Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-04-05

The provision t0I Paye ~.
,,.bt. made while Hamilton was = tne
he,d az the treasury, corses2onsed WIN
M, nr;uciple; and on the money ana
n nh credit 50 provided, Messrs, yei.
fer,on, Galiatis, and party, hass iissa . !.
mi. day. TAess gentlsmen exnlpi'so ane
w.,a erful talent Of Of freffiating seven
silica. three hundred thousand dollars
,vhieh Hamilfon had fr0pided for 'hen, Y
be.pplied yearly towards the Payssn 2, -
the pubic debt! In saying ina. na.
m;lton furnished Thorn with money my
meanins will be undcrstood-tbat nus
svs,e Il of funding the public debts con, :
traeted in our revolutionary ~a.' alu ~ :
iar;np duties, commercial and INTERVALS
f.r psying them, wa. the basis on Wnich
\ Congress- acted in passing tho laws
which embraced these important oeleets'
Whv then vas the Jefferson administra-
ton act before mentioned introduces !,
with such a pompous, ostensatlous 'isle
( Their character, and the facts IN the
case. admit but of one answer ior tue
purpose Of dceeption--to deluxe the
people into belief that provision hae
moi before been made for the payment
Of the srhele Of the public debt ; and 70
make show of striet observance 81 MI
Jcfierson's professed creed on the sao,
iect OF finance T"the honest pay ment 81 q
our debts aud sacred preservation OF the
pabiic faith" advanced one year eeiofe'
in his Inaugural speech, x when mish'
then be fresh in the minds Of the peo-
Die : while amorg the same peepiersi
hundred who should read the sounding,
delus;ve title, not ten might read ana
understand the provisions OF long act
on the dry, abstruse subject Of Finance,
it is not improbable that multitude OF
honest citizens really believed (attending
only 20 the title of the act that the whole
of thu public debt was to be Immediate
Iy paidsoff.
Il is one thing to apply redundant
revesue towards the payment sfthe pue.
lie debts, and quite another to lay ana
collect taxes-(thc most ungracious ard
unpopular acts ofallgoyernments) when
found indispensable oppressive the pub.
lie faith, and fulfil the duties of firm and
honest administrators fthe government.
The fcrmer abundant revenues from
commerce Con the strength of whichMr-
jefferson ventured twelve years ago
Isng enough to be row forso,ten--so
professs "the henest payment OF our
debts and sacred prescryatlen OF the
public faith to be an essential prlncl-
pie Of our governsnent- those ahnn-
dant revenues are now, III consequence
of the NapoIeon-Jcffersonlan-M adlsonl-
an system of embargo, noR-intercourse
and non-importation laws, already re-
duced TO very small sum; and In the
course Of the present year; by the cap
turesof cur vessels and the blockades OF
ourtpoits, which the Britia. navy have
commenced, cur foreign commerce will
be annihilated, snd even cur coasting
trace must be abandoned
By disapppintme nts as to loans (and
every friend to justice, truth and peace,
Z
pointments have actually taken place.
by the constant defeats and dlsgraces
which have attended all their military
enterprises and by The increasing oppo-
sition 10 and detestation of the wal
those who made it may be Gurought up
ito degree Of desperation; and, like
desperate gambler, be disposed TO hs
zard their last stake to maintain it. And
Though they have NOT yet dared 10 lay
any taxes which all the people Can see
and feel, they may, in this state OF des.
pcration, impose heavy internal taxes
and IN the expectation, too, that 1t will
throw them out. OF power and place ;
calculating that their pfesen, opponents
will Of course succeed. And as in for
mer times, the federalists have never
Hinchsd in their exertlons To fulfil the
honest & necessary public engagements,
by laying taxes al the hazard Of their
popularity the war-men; may expect
them to take the same course with re-
gard to the debts incurred b. this mosf
nnrishteons qvar that this will again
render them unpopular, and once more
transfer the reigns Of government into
the same hands which Dsw, hold the IN.
But ] trust, should TIE occasion offer,
that the friends of peace, justice and
good faith, the duties 81 which apply to
other nations as well as TO our own citi-
zens, and to the old revolutionary credi-
tois, In preference to those who vo.
unfairly become creditors to support
such war, will not be caught in the
snare. h IfH
On Mr.. Madisen's principles, the war
can never have an end, and the expense
would then be boundless for G Rri-
tain will not, and, consistently with her
safety and Independence; csnnet, yield
the point for which Mr.. Madison obs,i-
nately contends. But for want Of money,
il is plain that the war must terminate