Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-05-16
From The washington CITY National
Register.

l
rhe misfortune Of our country (ahd AZ
inevitable one) to have our destime,
linked too closely with the aestlnlass Q,
Europe. 1t was to have been expected
THAT when the whole civilized worli was
| IN arms-tbat three thousand miles dls
ltance from the theatre of action--tnat a.
Intervening ocean of that extent wouio
mot have been able to wash rem the mind
|aIl our sympathies tor the tate oi war
Tall our habits of commercial adventure
land all the recollection OF all the insults,
Injuries, wrongs, captures, coniagfat'.ohs
Tor condemnations of one or OF the DINER
|or of both of the belligcrent parties. w
lsay this was to have been expected
THAT these evils were inevitable, and we
lnaye reason to bless beniicent creator,
THAT we we're n9t more deeply embfo.sed
lin such controversies than we have hlti-
|erto been. But the times are now ar
Irived; the civilized world is now IN a
Estate of repose, and the European sol
diers though clad in the panop y OF war;
are slumbering in their military habit
ments. We.may now venture to dIsen-
tangle ourselves from European politics,
without an offence to either OF the two
great parties, by which the ration has
been so long divided. 1t has been said
Iby the members Of the federal party, that
the democratic party were endeayoprIns
!! to drive the nation headlong into the tolls
Ioi BcnaP5arte. They. said that this mon
Iarch was attempting, under the gnlse OF
liberty, the subjugation of the civilized
1world; that he harboured dark and mys-
FERROUS designs, fraught with mischief to
| the human race; that he Rattersd by
flair promises, to destroy by force of arms:
that our own administration connived
tat such enormity, and did every thing IN
their power to extent and to consolidate
the tyranny Of this man. On the other
hand the democratic party have charged
1.-The federalists with an oTerweenlbg par
tally for England; that they are WI
ling to succumb to any enormity which
Twas perpretrated by that nation; that
they beheld with an eve OF indifference
the impressmcnt of their own country
Imen, while they we're all alive to the per-
pretations Of injuries FROM France; that
no alternative remained for us but to es-
lpouse the controversy of one or OF Tie
other Of these belligerents; that eur ma
tional independence was implicated IN
our making a common cause ~Ith Bona
Iparte; that we were reduced to the ne.
cessity of fighting England, or sar'en-
dering up our national existence witaou'
a blow. Without deciding on which
side of these important questions, the
scales ofjustiee incline; without entering
Into all those considerations so Pecu-
liarly liable to affect the selislblhties OF
party: it is abundantly sufficient to re-
Inark, that the great cause has now sub
sided, which bound us TO the fate OF for
eign nations, allowing the allegations OF
either party be true.
4 IF tie federal party did honestly be-
lieve, that the demolition of Napoleon's
Bower was an event in which the whole
civilized world was SO deeply interested
that demolition has been accomplished.
The world is no longer in dread OF the
overbearing arrogance Of France. That
nation is now only a secondary power.
and itremains problematical. wheth.r she
will not even yet be blotted from the roll
of independent nations. When, there
fore, the federalists state, that they ap-
lprehend so much danger from the over
bearing influence Of France. it is plain
! that TINS plea will not avail them now
AS little hay. the democratic party to
urge in their defence, with regard to any
advantages which the United States may
reap, by espousing the controversies Of
Bonaparte. Such an act would embroil
US in hostility with all the powers Of Eu-
rope. We are now at peace, and the
whcle civilized world is at peace also If
we except the struggle in Spanish Ameri-
ca for independence; the accomplish
ment Of which, we pray Heaven, may be
speedily effected.
We make these remarks not for the
purpose of eliminating the members Of
either party, but to shew, that the honest,
the independent and just, of both parties
dught to Coz daily aud sincerely unite.
The American ground is now completely
open there is no pretext now for violent
foreign attachments or antipatbies. We
have nothing to fear or 10 hsne. from a
nv foreign nation. France and England
are to u the same as if the frigbtful rev.
lutionary explosion had never been. a
mercans now have leisure to form cha
|racter, purely, distinctly aud We trust
permanently American. We may cult
|vate our own resources, invigorate agri-
culture, commerce and manufacturers