The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1824-03-17

deed, most melancholy picture but it
shews most conclusivcly our present de.
pressed condition.
Contrast our situation now with wba,
1t was previous to to the assumption OF
the Jurisdiction of the district by congress
and ask you then to say what are the
boasted advantages of remaining under
the government ofthe district, so much
and so loudly talked of by the opponents
OF retrocession What are the benefits
that have been granted to US as their me.
mortal sayss They are TO be found in
your commerce almost destroyed, your
stores and shops oil merchandise without
purchasers, your houses without tenants,
your harbors and docks without shipping
save few old hulks,the monuments OF a
once Hourishing trade; your white popu.
lation decreasing, your black population
increasing and Of the worst kind, laws the
worst in the United States, many OF them
being since erased from their list OF
statutes by the enlightened Legislature Of
| the different states-an executive govern.
ment so totally regardless of your wishes
that when an Office of trust and profit is
vacant in your town. they must be filled
| from one of the states. A legislature
composed Of persons who know you not,
| with whom there is no common interest
or common feeling, no intercourse 10
enable them to form an idea of your
wants. A legislature who it is well
known feels so little interest in your wei.
fare that If an application is made to
amend your laws, even by the constituted
authorities OF your town, the proper or
gan OF such applications, that single
individual who considers his interest ef-
fected by it cen stop the passage OF such
amendment. A judiciary, whose records
are not admitted as evidence in any cour,
OF the United Ststes-an evil which can
TO, be remedied butby an alteration of the
constitution ofthe United States, unless
we are again united to Virginia.
trust that the good sense of the peo.
pie will prevail, and that they will think
and act for themselves on this interesting
question. This one fact is worth all the
arguments of the advocates of our dis.
raDchisement-that GIVE have lived I'M.
der this government twenty-tb years
and our situation in every respecti is much
worse now than it was previous to the
assumption Of the district by congress-"
L will now, fellow-citisens, present to
your consideration a few Of those adj.
tages which are to result from a re union
with our parent state, Virginia, and which,
think, offer much stronger inducements
10 a retrocessiop.
First--we shall have the advantage of
living under the best code of laws in the
United States, admitted to be so even by
the opponents Of retrocession. Justice
will be more speedily administered, and
at much less expense than it DOW is The
duties OF the judge Of the orphans court
and of justicas of the peace will be per-
formed without fees-A legislature, in
which we shall be represented by men
who feel like freemen; who will listen
to our wants and will pass all laws ne
cessary for the advancement and prosper
ity OF our town-A legislature composed
OF persons with whom we. shall have a
common interest, common feeling, that
will always insure respectful attention TO
our wants and oGr wishes: the benefit of
wise laws upon the subject of the black
| '.'aiions an evil that is increasing upon
ala, ming degree-lhe benefit of
'"Ni iu''o ior in'N'"-i iunprovIuI~-.. To
make roads and canals for the advance.
ment OF our ttade--a sub>canal from the
great Chesapeake and Ohio canal to our
town, one whichpreseDts advantages innu.
merable to us,and which we can never eff
alone-aDd what is above all inestimable
10 US mechanics, the benefit OF their lite.
rary fund.- the establishment of a free
school, where those of us who have not
:he means Of educating our sons NAV have
them educated by the state. Flow often
do we see boys of the most promising
talents, who would be an ornament to their
country, lost to society for want Of an
education! Who of Us might not hope
TO see his son president of the United
States, as well as Mr.. Monroe, whose
father was mechanic +? We shall have
the benefit of chaDcery court, which
viii necessarily bring TO our town great
num5cr Of the Inhabitants of the. adioiD.
ing counties, and consequently the ex.
pepditure Of large sums of money We
shall have circuit court, aud this will
produce still closer intimacy with the
surrounding country. The citizens OF
the adjoining counties will take the DC
cas1on OF their attendance at court 10
make their purchases Of dry goods, gro.
,cefies, hardware, &c. for the supply OF
their families; this will immensely in
crease your retailers business, and will
enable your importing merchants TO i'm,