Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-02-15
COMMUNICATIONS.

Being an obscure citizrn, but little observed
We, no, aitoye,h her unobsrrving, l. the other day,
accidentally picked up the Gsze,,e, by which /
saw tha, the annual election was approaching,
and that a Substri ber" remarked, and very
Justly, tina, the able 81, hrm-s,, and most iaielll-
genr men should hr selected 10 fill the station
OF Common Couneilme".
II IS, no doubt, apparent To all, that the inha'
bitants OF the town, as corporate body, nave
a great and important work 20 performs; and 10
devise the ways & means Of effrc ling that object,
mus, Of course, 6esolve upon the represents
tiyrs OF the citizens. That BY rigid econo'
nv, and bee oming vigilance, on the part Of
the construed authorities, the town has he
means within itself OF meeting all is engage
men,s wi h prompitude, without rendering the
taxes oppressive or onerous on III inhabitants
generally, have no doubt. TO eqnalize ta1a
lion. has always been. and still remains TO be,
with legislators, a beside ratum; bu! 10 eH~et an
assessment that would be perfec ly equal In lis
opera ION or every individual, or class OF lndl
yiduals, is what has never been, and, lear, m
yer will b. accomplished. A few must, from
The very necessity Of 'hings, have some cause
Of complaint hers, and indeed too many,
will, imagine they have cause have been in.
formed that the present Council had The SUB
ice, OF mo:e efftc ually elnallzing the assess
msnt Of The present year, under deliberate con
,ilers,ion;S did in their opinion make some few
alterations for the better; and were MOI without
a hopr that the The subject was still susceptible
the attention Of a more experienced Council.
orfur, her and considerable improvement, under
have, however, been led 10 believe, from the
best rsflt ciion was able tn bes'ow on the sub
ject, that, when examined de'ibcra Fly and IL
all its bearings, many difficulties will present
themselves which are not so palpahl. upon a
Sigh, examination, and Ms, upon Isolated ases
Of apparent har dship. Far from possessing any
feelings Of Ceusoriousness towards soch "t our
feilow,ciuzcns AZ are IN the habit OF INDUCING
a qucruIous disposition, especially on pubnc al
fairs, have had, nevertheless, e regre' a
practice in some, Of always speaking with de-
spond pcy Of our prospects ana presrni si,ua.
ton II has appear, 10 me like symptom
Of public hypocondria, much 10 be Geprecaed;
which. when fostered, becomes absolutely con
tagiouS, Communicating gloom and dissatisfac-
ton from one TO another.
What would be The inevitable consequence,
If those manifestations OF dependency were
permitted 20 per, ade the community To Ger
tain * enr? Evidently to close our arms in
helpless lstlessness, aud consign the natural
energies Of our Corporation 10 Ia, deplor able
situation Of he poor unfortunate hypot ondriac
who views every thing through murky me
dunn and &C ualv commits 8 gradual suicide
for fear Of starvation, when, in reality, it he
could have seen all around him through any
other medium than diseased Imagination.
every thing would have assumed bland and
smiling aspect II were much 10 be desired,
that none ef these evil forchodings should insi-
nua,e themselves into our public councils,-
among our leading nen,-anG as Lutte as pos
sible into the community at large; but let all
move on in The regular tenor Of :heir way,wi,h a
determine ton TO surmourt every obstacle that
may present-and humbly trust, as before
observed, that oy rigid economy, and s'ric'
Accountability la every dcpar'm, mt whs' may
appear as mountains, will be reduced, comp
ratively, 80 mole hills L., every man take the
Dutch, or Latin Saying, hat have somewhere
seen" Fiat ju,iit,a, ruat r0elum"-for his mot
to. l cAs told the other doy, II wes in Eng
glish, literally-" Let every man do his duty
and run the risk Of being turned out"
OBSERVER.