Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political

For the Alexandria Daily Gazette.

EUROPE AND AMERICA.

The times are wild; contention like a horse
Full galloping, madly hath broke loose
And bears down all before him.
SHAKESPEARE,

So rapidly do events succeed each other in
this hemmed in and confounded maze, that a year hath lived ages: For
in the compass of one short year, kingdoms
and empires from their old foundations rent, and
the situation of the world thoroughly changed,
as if centuries had been consumed in the
operation.

The citizens of America should anxiously watch the progress of the revolution before they are aware of their
danger from the tempest which has blasted the
hopes of these mighty continents or reached our peaceful shores.

Europe at present-
Let us view the state of Europe, torn and convulsed by the weight of internal commotions and military despotism
groaning under most multiplied calamities.

The immediate author of all the ills which
now afflict the human race, after wading thro
oceans of blood, has attained a degree of power which is dangerous to the liberty of the
world. Her greatness is built upon superior
skill, and the reputation of being invincible,
acquired by a multitude of victories. Decked
with the spoils, and bloated with the plunder
of Europe, intoxicated with prosperity,
and fondly imagining that nothing can withstand her power, she has played such antic
tricks before high Heaven, as to astonish the
universe. But let her beware: the wrath of
the Almighty may not always sleep, and the
same Providence which has made her the
scourge of the nations, may have already de-
creed, that her fall shall be more sudden than
her exaltation. There is a point of endurance
beyond which human nature cannot go. The
very worm that crawls in the dust will resist
when trampled under foot; surely then man,
the noblest work of the creator, when the hard-
ly earned reward of his toil is snatched from
his grasp--when he is torn from the bosom of
his family, and compelled to fight in the ranks
of a tyrant, against the real friends of his native
land--when he is plundered, insulted, oppressed,
derided and trampled on, will turn with furious
indignation against his proud oppressors,
will avenge on their heads his accumulated
wrongs, and endued with all the omnipotence
of despair, will be finally victorious. The example has been already set.

SPAIN.

Spain awakening from the sleep of centuries,
and driven to desperation by the tyrannical
conduct of proud, perfidious, France, has
drawn the exterminating sword of vengeance,
and calling upon heaven and earth to witness
the justice of her cause, has nobly commenced
the work of liberating the world from Gallic
usurpation. May victory crown the efforts of
the gallant patriots of Spain! May their arms
be nerved with more than mortal energy!
May they force the bloodhounds who now lay
waste their country, to re-cross the Pyrenees
with all their laurels withered.

AUSTRIA

Has not lost entirely that gallant spirit which
has prompted her, more than once, to wage
with France an unequal contest. But weakened
by the disastrous campaign of 1805, in
which her territory was covered by an enemy,
who, like the all-destroying locust, desolates
every region through which he passes, she has
scarcely recovered enough to strike a decisive
blow, to make a last effort for the salvation of
Europe. If assured of the assistance of the
other powers, however, she would doubtless,
seize upon this opportunity to release herself
from the degrading trammels imposed upon
her by the treaties of Presburg and Fontainebleau.

PRUSSIA

Has suffered shipwreck. Her masts, her
rigging and her upper works have been swept
away by the tempest: a battered, and leaky
hulk, the poor remains of a noble ship, is
tossed about, the sport of winds and waves,
which threaten soon to destroy it.

RUSSIA,

Governed by a feeble and irresolute monarch, who forgets the glory of his ancestors,
and sacrifices every thing magnanimous and
noble to his base and unmanly fears, has de-
serted the cause which she seemed determined
to support at the hazard of her very existence. She wages a dishonorable warfare with
the gallant Swedes, in which, if she be unsuccessful, her military fame will be tarnished; if her arms be crowned with victory, disgrace will be her reward. But rumor declares
that the Russians, displeased with the conduct of their ignoble sovereign, are determined
upon renewing the war with France. The
commencement of such a conflict would be
the signal for a general insurrection against
Gallic tyranny. The nations of Europe have
discovered that the ameliorating policy of Bonaparte, is nothing less than the most insufferable oppression; and with such an ally as
Russia to assist them, they would rise at once,
and throw off a galling yoke. From Lapland
to Portugal, from Holland to Turkey, the various tribes who compose the population of
Europe, who have all felt the tyranny, or been
insulted by the haughtiness of France, with
one voice would cry aloud for vengeance.

SWEDEN,

Noble Sweden, has set a fair example to a
degenerate world. Though oppressed by
mighty odds, she has continued to war against
ty rants, and if she must fall, will perish nobly, lamented by all who are alive to generous
sympathy. The two extremities of Europe,
like dissevered members, still quiver with a
convulsive motion, although the body from
which they were separated is a lifeless mass.

BRITAIN,

Styled by the Spaniard, the "Shield of afflicted humanity," presents the most formidable obstacle to the success of French ambition.
Lately, cut off from the commerce of Europe
and America, she seemed about to sink under
accumulated disasters. But the hand of
heaven has interposed to save her. The ports
of Spain, Portugal and South America have
been opened to her merchants: supported by
commerce with these countries, and with her
colonies, she will still rear her head against
the oppressors of the human race. But whatever be the event of the bloody contest in
which she is engaged, she has already earned
a bright and unperishable name: Her magnanimity in opposing an undaunted front to a
world in arms, will be recorded in the fairest
page of history. She has adopted a maxim to
which the ancient Romans owed much of their
fame in arms--Never to ask peace of a victorious enemy. And though she has sometimes
deviated from the straight line of just and honorable policy, the peculiar difficulty and danger
of her situation, should plead in her excuse
with every generous mind.

SOUTH AMERICA.

It is probable, will soon occupy an important
place in the political chart. Should Spain be
conquered, her colonies will assume their proper rank among the independent nations of
the earth. A change so momentous in the
condition of so large a part of the human race
opens an unbounded field for reflection to the
politician; for exultation to the philanthropist.

But let us not forget our own country, the
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Alas! the picture which it presents is a
melancholy one. We behold our government
involved in disputes with foreign powers, from
which it has neither wisdom nor firmness to
extricate itself. We see commerce suspended; our navy destroyed; our sea coast unfortified; our militia unarmed; our constitution grossly violated. Yes, our sacred constitution, that noblest specimen of American
genius, that best expounder of American
rights, has been audaciously infringed by the
publication and enforcement of arbitrary, presidential mandates. And who are the men
that have reduced us to a situation so truly calamitous? They are the very men, who, after
destroying the federal administration by arts
the most vile and detestable, promised so to
govern our country that it should be long the
greatest, the happiest and most prosperous on
earth. By their deeds have we known them.
And now that we do know them, now that we
feel the deplorable consequences of their absurd and destructive policy, we still hesitate to
withdraw from them our confidence. Perverse to every foot is the path of error--difficult to be found, by those who have
once left it, is the road to truth. But the
citizens of the United States, instructed in
the school of adversity, will ere long return
to the ways of wisdom, they will ere long
learn that the pretended friends are often the
worst enemies of the people.

L.