the rules Of common 'tc. 1t
employ manager for farm who has by fair
PROMISES induced me to think him good
farmer, but find my farm every year getting
worse and every crop falling, Notwithstanding
his fine words-how am | to act! Dismiss
him or be ruined And this | take to be tn
case between the people OF the United State
and their rulers.
I,,;,,r,, 1919