Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political

The following witty remarks are copied from the Balance of January last: they are none the worse for being old. The poetical part of the extract has no small application to the Comet which now blazes in terrorem above us.

Ever since the publication of the President's Proclamation respecting Florida, and Secretary Smith's instructions to Governor Claiborne to take possession of it, our papers have been chiming hosannas to the administration for their firmness and decision. Now, say they, now Madison has mounted his old iron-sided, war-broke, revolutionary charger; and, good lord, how

"High rais'd, he snuffs the battle from afar,
And burns to plunge amidst the raging war;
And mocks at death, and throws his foam around,
And in a storm of fury shakes"...

His TAIL!!!

To be sure, Mr. Secretary, in his instructions, "talks it largely;" every period rolls in all the pomp of war. Yet, after all which is said about men, money, arms, ammunition, regular forces, militia, pressing horses, &c. &c. &c. enough to frighten old Mars himself into hysteric fits, and drive him, bootless, souse all over head and ears into a horsepond; then, as the devil must have it, then comes this concluding and characteristic sentence, and the whole awful war charge, loaded with so much decision and rammed down with so much "firmness" frizzles out at the touch-hole, in smoke. Here we have it, fair play, and without the least garbling: "An sileam; an loquar?" "Should, however, any particular [the second] small, remain in the possession of the Spanish force, you will not proceed to EMPLOY FORCE against it; but you will make immediate report thereof to this department!" Blood and thunder! And what then? Why, undoubtedly, another proclamation! Zounds!

We are sorry to see it announced by the Editor of the Balance that his useful paper is about to be discontinued. The labors of Mr. Croswell have been of great service to the cause of Truth, and well deserved solid compensation.