Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-05-20

INV - E'>-ssrksSy VIVA dseetaty ulSneS
the present times from those Of Wash.
iagton! Then the spirit of patriotism
predominated Now THO spirit Of cabal
Then virtue was in high places. Now.
there Is intrigue. Then we had wisdom
: for our guide. Now, cunning. Then
debate III either house Of congress, had
an INFLUENCE upon public measures
Nov, what is to be done, is settles, be.
FIRE, or without it. A cabinet, or
"caueIs." brooding in darkness, decides
the fate Of The country, and a Congress,
calling itself free, registers its DEGREES.
We have indeed all,hc forms of free.
dom, but, censtltulionaiiy speaking, aid
as far as tie measIfes oi TIC national 90.
vernmeEt have effect, VIC wear as CALLING
and soul depressing chain a, ever Of.
hicted 3 people. All tits is Da,ural All
is cbarac er,stic. All is necessary. The
spirit of cahal put dawn tic spirit CT
Washington, by appealing 10 base pa.
,joDs AID exciting corrupt hopes A
cahui IN power must maintain its ascen.
darcy by the means through which II
was obt:mcd. Base passions must be
iostered. Corrupt hopes must be graft.
fed Po*er,,which H. IS by corruption,
must End, OF will make, the aiiment re-
cessary for is support. II hastcns %
siu, is rssening appetite on our morals,
that It nay dcyoug or iibcrtiss at its
leisure,
Such orc uur rulers and their pripci.
ples,r when viewed b" The light, and tri
ed by tie standard OF Washington.
In treating of our condition. | snail not
waste the hour in idle segrets, or vain
examinations. The hand OF ruin is upon
US, and upon our cities. The deep aud
ancient root of the prosperity oil Ma.s..
chusetts is whitening. Our commerce,
navigation and fisheries. are gone. A
wbirlwind from the west, passing over
those massy pillars Of cur greatness, and
they arc alrc ady prostrate. Lamentatiun
and despair suit not the condition Of
freemeE least Of all, Of the fieemen Of
Massachusetts. To them Il belongs to
be mindful of the character of their an.
ccstors men, keen to discern and reso.
lutte to perform their duties generous
spirits, whom power could not tempt,
nor fraud cnsnare, nor force snbdue -
The descendants Of such men ought 10
blush at being satisfied with sbntfiing
long from one mode of oppression to a.
nother; each individual happy, if his
head escapes the bolt, is,ended for the
generalrruin content with life and pre-,
carious enjoyment to-day and to-mor
row careless of the lons extent of time
which is TO come afterward Tie grave
will soon close upon us and our vain
hopes and vainei anlicipations. You are
fathers. What political Inheritance do
you leave to your children (? Where lie
the sources of the evils, which we sui-
ferl What are the remedies! What
are our duties !
The sources Of a peoples sufferings
for the most part, lie hidden from casu-
al observation and supe, 6cial research.
it eften requires firmness and fidelity,
as we'll as labor, to peuctratc their ma.
ture. and explore oppression 10 its loun.
is, also, Q sell deception,
which, from incidence, or apathy, the
love Tease, or of business, mankind, G.
ven the best, are perpetualiy inclined to
practice, and which, for the most part,
makes such inquiries sbortive. They
for causes; escape from
present suffering, for relief from the
disease. When, perhaps, it is only that
morbid topper, which prccedes idlocy,
or madness that state Of nervous lmDe
cility, into which nature sinks, while
she prepares fusl for new flames and
collects stimulants, for further sufieriugs
and stronger commissions.
Who, that understands the real condl-
ton of our country, can refrain frem
such reflections, when he hears the
GREETINGS i'll our places Of public resort
and the dreams of our newspapers
'"What think yon! Is not peace COM
lux h0 RuoSIdu lnSViSlloH: -Whi
not that be successful? Can loaas be
Without loans Can the war
be protracted :" As if, in this war, was
included the sum of Gus evils! AS if
this was the cause Of our calsmities. or
was any thing else than the symptom of
our disease
Suppose peace. What then Is con-
fdence restored ? Is the anti-commel-
,ial spirit of your rulers subdued? Will
he double duties be repealed Can
comm ercial prosperity revive under
hese impositions Or, if it revive for
. moment, is there any reason to hope,
hat the Vaccinations against its vital
principles, which have now become sys-
eMstizsd, and already reduced it to the
verge OF humiliation, will not be re-
and in other modes, and under |
more favorable auspices, made success
ul
Alas I! people Of Massachusetts,!
;annot conceal the deep. conviction OF
nv soul. that peace, itself. desirable as |