Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-07-27

hope of ever planting firm foot on Ca
madam ground; and we believe that the
wild Imagination, excited by the exploits
of our gallant little navy, of coping with
the whole maritime force of G. Britain,
is by this time sunk into "sober sadness"
by the pressure of rigorous blockades,
and harrassing and vexatious war at our
own doors; while of the ineficiency OF
our non intercourse as weapon of CO.
ercion we have in times past had proof
so overAowing.
When thsn, If not at this is,which
has, or ought to have, disproved to adj
ministration every thing it has asserted,
and demonstrated every, thing it has de.
nied,-are we to sacrifice unattainable
ends for objects real, rational, and useful
When we speak of sacrifice, we do not
require sacrifice of the PRINCIPLE, we
ask only that the assertion of it be defer
red, till the wealth and strength Of our
country be fostered into equality with
those of our oppressor. That they are
at present unequal, we are but too vital
~ experiencing. Are the blood and
treasure Of the land to be lavished under
such circumstances without measure,
without end, without CLEAN of success,
or hope of compensation Is our ma
tional greatness to be blighted in the
bud The infant Hercules cannot al
ways strangle the serpent which invades
his cradle.
} The spirit of seIf-dcvotion, the gene
rous disdain of danger. which prompt an
individual to sustain an unequal contest,
redeem in great measure the obstinacy
and imprudence of the action, because
they give promise Of certain good quail
ties with which they are generally assoc
ciated thus we admire brave man who
defends his rights at the expense of his
life. But nothing is more faliacious or
more stupid, than to reason Or feel in the
same strain in regard to governments.-
Governments are supposed (whatever
the fact may be) TO be governed, not by
passion, but by reason: their sacrifices
are necessarily sacrifices of the wealth
and safety Of others; and while the indi-
vidual is admired as brave, though i'm
prudent, government in similar cir
cums,aaces is most Justly stigmatized as
rash, impolitic, and wicked the one is
selF.devoted victim, the other is
guardian, who wantonly wastes the pro.
psrsy, and endangers the lie, of the
ward committed to his charge. What
then are we to think, when, alter laying
| before the advocates of the war allthc
lavish expenditure of blood and treasures
ell the mi.chiefs with which it is attend
ed to our budding prosperity, we arc an.
swered, "if .fmerica mast Perish, she
zpW herisE 6rapely: national humiliation
| is preferable TO OPPRESSION" with other
such slang of hot. headed ducllists, and
raw collegians.
| If nations, like individuals, drew any
wisdom from experience, we would say
that the conclusion of this war is dcsira-
bic On another account: it is desirable,
in order that the passions of parties may
have leisure to cool and men an oppor-
tunity of scanning that doctrine of pas
sive obedience in the minority which is
the offspring Of this war, and the foster
child of its advocates of enqairing how
far the doctrine of the non.exprcssion oil
opinion is consonant with agovernment
the first principle and stable foundation
| (which is the freedom ofopinlon how
far it is consonans with what men have
thought and written of liberty in pas,
times; how far it is equitable in any go
vernment to deny to the minority the
chance of converting the majority; how
far, in the present case, the opposition
of,he minority to these principles orlel-
mated in The spirit of faction and disaffec'
ton, and hew far in genuine indepen-
dcnce, regardful of the ax'oms OF past
ages, and resolute to defend them in the
| ,,,ref of firpes