Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1815-02-23
From the Examiner.

PAS'O~ @"aJ, anu the principles
upon which the federal party have from
time to time placed themselves shall be
we'll understood, the wretched Inhabitants
OF this forlorn land will wonder even to
staring, how they could have permitted
themselves TO become the dupes of so much.
and such reiterated folly and wickedness. as
they seem now willing to endure, and even
eager to applaud.
The democratic administration of these
states will be phenomenon in history. 1t
will present to posterity the inexplicable
absurdity Of cluster of feeble, ruin spread.
ing and desperate state quacks, sustained
not by their own merits, Boosting of no ex-
plots, discovering no ability in any depart,
ment of theil great duties, bat rniled In dis
aster and disgrace it will present these
despcable quacks, at period of greater
difficulty and danger than ever before oc.
CURED, sustaining themselves simply and
merely upon the prejudiees they had by so
phistry and falsehood excited against ad-
versaries whose wisdom in former difficult
times had been most triumphantly success
full
In the present actual condition of the
country, the absurd perplexities in which
popular judgment is involved while stew
ing and termenting in its own dreadful and
obstinate prejudces, arc still more astonish-
ing.
Inquire of the strongest political zealot:
answer, no; bat then that zpas the fault
Of tie .tederGiiStS' Did the non inter
course do any good No; but the fedora
lists are to blame for that too: Did not the
whole restrictive system produce much
harm, and no good? Yes; but still it was
the fault of the iederalists How? Why
they were always opposed to these mea
sures Well--but did they oppose tie er-
scution of them? Did they or their poiti-
cal adUersaries figure in the Passamaquod
dy trade2 Not the federalists, certainly.
Had the opinion of the federalists them
their mere opinion, that the restrictive
system was good for-nothing piece of non
sence; that if il could be enforced, it was
nonsense, but that at any rate, it could not
be enforced-wa The restrictive system
really wise and powerful one, and was
there such magic in the disbelief Of the fe-
deralists, that ii system intrinsieally good
did harm and nog0od; that a system, pow.
erful in itself was rendered ridiculously,
ludcrously feeble No man, be he ever 50
federal, can ascrlbe such magical potency
TO federal opinions But democrats to this
day insist, that had the federaIists only spo-
ken well of the embargo and non inter.
course, the British would have been knock
ed up by them long ago.
And the declaration of war, too, was
very, very wise measure and ii the feder
alists could only have so far belied their
honest opinions, as to have said it was, it
would have been very successful war
Hull would never have surrendered Will
kinson would have been in possession of all
Canada last winter The walls of the La
Cole Mn would not have been by two feet
SIS thick as they happened to be Niagara
would still have been ours, and Washing
ton would have been saved. Free trade
and sailors rights would have been estab
lshed long ago, if the wicked federalists
had only said that they thought the war
wise war; and James Madison the very
dandy for carrying it on. But for want of
all this, we are covered with disaster and
disgrace, and our prospects overcast with
calamites and terfors. Bless my soul,
what tiend this federalism must be, if its
mere, and unlounded opinions of the folly
of our most renowned rulers can turn their
strength into weakness, their wisdom into
folly2
No, it is not to cabinet folly that we are
to Inpute the disasters of this war nor the
perils that menace the country but to the
potency of federal wickedness which always
said that the war was a foolish war, and
would be ruinous one and especially that
the administration was unfit to conduct it,
it is to this that we are to look, according
to democratic logic, for the true causes Of
our deplorable condition.
When the federalsts say the war is fool
ish, it becomes foolish, however wise in it.
self; when they say the administration is
incompetent to its conduct, at once those
wise geniuses become incompetent; when
then say it will be ruinous, calamity apd
disgrace envelop the land Open Ses-
- NIUE tNpgSHHG"