Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-04-16

may DO tairly inferred from Tho uvowed prnci-
Piles upon which change of persons in the high.
est Offices Of the administration took place, in
1901, and from the policy recommended and
pursued by that administration. Peace ,retreuch.
ment, and economy, objects which ought never
to DO lost sight Of in n republican government,
and which perhaps had not been strictly and
judciously attended to by the proceeding I'D.
minis,ra,ion, were now not only the cabalis,ieal
language, but the prevailing popular sentiments
Of the day.
That the leaders of the new administration,
and about all others, Mr.. Jefferson, were sincere
in these professions of reform, retrenchment,
and economy, at home, and Of "peace, friend
ship, and commerce, with foreign nations, and
entanging alliances with none," is sufficiently
evnccd by the policy porsued from that tirno
! till the commencement Of the war with England.
In this policy, We think, are plainly visible the
signs oil that sentiment and feeling which we
have denominated political fanatacism. Alta
time when the general atmosphere was lowering,
dark, and portentous, and not only threatened,
but was producing daily, events in which the
dearest interests ot our country were involved,
| we were frequently told, yes, and by the truly
L S'~~> ouu popiotlC JeheCSOu NlnSelt, tnlt
was so plainly the interest of all foreign nations
10 maintain and cultivate peace and harmony
with the United States that we had. every
reason to rely on justice and forbearance on our
part tn produce corresponding conduct on the
part ct other nations towards us. But the San
gu inc extravaganza and fanaticism of the doc
| tiine, doctrine far more amiable than true .
was soon and lamentahly evinced by rapid sue.
cession OF outrages and insults upon our rights
and independence which perplcxed and con.
founded all the wisdom and experience of our
country. And while our truly patriotic, but too
sanguie and fanatical, were intent
ly employed in vain s. fruitless ne gotatons with
cur aggressors, and in establishing retrench-
mont and economy at home, by reducing every
expensive establishment, no matter how impor-
taht and indispensable some of them mig hit be to
Tue efficient assertion of our rights, if we should
hnaliy be driven from our deienceless position of
peace and nutrality, the lawless belligercnts
were harrassing and capturing onr unoffending
vessels on every sea, confiscating oul commerce
IN all the ports of Europe, insulting, impressing,
logging, and enslaving, our citizens and sailors,
and violating, with contempt and inpunity, in
our own seaports and harbours, the sovereignty
and independence of our country.
And We were earnestly assured, by those who
had the management of our affairs, that Justice.
reason, and forbearance, on our part would be
sure and sufficient remedy for these evils.
Ana when the diminution Of our military and
naval establishments, and the general reduc lion
OF expenditures aud taxes, were objected to. on
the ground, that we had too much eason to
lear, that Injustice and violence would soon rem.
DER these objects Of expeice indispensable to
the maintenance of our rights against foreign
aggression we were gravely told g. that under
government instituted by the will and sup-
ported by the affections Of the people, the ne
"cuniary means thai fmight, in future, be re.
CURED tor the most Important ard urgent oc .
"casions, weie more wisely and safely depos;t.
ed IN the private pockets of the citizens Oh IN
In The public treasury If this be not fanati
cisn', we shall search for it in vain in the most
ABSURD doctrines and mischievous policy of re-.
iigious tigotry aud delusivn.
And when the day of TRIAL came how COON
and how deplorably, did these visions evauora,e
into arr . into thin air." leaving us naked and
exposed TO all the evils which ought to have
been, and, but for our anaticism, would have
been foreseen as the natural and necessary con.
sequences of our error and delusoh.
Tot some Tune previous TO the declaration OF
war; we had been acting over again some of the
MOST erroneous scenes which proceeded our dec
iaration OF Independence and revolutionary y,r'
Though the events of every day, and the nm.
ProPitlous issue of every expedient we tried tn
preserve peace, without sacrificing our indepen.
dence and honour, indicated plainly, that war. if
no. inevitable, was at least so probable ms to re-.
quire the most prompt&vigorous preparations for
tive acted as lift depended entirely ON ourselves
to have II, or not to have it, without ieonardv
to our honour or independence in choosing onr
alternative. And we prepared for every thing
but War. We prepared most diligently for
peace, for everlasting peace and amily wi n al,
Inc world Our embargo and non intercourse
'hose pacihc measures of resistance against
commercial injustice and tyranny, which were
to obtain for us redress for the past, and secu-
nty for the future" soon s.ript us of the means
ct woging war in The old fashioned wav of
:" hard knocks" as Mr.. Jefferson expresses {,
and then we declared actual war aaains, tho
most powerful nation in The world The sur.
plus productions of our industry had been lef,
TO perish on our hands and our stores. both
Puohc and private, of such foreign articles az
were indispc nsable to the eff Gent prosecution
oil the war, were soon exhausted, and our pre.
vious policy had not prepared US for PROMPT
recourse to our native domestic resources io
supply the deficiency. We had not planted
the manufacturer by the side of the agricpItyr.
ist. Our treasury was soon empty and when
application was made to those pockets which
hr. Jefferson had pronounced, with oracuIar
popularity, to be the safe and proper place of de.
post Tor the pecuniary treasure Of a FREQ conn.
try, till actual emergency should call for its u,o
these pockets were either found empty or clos.