Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-07-08


city and the river, which might he made
very delightful and pleasant, with but very
little expense. is now literally complete
tboroughfare for every thing in the world,
calculated to render it obnoxious and disa-
greeable.
The police regulations Of the city are in.
deed o,arageoaisly miserable. A few scat
iering lamps, in the absence Of the moon,
afTording but faint and feeble light, are
all that you see to light your footsteps
through the dark and muddy streets. In
addition to this, not watchman's voice
ever greets the ear, announcing the cheer
ing declaration of your safety from the
providing footsteps Of the midnight robber
or the murderous assassin. II you walk
the streets after dark, you must be sure to
take with you in addition 10 a good cane.
a brace of pistols or dirk concealed under
your waistcoat, or in your bosom, as a ne.
cesssry means of defence Aud you must
be ready 10 use them too upon any sudden
emergency of hostility towards you, which
may happen. and which often does happen
to people whose business calls them out az
ter dark And such is the criminaly unpa-
raIlelled neglect on the part of the Mayor
and Corporation of the city, that little or
no eYertions are ever made to prevent it.
If man is robbed or murdered in the
streets, the perpetrator of the horrid tran
saction is hardly ever sought after--of
course he escapes with impunity. But we
mayhope not forever.-Though the officers
of justice, to whom is given in charge the
execution of the laws, may slumber al their
posts, disregarding alike the importance
and responsibility Of their situations, day
of reckoning and account" awaits the gull.
ty and bloody handed wretch at the Bar Of
his God.
New Orleans, rs every body knows, is
remarkably well situated for commerce,
being the stopping place for all the sur
plus produce of the whole western coun-
try, south and west ofthe Allegany noun
tains, which must, Of course, all come down
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, to find a
market.-But have no papers or docu-
ments about me, from the collector OF the
revenues Office, to show you the amount
of exports or imports during any period OF
time since the country of Louisi ana became
part OF our political confederacy, which
was by the treaty fSt. Ildefonso, conclud-
ed think in 1903 and which has been
rapidly increasing ever since. The great
and ver"helming pressure upon the COM
mercial world, has, however, reached this
city, and many merchants, besides those
who have been doing business entirely up. |
on fictitious capitals, have been more or
less affected by it. Many large and res
pectable houses have failed within the last
three months--and many more must con-
sequently share the same fate. But these
endorsements, growing out OF causes not
altogether within the control Of the ner.
chant, it may be calculated, are only TEN.
porary. A little time, it is presumed, will
very materially alter the present state OF
things, and business assume more correct
and regular channel. Be this however as
it may, w.Orleans, from the geogra-
phicaI situation Of it, is certainly destined
at some future day, to become one OF the
largest and most important commercial Ct.
ties in the United States which is all that
can be said, at present, in favor Of it
tbatit is unhealthy and subject 10 the yell
low iever during the summer months, is
undoubtedly melancholy fact.-But how
far this will 60 to retard its growth aud po.
pulation, no one is able to predict. Many
causes, however, which now exist, calcu.
lated to produce that alarming and destrue-
tive disease, may be entirely removed,
aad will unquesti onably be removed,
" henever the city becomes .anerican,zed,
and well regulated government and Po-
lice established. AT present il is in French
hands, who are VIGOROUSLY opposed to any
thing like improvement, in whatever shape
it may be brought before them. Another
reason is, they don't like the Americans.
and are, in TACT, willing that any thing
should exist, however destructive and dan
yerous, 10 prevent their emigration and
settlement among them. Besides having
been long accustomed to the climate them.
selves, the yellow fever seldom ever RACES
With much violence among them. Stran-