Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-06-09

From the philadelphia Union.
e. OUR CoUNTRY.F

| E-r OUR COUNTRY
The. beneficent sovereign Of the uni
verse, has granted us a region extending
from ocean to ocean, intersected by rivers
which fertilize the earth and are calculat-
ed to connect by commerce the most dis
tants parts of our territory, embracing
every variety Of soil and climate, abound
ing in mineral riches, containing all that
is necessary to make man comfortable,
conten.ed, and happy. We have pasture
lands, we have arabic soil, we have hunt
ing grounds. we have mines, we have fish
cries. The sugar cane fourishes in the
south, the corn in the north, the plants of
the sea shore differ from those of the in
terror, those of the mountain from those
of the plain, our vallies yield fruit in end
less variety, our hills abound in marble,
our waters are alive with the fin-tribe,
| and our forests contain in themselves ne
yer failing sources of wealth to an enter
prising people. Throughout our vast do
main, there is not a tree, not a rill, not
a foot of ground, not stone, but what
may be applied to some useful purpose.
Our terrene cantains all that is requisite
to crafty every rational longing after
mere earthly good We have what may
provide us with plentiful supply and an
abundant variety of food and raiment,
fuel and habitation. What more can man
desire?
| Unlike the governments Of other lands
our own has Justice for its basis 1t has
been founded by the people for the peo-
pies benefit. No kings exists among US
with divine right to do wrong, no arts
tocratic class who can constitutionally
claim an exemption from bearing a part
in the burthens of the community. The
equal rights of every man to personal IL
berty, protection Of property, and the
pursuit of happiness, are acknowled ged
in all the fundamental articles of legisia-
ton; & for the preservation of these rights
care has been taken to provide for parti-
ton of power between the states & the uni
on, and repartition of this power among
the legislative judicial and executive bran
ches of government. The people, from
whom all political power is declared right
fully to originate, do not part with it
They only depute it for time to their
representatives, who are to exercise it,
not for their own benefit, but for that of
the nation.
But abundance of natural riches, and
an excellent form of government, are not
the only advantages we possess. Such is
| our situation that we are left entirely to
our own management This is a blessing
which no other people on earth enjoy
Our distance from the mighty masters of
mankind, precludes the possibility oftheir
essentially injuring us, without our own
permission or connivance; while the re-
sources of our country and the energies
of our nation render, or may render, us
completely independent of every foreign
authority.
And vet, with this vast extent of ma
tional resources, this excellent frame of
government, and these great local advan-
eages, we are far from being in a state of
prosperity.
TO DENY the truth is immoral, to at
tempt to conceal it is foolish, to strive to
lessen its force is inexpedient, we are far
from being in state of prosperity.
Our merchants want trade, our manu-
facturers employment, our farmers mar
ket for the produce of their industry
The solicitude of heads of families for
the fate of their wives and childrin is dali
" increasing, and young men qualified by
education for respectable stations in socie-
ty, in the productive, mercantile, or pro-
fessional classes, cannot find opportuni-
ties for making their abilities useful eli
ther to themselves or others.
Without large standing ARM, with
out an all-consuming navy, without pri-
vileged class openly acknowledged by the
constitution, without an oppressive (regu-
lay) taxation, without long list of sine
curemen ard pensioners, without long and
destructive wars, without feudal eccle- |
siastical, or military aristocracy, our fate
bears strong resemblance to that of
those nations, whose misery has been pro-
duced, by concurrence of several, or |
of all Of these causes.
There is certainly something novel in
our condition, which novelty in itself |
should be sufficient inducement to men
of philosophic turn of mind to investigate |
the causes of our distress, even supposing
that such inquiries should not eventuate
in its mitigation or removal.
Whence comes it then in land which |
would support 100 100000 IN affluence,
one thenth part of that number find it diff
fcult to procure the necessaries and con-
veniences of life2 How is it that in land
where there is little or no open oppression
the cries of the poor ascend unto Heaven
and there is no one TO comfort them? How
is II then In a land where the Government