Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-02-26

NAV be called The despoiish OF Tue Pe'p
the policy of making them rather tse spec
tators and the judges, than Inc iinmeu's.e
actors in governments tribunal lof ap-
peal. net body for action. there are S'ne'
interests in society than freedom oil person
and opinion, of many Of which IT'S 'DoI'
gent members were not more proper guar
dians, than the soldiery OF monarths are
| of the public hberties-men not only uhin,
teres,ed 10 preserve them, but even urgeo
nv opposite interests. Before men aspire
to ,ny concern in the affairs OF The most re-
nubIican state they should Clause thought
of Bac have given hostages 10 he
state: nor we're il sufficient tina, they Kns"
ever so well, or were taught to think ever
90 Justly, if they were not prompted 10
hone sly and justice by some nearer motives
some place and substance 10 the cominu'
nifty. H.
Nor would be suspected to entertain the
notion that all government must De re.
duced to the republican standard, or 'na'
all the people who are crying ouf Tor REFORM
would be capable, at once, OF administer
ing or enjoying liberty in It's largest oe,
gree. Nations. own, must be educated
| TO freedom, and there is so msch the more
re ason for desiring the diffusion OF instruc-
! ton through that class, which always AMI
mated by The love of change, has IN exist
ing abuses too much excuse toi INDUCING II
! rashly.
Nor, do all we can to illuminate the pub
! lie mind, do indulge the vain csnceit OF
! attaining perfection in states any more IMAM
! in individuals. knowledge from whose be-
nign influences We have seen and SUI ex-
pect so much, is no more an omnipotept a.
gent than any Of the various others which
! operate on social bodies. Accident, change
! and decay. which have hitherto betallen
! the best and wisest frames OF empire, are
| not less inevitable to them than necessary
for calling out the virtues of mankind
Philosophy will have accomplished an END
most important, and as yet sufficiently re-
mote, if she come TO preserve states from
) violent diseases, and trem those sudden ca
tastrophies which, like violent death in the
natural body, are always the most terrible;
as wise man, TO whom death IS not less
certain than TO others, by the wise ecuno-
my of his appetites, both postpones its
date, and renders its approaches less dis
tressing.
! But il i, time, perhaps, 10 leave these
disquisitions, which more remotely concern
us-however, they may exhibit the pro-
gressive force of knowledge on nations,
for the sake Of considering how it affects
our own particular case sud the fruits which
ought naturally to grow out Of it. We have
at least the advantage Of fair theatre for
experiment. Here is no throne which
seeks to be entrenched behind the ignO-
! rance of it. subjects, and to embarrass the
channels by which knowledge is conveyed
to them. No institutions respectable only
from age, are sought to be propped BY the
perpetuation of prejudice, or BY obstruc-
tions TO the play of that great engine the
Press, whose honorable fate it mas beer,
as govern N nts are absolute or free, TO be
vii6ed as dangerous, or lauded as inesti- |
mable. We have. or may have, every adj
vantage for deciding that most interesting |
of questions, wLet her the people may safe
ly be entrusted with the government VI
! themselves; and while, on the one hand, |
we have all past experience Tor guide, we
have. on the other, in institutions which |,
we love, the most forcibls motive tor
the wise application OF it. As there are
excelIeuces in our fortune and circum-
stances which set US above all others so are
there some obligations growing out of them ;
which are not to be lett undischarged to
mankind.
Philosophy takes little pleasure in num-
bering victorious battles, long sustained
seges, devastating expeditions, which have
hitherto entered so largely into the con pu-
talon Of national glory.
She looks upon the mightiest monarch's
wars
But only as on stately robberes.
Even the policy anG The arts which by ma
ton fills others with the terror of its arms.
or the alarm Of its influence, lose some of
their lustre in her eye, who has seen them
in turn possessed by so many 10 which the
celebrity of cabinets, and the dignity OF
the people were unsiIied. Nay, even The
sple ndid catalogue Of great names by whose
length and brillisncy they are wont to mea-
sure their renown. will hardly win her
judgement, who finds the amount OF mind
nearly alike in all climes, and successive.
ly producing like fruits under like circum-
stances, but still leaving the multitude Cd.
pressed and uniformed. Are We then
born so late into the number of nations. that
there are no fresh national laurels TO be
plucked?-ur are We to win slow equal.
ty to our predecessors, by treading the same
beaten tracks of renown? Is our wide coun.
try to come an arena for the political gIa.
diatorship, OF which nations have long been
both the spectators and the victims? Arc
our cite. to be sacked, to yield trophy to
chiefs who are fred by the fame OF aneieo,
nvagers? must our empire be severed that
e MUS may be supplied with new opportu-
mites Of rivalry, and that posteriiy NAV
end in our history the same melancholy in
terest which antiquity eYcites by hers?
Or rather, alter the long story OF wars