Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1822-01-11

The populatlon of the district, which con-
s;sts almost .ntirely of the inhabitaDts OF
towns. the eatest benefits could not fail
"a be reaped from the ameliorations trans
planted into the laws OF most OF the states
II respect to the tenure ofproperty and the
recovery Of debts; the code as 1t existed I'D
1880 remains unchanged, while, to the
disgrace of the place, and to the trustra-
ton OF all the great ends OF justice, the
criminal system is sill characterized by
the gloomy features OF the barbarlsm 10
which il originated. Can territory 10
(which the march OF the human mind is
/ thus arrested in relation 10 the highest OBJ.
iects on which il can be exercised, be ex-
pected to prosper, when this very terri
iory IS surrounded by states to whose cili-
Gems every passing year brings The fruits
of an improved jud ,ment and more en-
/ lightened understanding.
II The leg.s,al.on be thus imperfect, do
we find ln It's execution an atonement Tor
the evil? So tar from this, the fact is uni-
yersaIIy admitted that ataithiul discharge
of the high duties of the President to the
nation is absolutely incompatible with the
administration of the concerns OF the Dis
trict. Some laws, it is true, are passed,
and persons selected TO carry them into
effect: but whe Their the will of the legisla-
ture is accomplished, whether the othcer
selected discharges his duty faithfully,
must generally he unknown 10 the Presl-
dent germ OF abuse is thus directed,
which, in whatever degree It may now ex-
ist, must, from the invariable nature OF
things, constantly increase.
In stating these facts, it is far, very
far, from the intentionof your memori-
alists to cast the slightest reflection on
the several departments of the general
government. On the contrary. they
seize with qualification this occasion to
attest their sense of their uniform kind
feelings to the interests of the District.
But the evils they portray are aot, on
this account, the less deplorable, arising
as they unfortunately do, from an ano-
maly in our political institutions, whose
injurious consequences can only be ef-
fectually counteracted, as your memorial
lists believe, by assimilating the politics.
rights of the District, as nearly as the
constitution authorizes, to those OF the
great body of the American People.
That these are not merely speculative
evils, but that their inevitable conse-
quences are lamentably felt in their in
fuence on the character, morals, and in
terests, of the whole society, 10 demon.
strated by the actual state Of the Dis
trict
With advantages, superior in many
respects to any part Of the Union. the
growth of the District does not disclose
the results anti ipeted by its founders.
Eminently healthy, the centre of the
Union, the focus of Political intellect, the
steady resort Of talent and wealth, on
one Of the baldsst and most command
ing streams of the continent. and nearer
than any other navigable point to the
Western Country & its extensive waters
its progress would be infinitely greater,
were it not for the deleteriouS influence
of causes unknown to the other parts of
the confederacy. These are, it is be-
lieved, entirely owing to the imperfect
political machinery by which it is direct
ed Did it enjoy as far as practicable,
the blessings of self government. 1t
would have within itself, and under its
control, the means of developing its re-
sources, efapplying them to those great
purposes in promoting which all the
states of the Union are now SO actively
engaged, and which have in every in.
stance, where their means have been
judiciously applied, been crowned with
the happiest success. A soul is only
wantingto call forth and directthe vast
riches of the Potomac and its tributary
country to render the District one of
the most important commercial points
of America. While this animating
principle is wanting, we can expect
nothing but efforts disproportioned to
the objects attempted, and abortive not
from real deficiency of means, but
from want of power to draw them
forth and apply them.
And SO far as regards political and
civil institutions, which have made the
American people what they now are, in
stead of improvement, we contemplate.
within our limits, an actual deteriora-
ton, arising from old laws imperfectly
administered, and from code of laws,
which, for more than twenty years, has
been unchanged. If, therefore. more
virtue, talents, and wealth, do not per
manently fix themselves in the district;
if crimes and offences multiply; ifthe
administration of justice is tedious and
oppressive, the cause is manifest; it