Alexandria Advertiser And Commercial Intelligencer

FROM THE PALLADIUM.

The former and present Administrations.

In order to decide on the merit of any administration of our Government, it is necessary to consider what the men in power had to do, what were their means, and how skilfully and successfully they used them.

The Jacobins revile the old administrations and boast of the new rulers. Try both by this fair test—BY THEIR DEEDS.

The federal administrations found everything to do, and nothing to do with. There were debts, but no credit nor revenues. They created both, and in a way extremely beneficial to the United States. The treasury was filled without oppressing the people. The Creditors accepted less than their full demand, and on terms that they deemed fair. The debt was not made, nor augmented, for the sake of a corrupt influence. It was not made more, as the vile Jacobins allege, but less; and some of their own party in Congress affected to dislike Mr. Hamilton's plan, because they said it was less than the Creditors could rightfully claim!

This fact, so confounding to the lying claims of Jacobin merit, is proved by the journals of the yeas and nays in Congress.

The Federal Administrations also provided for the common defence and general welfare. They established justice, they endeavored to form a more perfect union, and, in one word, to carry into effect all that the preamble of the Constitution has ordained and made the duty of government.

A new set of men have come in. What were their duties? Certainly the preamble of the Constitution has pointed them out. What were their means? Most ample; a treasury overflowing, an orderly, honest, successful plan of finance, provided by their predecessors, in full operation: a debt existed, that they pretended to be in a hurry to pay, and means to pay it from year to year as fast as the rules of prudence would permit were provided to their hand. For, every one will confess that very great sums of money, thrown into circulation by extinguishing the public debt, would be an evil. A regular and expected application of the public money was secured by law.

Now how have the Democrats used these prodigious means? Well or ill? They have abolished revenues arising from luxuries, and thereby diminished their means in pure wantonness, or for the sake of popularity. By lessening the revenues they retarded the extinguishment of the public debt. Every one, whether he is sharp-sighted enough to see into a millstone or not, can see that with a million of dollars a year less revenue, the desired work of extinguishing the public debt must inevitably stand still or go on so much the more slowly. They have abolished revenue, and every body expects they have first disabled themselves from paying the debt in order to have on hand an excuse for not paying it. Abolishing revenue is the forerunner of abolishing debt.

Justice was established:—They have broken up its establishment. The judges and doorkeepers are now on a like footing of independence. Mr. Eppes, and the party who formerly proposed to the State certain amendments, which would bring the Constitution down to the miserable condition of the old Confederation, are now in power. Thus, instead of forming "a more perfect union," we are in danger of seeing the federal authority made as weak as the Grecian Council of the Amphictyons, and Virginia as domineering as Sparta.

To provide for the common defence, they boast that they have only three thousand soldiers! 1500 or 2000 less than our army was when France threatened to reduce us to the slavery of Venice or Genoa.

The reason they assign is, that a standing army is dangerous to liberty. As if it was not dangerous in a state which has a million; 4500 men would be dangerous and 3000 capable of bearing arms. This is very childish talk. But how is the object mentioned in the Constitution, of providing for the national defence accomplished? France is what Rome was, and if she sends a great army of blacks and whites to Louisiana, we shall need some "national defence." If economy stops at 2000 men, prudence would scarcely stop at 4000!

In every point of strength and preparation we are weak indeed. The first year of active war with a hostile neighbor or invading foe, we would kill our twenty thousand raw militia. Expend more than all our present stock of warlike stores, & cause the continuance of a war a year or two at least longer than it would be, if we were prepared for war. A powerful state, that is ready for war will avoid war. This policy is not in credit with our six penny politicians. Our armed ships are decaying as fast as time and the worms can destroy them.