Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-12-22


- permission was granted te
r. authorities of Georgetown to build cause
w ,cross, and stop up the Southern channe
Nn r;ver with a view to benefit the navigation
- h,rbor: the work was accordingly done
rssouub this farm Of the river and shallow
~" .sI south of Alexander's Island (where the
DE now stands the river boats had safe
Dl ~ snsltered navigation to the Town of Alex
"fria. and at that time Alexandria had a
GU" y not the major, part of the trade of the
,,,c / am not old enough to recollect, and
i ~ have unfortunately no record to resort to-
So, our older citizens say, without hesitation,
~, from the completion of that work, the river
Us left US rapidly; and know, that for years
49,, not one single boat has reached our
~,,rves All the produce (and it's but small
.-.;on> that does reach US is transshipped at
heavy expense at Georgetown, and the re-
am trade, which is most valuable, entirely lost.
r,,, ,bsn is a positive and serious evil, result.
- from the legislation Of Congress, and one
.rS;cb would have been unquestionably avoided
IA We been under the dominion of Virginia
er obvious reasons:-In the first place, she
voud not have consented that any po1er should
,,vs impeded the navigation of one of her RI
.,rs and il would have been her obvious duty
- have prevented a possible injury to her peo-
Mo nv a rival interest.
lgain-had we been under the jurisdiction of
v;rsinia, we should have been saved from the
,,Sr,unate subscription TO the Chesapeake
"a Ohio Canal;-unfortunate, not that | be-
r.,e il was injudicious under the circum-
.,,,css then, but unfortunate in the result
We anticipated no rivalry or obstruction in its
,omnletion from a neighboring powerful and
ua,l,bv city-which impeded its completion.
Instead of having it finished, as we confident
" believed, in four or five years, when its pro-
s,s were expected to relieve us from the burthen
Of interest on the debt We had contracted and
,smunerate US for the outlay during that period,
no have now been struggling under an annual
.ssight Of about $4,000 for years and see but
small prospect Of a change. The prospect OF
hene6t 10 the trade Of our town, was the
motive of our subscription, and that induce
man, would have operated upon the State
She would have felt more disposed to ex-
lend helping hand TO that great work on
that account-we should have had an influence
in her councils to have urged it, and with our
neonle 10 aid and foster, she would have coupled
with bersubscrpton, the condition thatit should
be brought into her territory and ended, as IT
ough, and unquestiondbly yet must at the head
of good ship navigation. | fear | am proilx,
that have extended into argument what it
was only necessary to state as facts and leave
the deductions to be followed out by your more
comprehensive judgment-but the deep interest
feel in the matter must plead my excuse. Now
comes my proposition for the remedy for the
grievances of Alexandria. As we have not be-
neftted by the legislation Of Congress, and as
we occupy their time and distract their at
tention from the great interests Of the nation,
when our petty local interests are brought up,
LET Congress cede us back again to our native
State. "But you have refused to CO." True,
We have refused; and will continue to refuse to
go back-as beggars, paupers and slaves. We
we're placed under the parental Gas was suppos-
ed) guardianship of Congress as our local le-
gslature, Furnishing and thrifty people-we
have been stripped, our trade intercepted or
driven away, beggared and in debt. Who
should have prevented this2 or who should aid
US in our efforts to better state of things? Con-
gress unquestionably. Has Congress done 500
lrepy boldly in the ne, ative.-What has Con-
gress done for Alexandria?-buiH her jail:
when her town was half burned down and her
people almost perishing in the inclement winter
Of q, 2S, Congress extended to them charita-
Die hand, and Congress has given $1,000 to-
wards the construction of the Aqueduct;. Just
enough to induce a commencement Of that
which, if not finished, must end in her total ruin
But to the remedy: Let Congress return to the
people of Alexandria, with interest, the portion
Virginia gave with them, and it vii! enable her
nPay her debts, relieve her from her ourthens
and she will then throw herself into the arms OF
the good old Dominion, and ask her protection
and fostering care; and my life upon 1t that pro-
tectOa-that fostering care will be extended.
NATIVE YIRGlNlAN.