Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-05-09
ALEXANDRIA:
FRIDAY, NAP 8, 1917.
" LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE I"

ancient or modern, that contains more
sound sense or useful instruction than the
above pithy sentence uttered byJadse Pc.
tsrs, of Pennsylvania. 1t will be found
pertinent to the business OF life in every
department, aud is peculiarly applicable
TO that restless spirit Of political innova,
ton with which the frauds of ambitious
men, working On the folly of the blank
multitude, have 50 necessarily perplexed
the world and disturbed the tranquility
ct the human race-and so long as n.iIlti-
tudes are ignorant, simple, and suscep.
;iblc Of imposition, aud there shall be
knowing ones flied with ambition or ava
rice, will coutinae TO disturb aud dis
trlct mankind to til: end Ut the world.
I'he rigorous desPotis,ns which have
,overspreat every portion Of time, and
every part Of the world, with some few,
and Indeed rsry few exceptions, since
the creation Of tie weld, not only would
lave justified perpetual hankerins for
innovation, bat excite establishment a;
the apIihy aGd irresolGtion OF SO many
sges siuD6ering ia conteutmsnt under
tleir servitude-An ardent, honest spirit
can scarcely contemplate their history
without cxecratiug their baseness, or pi-
tyius their isn0ssnce-6ut are they more
deserving OF censure than those strange
contrasts to them who, enjoying the most
TALL and perfect freedC~ that tie circum-
Stances Of our nature can admit, are, or
affect TO lie disseminated, and, like the
dog ia the fable, who by snappiDs at the
reflection Of the piece OF meat in the wa
te. dropt the substance Oat OF his mouth
and !ost it, would put The gOod they have
in possessinH. TO hazard in Wild, sell
fish aud yaia experiment, to better their
situation.
1t there were any excess Of vice or FOL
~ besenl the capability Of man, | should
s7y that it would be an attempt to tamPer
with that order Of things under which the
people Of the United States at this mo-
E,eat enjoy without interruptisn, all the
bOunties Of nature and all the fruits Of
their own labor. Would it net be extra
yagance be.ond :he ordinary bounds Of
that most suber degree OF insanity which
keeps men, just verying on the outside OF
tho madtcase, if while our constitution is
tie uacelsing theme Of our own praise
ard exG!,ati3n, the admiration OF man
kind, the envy Of those nations who are
bOpe!es9 Of srch happiness, aud the object
u imitation to all who have government
10 choose and the competency to please
themselves, there should yet be amongst
Us small body Of distempered ambition
at this moment eudeavO,ing 10 make it
elf the nucleus Of projected mass oil
inuova,iOn-to break down the mounds
Vi the constitution--under pretence OF
zeal Cor the peoples rights to destroy our
representative democracy, and substitute
N its place legislation by mob and ella
uor.--I DO net positively Affirm that such
bOdy is uow organized, because have
20, sufficient evidence Of lis existence
su,, that il is talked Of with much parti-
.ular circumstance is certain.-Thngs
we not often circumstantially described;
except by pevelists and dramatic poets
Without some grounds OF tact--and the
hare talking of i, ought to have the effect
# putting the people en- their guard
against il.
10 stimulate the sluggish spirits "a"
lie grOanirs under the night-mare CT des-
/ potism in the old world, frequent re-
rurrence to TIE old modes of peculiar ex-
element may be necessary, and every
mouth may blow vox PopuLI, from q
trumpet mile long, without harm-per-
laps even with advantage but in state
of things like ours, where the people pos
sess the sovereign power, and do in fact
exercise il, as tar as they can By any pos
sibi.ity exercise it to any salutary effect,