Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-04-26
From the Federal Gazette.

We congratulate the federal party, the
friends of commerce, and the nation at
large, on the abandonment of that nerve.
less restrictive system which has tor the
last seven years severely oppressed our
country. We congratulate them on the
important point gained in our national
policy. We have, it is true, suffered
much and what is peculiarly aggraya;-
ing, our sufferings haye proceeded from
he Ignorance and folly of our rulers
We have groaned under system Of
measures designed to coeree our ene-
mics, but which, in effect, have only
.courged ourselves. Experience is Of
ten q dear school, but it is the only
school IN which the prejudiced and the
psrverse can be taught true wisdom
We at length see this wretched system
abandoned by its authors, as inefficient
towards our enemies, and calculated on
ly to Cypress ourselves.
This important point gained in our ma
tionai policy, is cause for national re.
loicing equal to the most splendid vic
tory gained over cur enemies. This
system has been chief corner stone OF
difference ef opinion between the two
great political parties in our country.
The federalists have uniformly and
perpetually opposed it as inefficient to-
wards our enemies and oppressive to
ourselves. Whether the authors Of this
system conceived it in weakness or in
wickedness, is not for US to say, but the
democratic party have adhered to it With
a tcuaci,y Of opinion and zeal OF perse-
yerance, which we cannot but believe,
with great numbers OF them, proceeded
from conviction of its wisdom and Ell
ticacy. Experience has proved that the
federal policy was the true and correct
one, end although the democrats have
welded the point with reluctance, yet we
trust the time is not far distant when all
parties will point to the retrictive sys.
lem as a monument of folly, as beacon
to be avoided by every political naviga.
tor. Nay, it would not be more surpriz.
ing than some other occurrences within
the last two years have been, if the de-
mocrats should become It's most violent
oppucners, and claim to themselves the
credit of having exposed Its folly and
saved the nation from its disastrous in
fluencc.
The democratic party have never
been mere jealous in supporting en-
oargoes then they have been stubborn
and determined in opposing NAVY,
'ilI within the two last years bat when
experience has proved the utility OF a
navy. and the extreme folly OF their OPP
position to it, they suddenly face about
and become in profession its uarmesr
advocates, and denounce the federalists
as unfriendly to 1.-THE like conduct
with respect to the restrictive system,
| would not be more extraordinary. Its
a fact which the most cursory reviewer
of our political history, must acknow-
ledge, that experience has stamped
sysdsm on al the important measures of
the federal policy, which the democrats
most violently opposed, while it has
stamped folly on all the important mea-
sures of democratic policy which the
federaIists have opposed. The federal
lists were the founders and have been
uniform supporters of navy. Til
within the last two years q navy has been
the perpetual scorn" Of q vast major
ity OF the democratic party. They re-
presented it As big-bellied monster"
which Vas te consume ~ sas sub