Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-09-20

waste and prodigality have gone hand in
hand with disgrace and defeat
Burthensome exactions, the certain
attendants Of war, are now to be levied
upon the people in the forms Ola house
and land tax, a stamp tax, salt tax,
shop tax, a carriage tax, sugar TAX q
an auction tax--and these burthens are
levied when the people, through the e.
wills of war, are rendered less able to bear
or support them. The weight OF debt
and taxes is accommodating and bearing
down the people-and generations TO
come must feel the evils and pressure
Of this great calamity.
From this depth of embarrassment
perPlexity, the prospect OF peace out
family CLEANS. The means OF coercion
upon the enemy are futile and 'ai'.--
The infatuated managers at Washington
have twice rejected the offer Ut truce
since they rashly declared this war; and
now, when fear hath come upon them
Britain in her turn appears to mock at
their calamity. Having failed IN her
first efforts to obtain reconciliation
she seems to regard with equal eye our
enmity and friendship; she sees cur
wide spread commerce, once rivaiilag
her own, swept from the ocean, and the
expanse of the watery world surrender.
ed to her sole dominiop. To this taia
resul. has the blind policy OF the advo
Gates of war reduced their once flourish
ing and happy country.
The causes of war, If any such did ex
ist, have long since been done away
The orders in council, as soon as the
French repeating decree was made
/ known, were rescinded. This Britain
! had promised and this she Performed
! But neither this manifestation OF dis
position for peace, nor the permission
granted to our citizens to bring home Iii
safety their immense property IN Eng
| land, had any effect 20 soften the hearts
! of administration or 10 lead them to
| corresponding dispositions tor peace
The occasional injuries from impress
| ment, which are COW made the pretext
| for centiuing the war, England has "a
gain and again declared her willingness
| to redress and has retressed' Her
| Ambassador "a; Washington, in one OF
| his last letters before wat was declared,
spontaneously offered 10 resto'e every
| American sailor in the British navy the
! moment they were pointed out on the
subject OF impressment the most OK 'ra-
vacant and false statements are publish
ed for the purpose of justiiying the war
and exciting the people to revenge
II is also deserving Of remark, that In
those parts of the country where im"
pressment, lift did exist to the extent
pretended. would be the most senslbly
| felt. the war, for such a Cause, Is decld-
edly disappeared and earnestly opposed
while the states of the south and west,
who have neither ships nor sailors, make
impressment the theme OF their unceas
ing clamnrs for war and bloodshed.
The Friends of Peace see no just nor
adequate cause Tor this war They see
Fro prospect of its accomplishing the oo'
Eiect. for which it is pretendedly waged;
and were even these points Ia be attain
ed by it, Of which, however, there Is
scarcely any probability, still the cost
would exceed ten thousand times their
value to the country, when obtained
The war is war, not of self defence,
but of foreign MISUNDERSTANDING Its e.
wills and its ravages among the people
of the Canadas who have done US no In
Jury; who have given US no offence -
Against such war conscience and du-
ty compel The Friends Of Peace most So
lemnIy to protest; while the great inte-
rests of their country, interviewer with
their own, second the dictates OF moral
ity and religion, and urge them 10 every
lawful exertion to stop the further etfu'
sion of human blood
I. The VOICE OF NEW-JERSEY,
both in the general and state govern
ment, has been pronounced In favor OF
peace. Peace can yet be obtained on
| honorable and advantageous terms, 1t
| but sought in the spirit of peace. What.
ever interested men may say-those who
fatten upon the blood and calamities OF
their country; those who grow rich by
the jobs and contracts and Offices OF war
Peace may and can be restored, IT the
people, true TO themselves and their
country, stcdfastly discountenance war
and its abettors.
| The friends Of peace of the county of
Hunterdon, solemnly impressed with the
awful situation of their country, are anx-
ious to bury all former differences of o.
pinions. In this spirit they have select
ed their candidates without reference to
former distinctions of party, and they
cordially and earnestly invite the liberal
and the honest fall classes and descrip-
tons to unite with them in one more eff
| fort to save their country