Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-02-27
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT AT WASH
INGTON.
T To be continued

The fate of the bill for establishing
an uniform system of bankruptcy in
the United States was yesterday f.
nally decided by successful motion
for an " indefinite postponemenp-a
cabalistic term which l suppose you
know has often been found a most po-
tent reasoner on one side of the qucs-
ton i'm our house of commons, as we'll
as In the British. That old Virginian
mortar of huge caliber, (perhaps bore
would be better world "the prerious
question:" has been laid up in ordina-
ry ever since the peace, and will grace
the congressional arsenal till a new
war shall occasion it to be put in re-
question. In the mean time indef-
mite postponement" will humbly do
its office; and, in the hands OF such
able, artillcrists as ours, will no doubt
keep the field clear of arguments. iea-
soniDg. policy, plain truth, and all
other intrusive, hostile encroachers.
You must remember that at the We
ry outset of this bill l foreboded that
something of this kind would be its
fate but to show you how unwilling
I am to arrogate to myself credit for
ssgacity that does not belong to me. /
will candidly tell You that l had be-
gun to after my mind--.I was fairly
taken in, as many wiser men often
have been. by the ardor of my own
wishes. was DESTROYS that the House
of Representatives should do this good
thing for the country, and. therefore,
| did actually persuade myself that
the opposcrs of it were rclenting. As
| felt the irresistible force of the rea-
soning in favor Of the bill myself, my
imagination beguiled me into the no
ton that | saw the imp ession reflect
ed in their several physiognomies -
and glancing over them on Friday
last. as they passed before me, | found
myself. as | looked into each promis
ing cnuntenance, involuntarily pro-
nouncing, in the words Of Jack Fal-
staff. "Peremptorily Ispeak it, there
is virtue in that visage." Thus are
We grcy-beards duped by our vain
wishes /: for in the calling over of the
ayes and noes yesterday, on the ques-
ton of indefinite postponement, ]
found that all poor Falstaff's visions
had vanished into-not air-but flint.
Finding by the reIuIse on Friday
that they were not able to stand the
bayonet of the northern troops, the
Virginian phalanx, it is supposed,
held council of war on Saturday and
Sunday and concerted that plan Of
long shot battle which they put in ex-
ecution on Tuesday. Even then they
were rpulsed again; but coming
down yesterday, like their old friends
the FreRch. with overwhelming mum.
bers, and the ayes and noes ia the
rear, they carried the field: anu. like
the French, gained more advantage
than honor by the victory.
As the result is known, however.
why fight the battle over again a...Yet
a few farewell words ought to be said.
Mr.. Whitman, Mr.. Livermore. and
Mr.. Baldwin spoke.-But to what
end ?-When what had before been
said failed to move the opposers. they
could not possibly be stirred. though
one were sent from the dead to move
them.
Mr.. Barbour, who was the pitched
upon hero Of the day. made speech;
and to be sure that could not fail to
have its effect. 1t out lid Mr.. Pin
dall's-nct in variety of topics, but in