Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-08-28
From the Philadelphia Union.
OUR COUNTRY.

OURCOUNTRY.
Nothing is more common with the fac-
torers Of the powers that be and have
been, than to institute comparisons be-
tween our condition and that of other ma
vions. This is very we'll; but in justice
the circumstances under which the par
ties have been placed ought also to be
compare, and when this is fairly done,
we feel persuaded that certain men will
no. rise in heir character for wisdom, nor
certain measures appear whit more Ju-
dicious than they did before.
Abstractedly considered, knowledge
of the situation of other lands, is not, per
haps, necessary to proper Judgment of
the state OF our own. The question with
US is, whether our government has been
administered, we will not say as it ought
to have been, but as well as might have
been expected considering our natural
and political advantages, and making suit
able allowances for the weakness of hu-
man nature, and the operation of untow-
ard circumstances. This question might
be settled by surveying our vn country,
reviewing our own history, and contem-
plating our own peoples but since all d.
rest views OF the case are forbidden, we
mus resort to the comparative method
OF ] dying established by the authority
OF the editors OF newspapers of certain
description and we therefore propose the
foiiowing interrogatories, hoping they
may serve to elicit the truth.
Suppose our natural resources were no
4 ,lok
would now be car condition
Suppose, instead of three years war,
we h d oeen engaged, as some nations
have been, in an almost unintermitting
war FOR thirty years-what would now be
our situations?
The prosperity of our nation may. in
one way, be tested by the public burdens
which it can bear. Suppose that we were
assessed to but one fourth the amount Of
the British people: how should we pay
our taxes
Is there any land in which speculation
has been SO general?
Is the any land in which litigation is
so prevalent
Is there any land III which the curren-
CIV has been SO ompleteiy deranged, and in
which SO many OF the evils resulting from
this source have been suffered?
Is there any instance on record OF a ma
ton so long disordered, IN which SO little
was done by tie constituted authorities
80 produce better ORDER OF things?
Let these questions be seriously con-
.sidered and candid.y answered, and, I'M
less we are in very great error, it will
become apparent, that, all things consid
cred, our rulers in general have no great
er merit than the potentates OF other lands
and that the peculiar blessings we enjoy
are to be attributed to the eAcellency of
our constitution. our local situation, and
the natural wealth of the country.
Avery ingenious apology Tor our pre-
sent condition may, lnueed, easily be
framed; but an apology is very different
from that eXtravagant strain OF etHogy III
which some writer's and speakers lndulge,
whenever the country is the topic OF dis
course So far as those things winch are
censurable among US are OWING to causes
which existed before the revolution, or
which have not been within the bounds of
human means to control, no apology is
necessary. So far a they are owing to
errors in national or state policy, attempts
to exhibit them in false light are Grim
inal. And here we cannot help observing
that those persons who endeavor to pal
late the conduct of the administration
by descanting on the great natural riches
of the country. or the excellency OF
Federal Republican form of government,
do their business in very bungling man
ner. They place the men whom they
wish to excuse and the measures which
thew wish to defend in worse light than
they appeared before; for our merit RI
ses in proportion to the difficulties we sur
mount, and our demerit increases In pro-
portion to he advantages we have slight
ed: and as our natural resources are inn
mense, and our form of government the
most excellent on earth, 1t necessarily fol-
lows that those men must have been very
an qualified for their station, and those
measures very i'll concerted, which could
reduce a ma ion possessed of every natu
raj and political advantage, to situation
resembling that of nation whose natural
resources are limited. and whose form OF
government is intrinsically bad.
From the N Y. .aduerf,ser.