Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-08-08
ALEXANDRIA:
.SaTURDAY, MORNING. AUGUST s.

gotten, and as long as it is remembered
ought never to be thought OF without bitter
regret and shame, it was believed by many
that if ever the great cause Of conflict be-
tween the contending parties should cease
to exist, or in other words, If tie power
and influence of one Of them should be so
crippled rs to ex,inguish all its pretensions
and hopes to gain the ascendant. and if, in
consequence OF that, they who composed it
should show disposition TO amalgamate
with their fellow citizens, unite in one ma
tional principle, and make one common
cause with them, il would be the most de-
sirable event that could possibly occur, and
place the whole population Of the union in
felicitous state of mutual affection, cha
rity and brotbeTly love, that could not fail
10. elevate their common country to the
highest state Of grandeur and responsibility,
which nature has furnished il with the
means of attaining. Such state Of things.
however, was regarded by numbers of able
men as an event rather 10 he desired than
reconsideration as the fond Overwhelming
hope ct an over-sanguine benevolence-!h
! utopan project of warm imagination
than any thing that was likely, at least for
many wears, 10 arise out Of the chaotic a.
narchv of thought and feelings in which the
nation was placed-that hateful medley of
strife and artifce, of hatred, malice, heart
burning, elimination. recrimination. poll
teal intrigue, personal invective and per-
sonal wrong, which under the pretext OF a
very dubious patriotism, for several years
nassed continually from man 10 man, and
Ike our filthy bank-rags became the cur
rency Of the country, 10 the exclusion of a
more valuable medicine. Even those who
were most disposed TO hope for speedy
extinction Of that plague Of society and poi
son Of The soul, party spirit, and 10 believe
that The people in general would he too sem
sibly alive to their own comfort and inter-
ests. to neglect taking advantage OF such a
blessing, should it please the great Dis
poser to voucbsafe II to them, were yet
afraid that either such an event would be
retarded, or its effects be defeated by the
willy policy of statesmen by trade, who
having tasted ofthe sweets Of power derived
from the dexterous management Of party
collision, would be apt to consider the ex-
tinction of faction as the humiliation Of
their ascendancv, and for the indulgence
of their own ambition would rather keep
alive public animosities, than contribute to
smooth down popular asperities, or to re-
concile the hearts Of the people to each
other, by holding out to them all, one and
the same fair common measure of protec-
ton, favor, paternal affection and right
Nor would il have been Judging very un-
charitably to suspect that, profoundly in
structed as statesmen must now days be,
by the uniform experience of many years,
in the sad truth that party generates commo-
tion-that commotion is the parent Of cabal
and inirigue-and that caba and intrigue
are the landmarks of ambition, popular
leader Of ability would not be very solicit
tous to calm the Turbulence of faction-to
infuse into the public bosom spirit OF mu-
tual iorbearance and toleration-to preach
lin inhalation Of the divine Author of our
religion) TO the people who should call him
to the rule, Love one another )" or by
every means he should possess to give eff
feet to such precepts by a correspondent
.benefcence in practice, and by even-hand-
ed justice in distributing 10 his fellow citi-
Gems without distinction He who, as the
world goes, could demand from such
man, violent acts oil disinterestednes and
parity to the sacrifice of ambition, is still
dupe to the workings OF romance upon his
own imagination, and appoints task 10
another which il is ten thousand TO one he
would himself be incapable of performing.
1t does not cost mighty exertion Of virtue,
(and ifit did, our patriots would not be SO
promp;. and liberal as they always are on
all such occasions) 10 dictate to man, sur
rounded with temptations, and with the
power to indulge himself, flaming lesson
of abstinence. A person Of more honest
zeal than Knowledge OF the world. might
address man OF high standing and say to
MIN, Sir it is your duty to lay aside all
your predictions and prejudiced feelings
It's true, you have from your outset in lie,
been unalterably aiianced 10 particular