Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-03-26
"ro sHEw
,xyAax & BODY OF rHs sIMx
a.u AND PRESSURE.
SC TO sHEv

o;,.d all the voyage Of their life,
:, hound in shadows and in misefies.
T,e force Of this remark, in its appli-
10, 70 the United States, will notfail
.,,;ke every attentive observer of past
.,r,ences. There have been tides in
l.. Affairs, which taken at the food
uoo,d have led US on to hsnor and pros
n.-i,y These tides, however, have been
.oi,,rd; and thence have resulted the
ni.for;unes and miseries in which we
-. hound. The man, who negiects to
;,,,,oss the food tides in his affairs, is
;o,ly charged With imbecility or with
fly- The gg1erament that sHtfersthom
,o,sscrporiced, deserves hars ercen-
ear. I, is criminal 1T has been ate
!, s,ii bv great statesman, that any
enquiry into the causes OF the war in
sbirh we aye involved, and the maans
bv which it might have been averted, is
,5,y useless nd uHnecessary-That we
have been By some means or other
,b,own into it, and the only question
.oeuld now be; hoso are sre TO ger out
ofR? Tat this is the most i0afortans
enquiry, mast DC admitted. But surely
il is not lie only one, which our sltua-
lion properly suggests. rhe object Of
ne sober aud rejecting people OF the y:
States, should not ONLY De, to extricste
themselves from their present difficult
ties, but TO guard against their recur-
renee: To this end, it is important;
tbs, they should not only enquire into
the causes and consequences OF the war,
bur also into the means aud opportuni-
ties. By the Improvement of which, it
might have been aver,ed. Ifthey shall
fad, that such opportunities have hap
pened, and that they have been neglect
al by those 70 whof0 they have commit.
ted the II engagement OF their Affairs, (ei-
tber from iDcapaei,y or wi!fe!ness;II thty
viii of course dismiss lsrDl Gaps tbe,c
stewardship, ana cni,6ds thsir interests
to able, apd 10 b-ttss bands.
Il has Seen u,Sed IL exteuuetioo OF
the faults aqh errors ef TIE presen, and
proceeding a administrations that they had
10 eontend With great & unprecedented
djficolties--Th at the migaty contest be
Ia en- France and EngiaSd, had so alter
cd the usual course of political affairs,
sEd even riSa TO so GIaGy new and Try
INK endorsements throughout the
commercial world, as to have required
more thsn human foreSig to discern, or
human wisdom to avoid, The rocks and
shadows upon which they have ground.
Cd the aa'ionsl bark. That state oil
novelty and Trial has existed, cannot be
denied; but that it has necessarily in
viewed US in the mise,ies which have
Sce0 brought upon US; is, we think, de.
mousIrably untrue. Had the govern
men, Of the u. S. on the first outrage
upon the rights of the nation; assumed
hrm and decided altitude had they.
adopted The maxim OF Washington "ob-
a principles" and proclaimed 10 the
world, their determination to maintain
W'f HeCtral HIS, against the infringe
meats and usurpstionsnf both the great
Oeihsefent powers the rights Of the ma
"'a wonid have been respected-tbe
property Of our citizens, in foreign coun-
"''S would rot have been sacrificed
''' We should in all probsbility, have
''a''Oed to rise upon the tide, which
rs bearing US viii unexampled rapid
~ On to wealth aud fortune.
Without Stopping to comment upon
. many MINOR occasions and opportuni-
i'' which She administration, might
ave improved, to cultivate a spirit of
'a'e and friendship With Great Britain
na '' check the growing insults and in
'e'oi France our attention is at once
'e'eo' to three great and important
s.u'' IN the modern history Of eur
;" concerns The first of these is
~'''os' or rather Infamous Decree
0' Bonsparte on the 2lst of Mo-
s'S' 1906; AID known by tie title
- 8srdn Decree. The novel and
E|# lONs ri h. r