Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-03-30
From tie SsiS~ GSxstst.
Mr.. PICKERING's LETTERS. {
LITTER III.
TO tie People Of tie UniIed States.
WAR LOANS.

& w AN AlSEAANos .-it-4.3 Stls'.,
am now to inquire, to what degree
of peeuniary credit the present govern
msnt Of the U. States is entitled a
retrospective view Of the character and
conduct Of the ruling party will enable
every man to settle this question to bis
own satisfaction.
From the well known opposition OF
Mr.. JsGersen's party to tbs funding
system, introduced and established IN
the beginning of Washing,on's admi.
/, nistration-from the jealousy and envy
entertained by their chief and the hatred
of his followers towards that great and
upright man (Hamil,sn) who framed &
reported that system to Congrsss-from
their resistance to the passage, and, IN a
principal leader, to the execution OF the
laws for raising q revenue BY internal
taxes, in aid Of tho duties laid on goods
imported from abroad-a resistance, in
the Whiskey insurrection, which cost
the United States upwards ola million OF
dollars to repress and subdue-and from
their unceasing reproaehes, echoed and
re-eshoed by their partisans throughout
the u. States-and the hatred thereby
excited against those citizens to whom
the largest portion OF the public debt
was due-many rejecting men we're APP
prchensive of such. changes in the ma
nagement of the finances Cor public re-
yenues) as would put in jeopardy the
payment of the domestic dsbt.-Ms.
Jefferson seems to have been aware of
these approximations And as no man
knew better how, by fair professions, to
sooth suspicions-he introduced this
subject in his inaugural speech, on the
4th of March, 1901, when 1.-THE greatest
calamity which has befsllen our country
he entered on the Office of president of
the United States. In that speech he
made declaration of his political creed,
or what he called '.khe essential p,inci-
pies Of our government" Among these
we're" economy in the public expenee
that labor may be lightly burthened :"
the honest payment of our debts and
sacred preservation Of the public faith :"
and encouragement OF agriculture, s.
of commerce as its handmaid." How
he encouraged commerce, we all toe well
know, by bis non-importation, embargo,
and non.intercourse laws. | call them
his, because I knew, that without his
recommendation and influence they
would never have been enacted. Legis.
Iators were ready to rely implicitly on
his opinion and recommendatiens--tho'
these were sparingly given officially.
The reasons he assigned for the emoar-
go, I have long ago demonstrated to DO
frivolous; and on the documents he
himself produced, / now pronounce
those reasons hypocri,icaland false. The
tendency, and to a deplerable extent,
the effect of the embargo was, to cause
some thousands of our merchant vessels
to be hauled up to rot, and tens OF thou
sands of our seamen and mechanics and
laborers, depending on commerce, TO be
thrown out Of employment: to say no.
thing of the fall in value OF all sorts Of
property, and the general stagnation OF
business.
AS to Mr.. JefFcrson's economy in
the hu6i:e eIhence," a highly distin-
guished member of Congress from Vir-
gmia in late speech, thus concisely
describes it. In " tho last four years Of
that Jeasrson's administration, it rose
to sixteen millions; rivaling tho whole
expences Of Adams administrations
mounting to as much as the sum exPsnd.
ed by the man Justly called the father OF
his country, Washington, in eight years,
during which he maintained the charac-
ter of his coustry abroad, her privileges
inviolate, her rights and independence
entire, aud her honor pure, spotless and
sacred-besides carrying on an expen-
sive Indian war; Yet during those
four years the United States were at
peace with all the world.
The honest payment Of our debts
and sacred preservation Of the pubic
faith" Yet among the First acts OF his
administration, he recommended the re-
neal of all the internal taxes: and they
were repealed. Of these, the reycnus
arising from duties on silks and sfiirits
distilled in the United States, with the
duties on spirits and other goods import.
ed) stood pledged for the redemption OF
the public debt. Thus the public faith,
for which Mr. Jefferson affected "sa-
cred" regard, was spertsd with az the
outset; and the ability of tho United
States to pay their debts, was made to
depend (exeept Ia regard to the small
revenue arising from the sale of public
land) wholly on. toreign commerce; which
BIZ collisions with other nations, and war,
nigh. Gas at the present time be essen
tally abridged or annihilatsd. But IT
was by the opposition to internal taxes,
tina. the party acquired large portion
of the popularity which, at length sro,t