Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1812-11-25
ALEXANDRIA.
WEDNESDAY,, Mopem5er Is.
TO sHEw
TIE VERY AGE & BODY OF THE TIME
his FORM AND PRESSURE s..

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Vfpe Ia RchubHque! Yfue le Guerre!
The bill for increasing the pay of the
nen-commissioned officers, musicians
and privstes in the army-exsmptlng
the debtor who shall enlist in the service
of the u. States from arrest on civil pro-
cess, for any debt contracted before or
after his enlistment and affording mi
sors a protection under the national
tional cockade against the claims and
authority of their parents and masters,
has passed the House Of Representa-
tiyes by majority ottwsnty sevsnvotes!
Although the pslicy of the ruling party
for several years past, has had tenden-
ey to dsmosalise the people this is, We
believe, the first instance in which the
propriey of sacrificing moral 0dhgano"
to state ertedieney has been openly adj
vocated in our national council.
1t was formerly the policy Of Isgisla-
tors to enesuraye virtue by tho distri-
button Of rewards, and to repress vice
BY the imposition Of penalties. No man
vas thought worthy Of public trust, un-
til he had shswa himself faithful in pri.
yate duty. /, was upon this foundation
that spartan laws, and spartan virtue n
rose in ancient times, and 1t was by the
subversion Of these principles, and by
the dissolution Of moral and religious
obligation, that France has in our own
age involved herself in infamy, and
more than half tho civilized world in
ruin and disgrace. 1t would seem
however that the experience of past
ages and the testimony Of our own
times are alike unproductive of true
wisdom to the rulers of this i'll fated csun-
try. " They have eyes, and see not
thoy have ears and hear not" BY the
provisions of the bill which has receiv-
ed their sanction, fraud is LOCALIZED, and
4 reward offered for the violation Of the
very principles and obligations, upon
which our government is founded, and
upon the strength and observance Of
which its preservation depends. The
unprincipled debtor is invited to aefraud
his creditor-ths disobedient child te
desert his fathers house, at the most
critical period in his lfe--and The an-
grateful apprentice to withhold his SER
vices, at the very moment when perhaps
the most important csncerns OF bene.
VIOLENT master depsnd upon his labors.-
Domestic happiness * public improve
rnent are equally the victims Of this
atrocious bill. Whilst it steals in
to the bosom of private families and
robs the fre..ids of its enioyments
it enters with mere cffrontery the
warehouse and the workshop, and
destroys at once the interests Of
commerce, and the hopes OF manutac-
lures. And all this sacrifice of princi-
pie and of policy is made to support an
unpopular and q ruinous svsr un1aoh1-
lar evidently, because were it not SO,
men enough might be found to fight it
without the necessity Of enticing chill
dren from their parents and servants
from their masters: ruineus beyond q
doubt for ru:nous must be that mea-
sure which requires tho sacrifice Of Dir
tue, to succeed it. Where sleeps the
voice Of the nation that once /" called SO
loudly for the mar ?" Where are the
thousands and the tens of thousands
whose hands were upon their swords,
and who waited only for the permission
of the government to overwlelm the
enemy with confusion Let them come
forth from their hiding places now, and
save the standard of their country from
the foul blot which their representatives
in congress would put upon it, by rais-
ing it upon the ruins of public morals
and private happiness. Where are the
honest farmers and mechanics of the
country? Can they be still dreaming of
| increased profits and enlarged establish