Newspapers / The Raleigh Minerva (Raleigh, … / Oct. 6, 1806, edition 1 / Page 1
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. I ' rtT,'v 1 - PUBLISHED, (wecklyY BYNYjLLIA-M BOYLAN. .t": ' .- :i: t rT"?lVl'&& ' Vot ' RALEIGH, (M. C.) MONDAY, dGJVBER 6, 180& ; " ' No?1 i 1? 5' .1 r r-. - . -.3 POLITICAL MISCELLANY. k. ; From the Baton Repertory. The man who can. and. will oblige the public with fuch rare and valuable " productions as the following, is a pub lic benefactor. 'And were it not known that to benefit the community is the writer's only wifh, the Editor would certainly have very, jult reafon, on his own.ac count, toexclai m Qmoj tibi, qi'se ta'i reddi;i) promuncte doua ! : COMMUNICATION. , f" THOUGHTS and REFLECTIOXS, I N THE , PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS. When we read in ancient hiftory the narrative or the great revolutions of itates and empires, we naturally enough fay, the people who lived in .thole times were very wretched ; not only becaufe they actually fufFered the greateft evils, but becaufe they pafl'ed the greatett part of their lives in the di ead of ihem,fo that they endured them twice. ' Ne'vertheiefs, it may be doubted whe ther therels not, on this account, more apparent than real caul'e for" our fympa thy. It ii far from certain, that the mod fjrprizing events in hillory excited fo mujh emotions in the mafs of the peo p'e,, .w-hofe fortune, they irreyerfibly de cried, as ihey now raife in fufccptible readcis. V'e enter on the ftudy of hi!-, tory with a reverence for antiquity ; we expect inftrudion'j we open a book with minds dociie to the inlpreffion of the wtiici 's art, and in the belt ancient works ; that ar tis.. conlununate. -It h probably no lefs to the purpoJ's of commanding our attcK'tion and, our hearts, that wc P';i;:ie rhe narrative from beginning to end, before them emotions have cooled ; . indeed, motf frequently, with a fenle of -ilicir--;Togfviinve.intenfity.--;I,Iereroo, wc fee the connection ofcaufeand 'effed. 'i'ime Ins torn 'afFfrom things the labor ed v;ijs",with which party Had contrived, st tint, to nioe t neoi. iccoraingiy, racts , appear i:l their nakednefs and iimplici-ty- Ws overhear wifdom hufelf giving warning and teaching lefl'jns by" exam ple. 'J he lorjg departed nations, whom xtne coiiqiier.ir's fword has cut oft", itill Jaks to tell us how long they ftruggled, k vhy they fell, 'i he extinguifhed com r.ioiiwctihs, trptr ttio allies of that un i; iLiu;l;a.)le fk.ei.ilrat their own divifions h-ul kiiidled, now;-teach them that they .theini elves wouM TeMora hear, and fac tion no longer minglesvks clamors with their-warnings. . Wc too, of this age, have feefi enough of political revolutions ; certainly more tin:; .happened in any fixteen years of the K.naa hii'tory. The monarchy of Erancd funk br,r ire our eyes, ljice the" p h of Sodom. In its place appeared the Dead hea of a military democracy, brack," bitter, giving, li fe to nothing, arid ki!rr with its exhalations. Every re public. in Europe, with-jut exception, ; lias fnuffed the contagion and. is dead. Ait the. monarchies nominally arbitrary, "5-tldyet: really checked by Iaws,Jbypri- ...vi!edi;ed..oxders ia.thejtate, by. ancient and revered cuffomi"and flill more by manners, all, all. are gone except Ruflia ; rnd the continent is fubject to an offen- taiious defpofifih, more like that of Se-. verus than 'Auguitus, and indeed more . like that of Parthia than of Rome. '" Ibo--; ija par re feems niore ambitious to pafs for .till a or a Jcngliis Khan than an Antor.i- - nus-or a f fajan. x I dales of Europe, renounce its inde ! peridence, or to ful'ain a toilfome, long j and bloody conteft ro aflejt it. '1 he in evitable certainty of this alternative, de pends on a tingle event. If from delpair or weaknefs, Great Britain ftould with- r draw iTnrmhc c'ontelt dr .ffiould fall in it, we fall, or Hand by our ltrength and valor. It has pleafed God, in the go vernment of the political world to or dain, that the diltinguifhed bleffing of independence fhall not be, indulged to nations, who habitually prefer gain to glory ; and who are of a' fpirit to fuffer lefs apprehenfion from fervitude than taxes. He-feems to have left it to the bale, to be the artificers of" their own fet ters. -Without pretending to penetrate th; myft.eries of his infcruiable counlels, we may prefume to fay; that though wars and conquefts are great evils in the world, yet frotn thofe evils have grown many of the bletlings and almoft all the virtues of the civilized life, , . Why the"n fhould we repine, becaufe having chofen independence' wc cannot efcape its confequences. Ourvariity may fay, we are a world by ourfejves and have nothing to do with Europe'.' Our abject cowardice may try to partake Mr. Jeller fon's conolations ifi hope that t!ie con queror will accept of tribute inlfead of dominion. Itie battle of Aulterlitz re- . i i . r .. l. n mis we nave leen, wiui niucn va- cairt wonder,-loaie cur ftruciioav We are opprelTed with the mfsthe ''multitude'; and the.con!ufi;-n. fvcnts. We :ttake much, we torget inorer Faction hai been bufy todiitort the. fads ; to pervert the inferences and' above all, to hjde-t4te--t-erf jtere "remits j .yviii.di:.are"now. liaflenin; tTitincqnTum- - lrtirth-n moved ev;ery 'obilacle on the land ; Mr. Eox's peace, fhould he make one, would remove all impediment ny tea, to the u niverlal empire of Bonaparte, by fea and land With Europe, including England, at his feet, we mult have him for an e ncmy or a 'mafter. It is fo hard, indeed i is fo near im pofliiilc to make a nation beltve a thing, no matter how fixeng the evidence, a gainll its inclination, that we fhall have this choice fo make, till we have Jolt the choice. Ambition is kid to be the in firmity of noole minds. But the low ambition that has placed our dema goguesrulers, is utterly incabable of any go:nerou! effort. It is Lvei: iar from cer tain, that they could ikp be reconciled to be prefects under Bonaparte, and It-is perledly certain that..they would fooner take a.commiflion under him, than i ilk a fhot from his troops. With an adminiftration that could not endure to look upon danger, we may exped our people will be told there is none ; and it will approaclf unfeen and without the I eaft preparation to refill it, till refinance is too late We fhould then fink as twenty other ftates have done.into eman cipation. We fliould then be called al lies, perhaps for three years, then advifed to appoint a grand penfionary, who in due tune would give piace to king Je rome, in order that like the Dutch, we micht eniov monarchy. " the moil Der- faU J M M fed of all forms of government," and- that our independence might be eternal ly affured agaicft the agif.atjonSvto which our tuiriultuous liberty is incurably fub- r . . 1 i t I r ill ject, lo tnoie wno cnooie to carr tins reprelentation a chimera, let this plain queftion be put. What hinders its be ing realized, in 2 year, if the Britifh na vy were deltroyed r A nation that cbe rifhes delufion, becaufe it wants nerves to contemplate the tremendous approach of its dangers might lofe its Iiberjy and ftill fleep foundly in chains. " '' Few perfons will deny that the fubiu- gation of Great Britain by Francewould expoie the United States to the exadi ons, if not to the arbitrary dominion of the conqueror, ' Bur they w ill hot be lieve that there is any. realon to fear that Great Britain-will be obliged to yield to Bonaparte : or that we Americans yy it in their" fhips, tfiere is fo little vent i fpiiit, with which we merit and endure ; for it in the French portSv As the French have ceafed to be flu'p owner, manufac turers feamen and. even cohilime.rs of collonial luxuries, we are readyHp aik now is it even poiiiDie, tnat the progrels of the war fliould give to France a naV fuper ior i ty. The French might conquer ii r . i . r it. Inmlts and agrelhons irom opaini. tribute to France, fcarcel ydif guifed by the impofrure of a. name, a prohibition to trade with StDomingo, arida requi-t fition to make laws to hdplFfance.to' make warupoa Deilah'nes, vvouM:feeniJ inoie patriots nor merely a Diemwn, the whole fea coaft of the continent of buKafurrender of that mdependenci?K3r Eqrope, yet if by conquefl they' banifh j hicihey b'ed. Thefeourraes.?hdw' its fhips, feamen and trade, they would I ever indignantly the brave and patriotic I ii j. Jl ' ? I . 1..X k :n r I uui auvaaeeiiiieu lowarcs me emnire 01 "jt caaurcNincm, wm iccuiviriVJiu.-- 1 ' e the lea. ,. yt -c yrr: We may be right in the pfemlfes. AVe may fafely fay: that the'Brjtfui empire in point of wealth exceedySidon and Tyre, Athens,Syracufe, Carthage and Rhodes. Probably her refemrces arc more ample than all thofeambus ancient ittes, put together ;afid there is no immediate profpect that her naval fupremacy will be lpft, for- want of pecuniary means. IJ,efice we infer, that flis may fecurely deride the po wer of France, however it may be augmented.. Wetake it for granjed, that her fubjeds have fenfe to fee tfieir danger, if the national efforts fhould be in the lead relaxed, and patriT" Qtifra enough to;fubmit to the. u.!para- leld toils, privations and facrifices that thofe efforts indifpenfably requite. fcAu invafion is farfrom impollble,and againft a veteran French army, volun teers are no defence. Great Britain , no doubt, .will train a large body of militia, to reinfore the army. ' But the men to I fight and beat.the invading French, mint l)e regular ioldters. it would be roily, it wduld be madijefs for a nation to com mit thevfate of its liberties, and. ihdepen deuce to the event of a battle,' between its militia, and a veteran enemy. We may choofe to fay,ahcl in our clubs and at our elections, we may try to believe, that a deciplined force is both ujdefs and dangerous ; but the prefence oj an hol tife army would injtantly difiipate, that delufion. " It is already diflipated in Eng land, and they know that if they would beat the .enemy's army, they mult have one of their own. Military as France is, the Engliih muff have a numerous, army. How numerous we pretend not to fay ; but we fhould fuppoie they ought to be able to aflemble at. leafl two hundred thoufand well difdpHntd foldiefs, to expel the Erench, if they fhould land in Great Britain or Ireland. -At prefent, we do not believe they could multer a fourth part of that number 'of real foldiers. Labour is not cheap in England. A rich commercial and manufacturing country cannot, without dmiculty, rai'e tropps The price of an Englifhman is as dear again as. a rrenchmim, .and fix times as Uiey will pafs mr affronts that oc(y cari ti y our fpirits ; bufBonaparteptlTai!"' the policy or his dooHjiation will be to torture and extinguifli t To a people once Iree, iKwil! appear ofJall conditions of difuraceNth'e low . .con- eff, to fubmit to the power It . L I n queror. nui ev?n in tne lowett ipjerr there is a lower deep. We fhall fui fer the utmofi aggravation of this con- dition, both in point, -of fhame and I wretchednefs, for our conqueror would I exercile his dommton by the fadian of our traitors; Such is our diltance from, the metropolis of the great empire of which we fhould make a narr. thatrour' . -1 7 ''if tn3lter muff of necellily, array a French ? party in the United States, and commit 1 the force and treafures of our country to their hands, no doubt with-the aid of a competent body of Frenc'i t oops Such is the tenure by which alt the' European Itates fubjed to France enjoy the honour of her alii an c e . T hey a r c bou'n d by a treaty of alii3nce to arm and maintain. their mafters. '1 he country would thus, buJtiipped of all p 1;'cr ; and if the yoke fh ukl tire or ciufli the necks of .. the people, n fiilancc coald be made on-'s ly by ihlurt edion. ' f . I If any perfon fhould afk whether A- i meiicans could be found bale enough to , accept of places, under Ereneh dominati;- n, we aniwer, they would quarrel for employ ment. Jbcfides, we have foreign ers enough among lis, vvhofe patriotifm is a transferable flock to fill all offices., Has Holland or Italy or Switzerland dit'ap poinfed the policy of 'France of each. 9.' hofl. of tfajfors. Power will be ofFiired them, power ever their fcllo'.V;qtizens . and equals. W hen we fee tlie ardour ; with which the lacobins purfue that ob - jed, can we beheve that they will, thea; firft begin to havefcrup.les when fove- ' reignty is offered foi a bribe. Thereifnot the leafl room for doubts thatFr'ance would be able, without abo- 1 i v 1 r 1 i' 1 . 1 'f It tuning our. elect ions, aoiouueiy.to con- , trolthem. 'American Frenchmen would -1 feetn to manage an independent govern ment, more paffivcb' fuhjed to the will t-.V lioim nifl o than fHoSiIn. ear as a Rufiian. In this view n may j j tion rhereforewould.be riveted, be- , be laid, nations are dilanned by their. tnr,:f.w:,8 oMnhA. .SntCV profperity The experife of the navy, and of fuch an army as.is abfolutely requifite to fupport Britifh independence, mull be enormous. The prefent expenditures of that nation are not lefs than Seventy Millions of pounds f. erling, annually, and d it was nofe the Britifh fleet conveyed to the ,? ports of France, or timidly laid up in. peace, in the docks of Chathami For tf mouth, Plymouth and Woolwich, would 1 aidita i.u tuici iuv aaaiii lac jiuwn of the ireat malter of Europer V oula peace with Lrance fo morrow hear fixed R body patiently liifen to the propofal rate -or exnence could -nnt. rail Ihnrt or e - l j tt. -v rate of expence could not fall fhort of that amount if their eftabhfhment was fuch as fafety requires. . Inafmich as Ruflia has become infig nTficant to the reft of Europe, and ieems of rcointi to war with Irrancef What follows? The oflVr of an alliance in 1 which every advantage in trade is pro-' Hnileds We acceptitr-Every advaritage- 9ver cur governnient could np longer be withholden. We fhould be -exhorted, and exhorting would mean threats, and when neceffarv. cornnulfidn, to defecate power only to the approved friends of onr gfear: fritnd: Francerwould thusl n, witn nmcn va- uUtyicIdJaJiixnhougaiheL lofityand little in- - - . . -V 0 f TtT , . . . -a . .".ern.rg fliould. At this di fiance we fee much of the difplay of i-the Britifh "power, and very little of their difficulties. Their wealth appears to lis inexhauflible, their people are ufed to taxes and the government feemsjjy a frhgular paradox, to pofFeft the enetgies of both Hbertyand defpot- ! i m. We cannot therefore conceive that to be unwilling to make.new efFort& on fuch a fcale and with7fuch perfeverence as would be necefl'ary to regain her for mer confideration and influence, vte re ally behold but two powers remaining Great Britain and France. -Theronei cheaply -; acqune tlisrdorrlnjpii-f-'tlTe'. poffefled of thelpmpire of the ocean and I jnitcd States, without-' oufpeepjfe ;fb the other of thelandyfreat Britain jirnuk falls, there will be but one qwer and ; "CV hoitiuld'be. j would ctrt ami y, Jiaf itna t: JiniQie than a thoufand to one, without firing 3 uVr tWWp nav Mrhprfn InoTd 1 m' xv "ciciuicuuysicuai momentous, ir.cm irs punuit.- iis ana- - Jyhs "-lion, we are chargeable w-nh the mufl . upj.i i.Uj0.j.5iS a oary ipeeu.nvc jue- i- - , , . . , . .. . , ; . , --v l : ti.,ns wei e depending, as if the fall of . When we look at France and t ie de- allonjmingapathy.t tares tiughi a fifed our comfece',but penUepgies, we fee myrudoLiokhers, Lrrr --,iTp'a,! rtaa- a v.nts i chant fhip. We'allo Know that a jeal iifdii terror to. thc blind, that alHPPWy hasfurpnnngly lefiened her con- . i-; .m K: .r.m.4.u..;-.K.KI v tum,i ion of collonial produce, lo-u ai . virs,- viii ,.J rl'Vi,., iln 1 when the, Americans are fuSercd to car- We think fbmetimcs of neace becaufe we think always ofgain, butweleldom .contemplates and never maturely weigh, the political cphiequences of peace to oir country, becaufe we love gain with too ardent and cxclufive a paflion, to permit our thoughts, to be long with drawn by any other fubjed, however -T - - . - - , 4.. fallible and - tremendous effects ' thdt wpuld immediately ehfue, from th'e.,tri liiiiph of France. The men of 1776 would be un'eafy. in their graves, if they could know the bitterhefs of our nation al dilrace, and the abied infenfibility of I here wouldf orla f er years, be-mori oftentation phan ever in . giving ouf country the appellation ot In dependentj and the diplomauc ''frill, of . France would, from time to time; permit its creatures exercifing the prefecture of America, to play, the comedy of mde- momentous, f rem irs purluit.- "ira7ia- rpendence, to "emonffrateagaipfl French aggreliions arid to traraenew rreaues ior the contribution cf fr6fh millions of tri bute.' A po wer over pu gdvdrnment w -iild be felt to be-a power over our money ;rwe mouiu oe iqueei.eu uu rapadtycpuld extract- nothing more from our poverty. If we afe incredulous on this mifr'epr 7 if
The Raleigh Minerva (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Oct. 6, 1806, edition 1
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