Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-09-18

majors, In vy6. Now reader. eyam;n.
the subject, aud try to satisfy YOURSELF
who these men were. -.
From the Cleaner.
"a Defence of the Admins.
tration.
Whatever want of courage NAV have
been manifested by the administered
when the enemy attacked tbeHeat Of c0
vernment it is certain that they disc g.
vsred no want Of spirit when the ripbts-
and feelings of the mechanics were fl
be invaded. Ifthcy fed from Ross srJ
a handful of painting worn out troons
with celebrity and disorder, indicatins
unbecoming alarm; it must be COMES
|sed, that when the people were to BE-
loaded with taxes the most cdious &,n
|precedented in free country. thew ,d
vanced to work with resolution and
GOODNESS that would not have disar,ccs
ia North or a Hillsboroush. Sotl,at set
ting off the spirit exhibited on one o.
casion, against the want Of it on another
I'VE shall find that the enemies of govern.
fment have less cause for censure. tban
lis generally imagined.
Should it be objected, It in cnccnn.
tering the British they would have risk.
ed their Invaluable lives, whereas in at.
1tacking the mechanics anu imposing their
|odions burdens on the people, they onr
|risked their offices and from thence
the inference should BE- drawn, tina, in
the latter case less courage was requ,r.
led that in the former. / answer-Iflt can
be made to appear that the admininistrs.
|ticn are more attached to-life than to
|scsce, then will the objection be valid
On the contrary should it be believed
that their Offices were dearest to then.
then | think it will be manifest that
they discovered more courage in attack
ling the mechanic, than they would
have done in encountering the Bli
Itish.
True it is, the fact cannot Ike prob
lem of Euclid, the demonstrated with
mathematical certainty. Yet tits believ.
led that no one who has Observed the
|pertinacity with which thew haave clupg-
to the breasts of the treasu ', will doubt
for a moment, but that they would soon
Ter part with life Itself, than to be torn
from darling places, rendered, bya we'll
known principle in natural philosophy,
'doubly dear to them, and the consider
alton, that were justice to take place.
they would be separated from them for
ever.
Some may imagine that simply to die
would be to them less painful consider
alton than to descend into private life,
and consequently, to bid a long adieu to
the Cogniac and Madeira, the Ice
creams, canvas backs and oysters, and
obove all, to the batteries, bows and
smiles whichswait upon their high NIGH
tiDess. and raise them in their own es-
at least, upon level with
Mars, Saturn and Jupiter, bat they thin
the dread of being calledto an account
hereafter would turn the scale in favor
.of existence. Here again an answer
presents itself fully adequate to silence
the objection. These Gentlemen happen
to be of the school of the philosophers
Monticello, who took his religious as
as we'll IS his political creed trom the
land of Voltarie and Diderot, and VINO
if they can be sure OF not De,
ing called to an account in this wor!a
wrap themselves, with the most stolsa
apathy in the web of scephclsm anu
laugh at punishment hereafter as tie
idle dream of fanaticism and cEsdulf
rty. !. ~. ua,,
When to all this is added the wen
known fact, that Frederick OF frussls
on one occasion; and that the Duke 81
Marlborough on another, gave way :,
prudential considerations. "heh II ID
recolIected that Jefferson TED TO no
mountains without inju'ing his popular
ty or retarding his advance TO elllI :,
it cannot, without manifest injustice y.
charged to the administration as a Grim, r'.
that they permitted their discretion ~, IL,
a while to become precepter 10 VIC.
valour and thereby preserved thelr NC
yeral holds upon the tears OF the tIess ,oo.
andatheir invaluable services to tnePs0
pie.
Translated for the Boston WeeSEy 'aS'