Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-01-15

! eislative Recommendation, has COM
manded the votes Of but ttco, out OF
four and twenty states.
Such evidences of decayed authority
and diminished respect, cannot be the
result, either of accident or Of the ca
price and injustice Of others.-Ihere
must be something wrong at home
| something defective in her own prlnci-
Piles; or something repugnant to the
general feeling of the nation, in the
mode by which she has attempted to
sustain them. ~
An impartial review of very short
period of her history, will, perhaps, ex-
| plain the cause of this momentous
change. The proceedings Of her legls-
Iature, of her representation in con-
gress, of her public journals, and more
especially of her active and influential
politicians, during the greater part OF
MIR. Monroe's administration, have
been marked by degree OF petulance
and distrust in the general government,
not justified by the circumstances out
of which they seem to have grown.
No allowance has been made for the
acknowledged alterations in the condl-
ton of the country; and none for those
natural and necessary changes in SEN
timent, which even consistency re-
quires, and which reflection and expe-
rience never fail to produce in we'll re-
pulated minds. A "beau ideal" OF ma
tional policy has been formed, taken
partly from the mere experimental his
tory of the country, and partly from
the teeming fancies Of speculative po-
liticians; and every deviation from this
standard of imaginary perfection, has
been treated as an abandonment OF fun
damental principles, and as an evidence
of hostility to the only true and ge-
nuine republicanism. A splendid and
overshadowing federal government
has constituted the day-dream OF her
metaphysical politicians. Every effort
of the government to place the nation
Gin the armor and the attitude" de-
manded by its relative situation, has
been construed into design against
the liberties Of the people; and the ex-
ercise of its most natural, and its most
harmless powers, is denounced as trea-
son against the rights of the states.
Such is faint outline of the system
of politics prevailing at Richmond
such the general character of the prin-
cipIes, for which Virginia is held res
ponsible by the nation. Is 1t matter OF
establishment then, that she should no
longer be looked to as a leader that
may be safely followed? The unparal-
leIed indignities, to which, for series
of years, the people Of this country
were subjected, from almost every pow
er of Europe---the war we were at length
compelled to wage, in defence of our
rights, against the most formidable OF
those powers-our total want of prepa-
ration for hostilities, both at home and
abroad-the disasters which naturally
resulted from our defenceless condi-
tion-but above all, the enormous ex-
penses that attended our operations
both by sea and land, are still fresh in
the recollections of the nation. And is
it to be supposed, that with these i'm
pressive mementos of recent suffering
before us, we are so soon prepared to
return to the very policy which coca
stoned ito disband our army--to
dismantle our navy-to abandon our
fortihcations-to give our commerce to
the winds and waves-and to neglect
the varied and abundant resources OF
our country, for no other reason, than
because the noisy politicians OF single
city are alarmed at the idea f"a SPLEEN
did and overshadowing federal govern
ment?" Is it to be presumed that the
nation, looking Gas it has right to do,)
to the general government, "to estab-
lish Justice, ensure domestic tranquil
ty, provide for the common defence,
and promote the general welfare, :"
should be prepared to strip it Of the
powers essential to the accomplishment
of those very objects?