Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-08-30
ALEXANDRIA.
MONDAY. Angus. 80.
"To STEW
THE VERY AGE K BODY OF THE TINE
Nrs FORM AND PRESSURE"
The Day of H,.m,sia ZION e. PRAYER.


The late session of Congress hath al
length closed, after passing many laws
for the purpose of raising revenue for
carrying on the war, which the nation
has been so wantonly and unnecessarily
involved iD--waDtonly, because the war
has been in every possible manner pro-
Soked by our rulers-unnecessarily, be-
cause one month more Of patience, in
spite Of all the provocatives of our 60
yernment, would have removed every
pretext for such messure-we should
have had peace with Britain and most
prosperous commerce with all the IA
tiens Of the world except, perhaps, those
which were under the government or
sontroul Of France; and fortunately our
comncrce with them was of very small
consequence. By this unnecessary war
we are deprived of the immense bene.
hts ofsucb a commerce the products OF
cur soil, which were heretofore valuable
exports TO other nations, and command
ing the highest prices to the cultivators
of our earth, are now reduced to the
lowest possible exchangeable value
and the nation is at the same time call
ed upon for vast revenue, by taxes, in
almost every shape, in which the purses
of our citizens Can be touched. Reduc,
ed prices and heavy taxation is now the
happy condition of every tiller of the
earth In this extended empire. Such a
sudden reverse in our condition, from
that of the most unparalleled prosperi-
ty to that of every privation and oppres
sion, is certainly ample ground for the
citizens of the U. States to humble them,
selves before the face of Almighty God,
ask forgiveness Of their manifold sins and
transgressions, and pray for the restora
ton of their former happiness. But
must it not appear most strange, that
those men who have been the cause OF
our calamities, whose follies and wick
edness have produced them. who first
provoked, who then declared and now
persevere in prosecuting this unnecessa-
ry war at the sacrifice of every comfort,
without the prospect of one COED, with
almost the certainty OF destroying our
Union, and thereby introducing anarchy,
the never-failng precursor OF military
and arbitrary despotism; that they should
with the most hypocritical effrontery en-
deavor to th,ow the blame from their
own shoulders, and impose it on the sins
and wickedness Of the people, whom
God has punished severely enough in so
long in submitting them to their govern
msnt--That they should call upon US to
humiliute ourselves before the throne OF
the Almighty, and to repent of our sins
and pray to remove from us the scosrge
which With so much cool, malignant and
deliberate cunning they have inflicted on
this once happy land. If they have re-
pented Of the evil which they have done,
why not confess their error and remove
it--they have the power. They can say
there shail be peace, and there will be
peace. But these political Pharisees *
Sadducecs, while they call upon the pee-
pie to pray for peace, feel nothing but
war in their hearts; and the resolution
of Congress and the proclamation ct the
Presidsn:, recommending day of Pub
lie HuuiIia,ion snd Prayer, is bot part
of that series Of receptions, which have
been too long and too successfully play.
ed of, OH the crcduli,y OF the people,
Yes, In the very proclamation OF the Pre-.
sident, this war is called, though not in
express words, Just and necessary sar,
while at the same time it is denounced
as curse inflicted by the Almighty in
Punishment for our sias. Let us shortly
review the proclamation. The Presi-
dent says" Whereas in times of public
calamity, such as TIA, ofthe war brought
On the United States by the Injustice of
foreign government, tits especially be-
coming that the hearts OF ali should be
touched with the sane, and the eyes Of
all turned to that Almighty Power in
whose bands are the welfare and the des.
tiny of Aations - Ohserye the c,ptions