Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-09-13
ALEXANDRIA.
MONDAY, September 49,.
40 SRKW
|Hs VERT AGE & Bong OF rHR TINE
lrs FoRM AND PRESSURE


The people Of the u States, particu-
brly the inhabitants Of the Southern and
Western States, who depend more on
be sale OF the products of their agri-
tultural labor than their Northern bre-,
&hreu, begin already to feel most heavi-
~ the want Of their accustomed foreign
rsmmerce The demands of the foreign
earke,, for the articles which they have
heretofore raised for expectation, are
loscd, and the supplies from foreign
markets of such as habit has rendered
sscntil to their comfort, tea, coffee
(ngar, sc. have aIroost entirely ceased
axes in every form invade their doors
But ,h sc ills, might have been fore
eea by tue least keen-sigbtsd OF our
!kitiZe ps, are the necessary consequence
Ma war wased against the nation winch
I'D spite of France and Europe combined,
sfcisOs mistress OF the sea-that 1t would
BE in their power to shut up our ports,
Skeep our coasts in continual state of.
,alarm, harrass our citizens by unceasing
marches and countermarches to repel an
Enemy, who when expected to be found
Dc one, has already removed to some o.
2ber remote place. Before we entered
kfnto this war, We ought not only to have
}counted the money necessary to caIryit
5pn, the immense sums to equip and pay
<Dur armies and nayies, and devised effec-
Dual means of drawing thea from the
Epurses Of the people but we ought to
}haye taken into view 'hat heaviest mode
kof taxation, which at once by destroying
txhe value Of The products Of our soil, IN
2capacitstes the most numerous body OF
bur citizens from furnishing the neces-
sary supplies. Such is our present con-
d,tion. The products of our labor are
reduced TO hall their usual value, and e.
normous taxes are required from the ci-
tizsns. So reluctantly too do the people
engage in this war, that armies are as
difficult TO be raised as money and to
carry on the var with an enemy who has
permanent disciplined armies, we are O.
bligcd to depend on enlistments Tor one
year and militia. No wonder that war
Of conquest has been converted Into a
war of defence, and armies intended to
wrest from Britain her Canadian pro.
rinces, are hardly able TO do more than
defend our own territory. Such armies
will never accomplish any conquest
They viii only impose heavy debt on
the nation, without producing one bene-
acaI effect.
And as il madness governed our ru-
hers in every particular, instead Of niti-
eating the evils oflhe war SO unwiscly &
unnecessarily waged, by permitting to
the. people all the commerce which the
state Of war allowed-ty permitting i'm
ports in neutral vessels, and encourag-
ing neutrals to buy and carry to foreign
markets articles Of our own growth
they seem determined that the Sitzens
shall suffer every evil which they can
possibly infiic;--shey shall be taxed to
the eyes, and at the same time be ex.
cluded from that pittaoce OF trade which
might be carried on through the mcdi'
.um of neutraIs. While the evils Of war
would thus be mitigatcd to our citizens,
the admission Of foreign goods in neu
trail vessels would afford many millions
of dollars to the government.-Was ever
q nation so cursed by the folly Of its
rulers. A FARMER.
To the Editors Of the -Alsrandrio So
GENTLEMEN,