Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-04-02

But wc have some rule by whichsto
nudge. Ehc government borrowed six
teen millions last year, including the new
! nater money, which instead of new ennis
sion, they choose to call treasury nstes
This was over and above the ordinary
revenue. The war has then cost for. 9
months, sixteen millions; and yet we.
hear of soldiers and sailors, and CON-
tractors and farnishers unpaid-l am a.
fraid we shall find great debt yet be,
hind.
AS TO future expenses, Mr.. Cheyes,
chairman of the committee of ways and
means in congress, states the annual
expences of the war at forty millions
at this rate the war will cost us in fiye
wears, 200 millions, which is 20 mil.
liors more than it cost us TO achieve or
procure our Independence; pre.ty
heavy debt for the privileges of protect
ing Britis5 serIen from their own So
vereign..
Ny brother farme>s. you do not yet
see any Of this newspaper ,aoney, be-.
cause il is circulated only among the
merchants, but you will have 20 redeem
il Ut last. tits the land which finally
pays all the public burdens.
What have been the fruits OF this war,
and what will be its fruits IS
A farmer naturally inquiries abeut the
erofs--H he 6nds bis land always pro-
ducing bad crops he calls it bad.
1fbe finds mode Of cultivation always
injurious and reproductive, he changes
il foi another.
Shall we act in opposite principle in
our political concerns!
We were told that we should conquer
Canada in three months; we were only
TO move and they would retire; we were
to take possession of it as we would reap
a crop of rye or oats. For my part, l
was one of those who did not see, even
it We did reap it as with sickle, that it
would produce any thing but tares, and
chaff, and straw.
could net see, that the burning the
houses OF some poor Frenchmen in Ca
NADIA, who can Just subsist, and who can
pay no taxes TO Great Britain, would
tend to relieve eur sesmen Gf there are
any who are impressod)
/ But still / did think, Mr. Madison
knew what he could do. / supposed
when gen. Hull told the Canadians that
he had an overwhelming force, tina.
would look down all opposition, that he
would take the country as easily as he
wrote his proclamation.
But what has been my surprise and
modification to find, that we have had
three successive armies cut off, have
lost Thousand men by the sword, and
four thousand by capture; that we have
not gained one inch of ground but have
lost "a whole province, the Michigan ter;
rltorys
! ana not oyessuperstitisus,s bat when
/ consider the invasion Of Russia and
Canada, by the allied powers of France
and America / am constrained to ne
lieve III the Justice and overriding pro-
violence of God, who has declared that
he will break the rod OF the oppressor
aud scatter the nations which delight in
war"
AS to what zrW be the fruits of this
war, the even, is only known to God
But when we sec our generals alarmed
Tor the safety of our oun posts, instead
of boas,ingly carving their arms into
the peaceful territories OF an nnoffend
ing neighbor: when we see the mighty
state Of Virginia forced to distrust the
power n the union, and raising stand.
ing arrM Of her oVun, to defend the
trembling and terrified inhabitants OF
her sea-coast, | can predict as little for
the future as tor the past.
Some weak men there may be who
NAV presage happy issne from the par.
,ial success at sea. We have, indeed,
CALAMITY achieved three naval victories,
but such was the acknowledged superb
ority of our enemy in numbers on the
ocean, that two out of three ships cap
tured rere wisely and prudently destroy
cd, because it was dangerous to attempt
to bring them into port.
These partial successes are a cause
Of as much confidence, and no more,
than if we had captured three videttes
Of The enemy in single combat. This
would have proved the superior courage
Of our own vitettes or guards. But
| what cause of exultaticn does it afford,
when we know that Great Britain has
$50 such ships, and that, learning WIS.
dom from experience, she will send
! them out in such numbers as will DEFY
the valor and defeat the exertions OF our
gallant seamen!
We have three greater and five small
Ter frigatcs; if the whole force was now
combined, they could not, without rash
ness and certain destruction, enter the
Chesapeake.
The ca ital of our nation is now block,