Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-01-28

Foundation Of navy, not for conquest, but
rro,cction & they intended to have increased
g. wear by year, till it were adequate to the
Il proposed. Had it been DONE 1t might
nave saved the United States hundred MIL
l;on of dollars, and their honor into the bar
gain The project Of a navy, which the iea-
sosralits advocated to man, met with the point
Ell reDrobation of the adverse party, as ex-
pensivc, and ruinous to the nation; ana THIS
was one of the heinous charges tor Whlch inc
federal rulers were cast headlong from their
official stations.
AT length, in 1901, set of scAool".en'
wholesale dealers In political metaphysics,
took the lead in our public affairs Absofoea
in abstract speculations, they thought' Dy the
bare means of pen and ink and types. they
could bring all the world to respect our rights
Wherefore giving up our navy to the worms,
thev reasoned most divinely on the liberty OF
the seas, the, rights of neutrels, and paper
blockades; and whilst they were metaphysl-
cally splitting hairs and dividing atoms, and
expected all Europe would bend an ear TO
their learned lore, they were requted with
SCOTS andscuffs and scourgings.
Fair cool reasoning having failed, their bo-
SONS boiled with ire; and, heroes as they were'
they tried the force of paper shot vaiofous
proclamatons, newspaper threats, ana tle
more fearful oral threats of big men within
the walls Of congress in hopes, forsooth' that
a crehitus yentris would be taken Tor thunder.
But all in vain.
Then again, as if to raise the jealousy OF
old Neptune, they built an hundred gun-boats,
and fitted them for battle array not to men-
ton Fulton, who with his torpedoes, stood
" fierce as ten furies." Yet, Notwithstanding
all this, notwithstanding logic which in sub
tlety would fairly out-do that OF Thomas A.
DUMAS, Notwithstanding terrific proclamatlons,
the vaunts of many Thersites in congress,
formidable gun-boats, and Fulton's internal
machines; in despite Of all. the nations that
had power on their side, have looked down
upon US with Scorn
At last, it would seem that some of the
democrats themselves begin to allow the Old
federal doctrine Of ssUenty.faurs to be good
and orthodox, and speak warmly for building
an American navy. We make these remarks,
at this particular time, partly to introduce,
from high-toned democratical paper, the
n. York Columbian Of October 5, some vera
cious sentiments OH this subject: they are as
follows:
"The relative situation of the republic to
the belligerent powers, both in a geographic
cal and commercial view, calls loudly tor
navy. Separated hy an ocean of three thou
sand miles; with an almost undesirable eX-
tent of coast, stretching from Maine to Cape
Florida, and thence westerly along the borders
of the gulf Of Mexico; with safe and COM
modious harbors, interspcrsed throughout,
suited to the reception and retreshment of
of ships and their crews; the best Of ship
timber growing in our forests, from one ex-
tremty of the continent to the other; to-
gether with the best mechanics; and iron,
taken from the bowels of our own earth, SUI
perior to what is imported, conspire to afford
the readiest means for raising and equipping
a navy, with the best hopes for Its security.
When We look at the present low state OF ex-
ternal commerce, limited, through necessity
by municipal laws, and iritted away by the i'll
Justice ant. rapacity of the belligerent pow
ers and then behold what it once was, pros
porous and unrivalled although our indigna-
ton is aroused against Great Britain and
france, 7Ve WcpeTtHtEeSS, CNTHOt uUOu ffWCCE-
ing on an administration, arhoSe ATTEMPTS to
defend it zvere lille better ttan threats, and
7yhosc weahons Of defence qpere mere 1a1ter
and gun-boats."
g Had the navy Of the United States, insig
nihcant as it is, been manned and equipped,
instead of being suffered to mouder in docks
or to remain in ordinary; had their ships been
stationed at the mouths of the different har-
bors, with their pendants flying and their
matches burning, instead of being covered
with sheds and mud, the sovereignty of the
Z, S. would never have been violated by the
aggrcssions ofBritish commanders; the neutral
trade of the U. S. would never have been selz-
ed upon within our territorial limits; the ira
-4ad.. &c Pierce and of the c he areake Mn1lld