Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political

We all recollect the story of the mischievous boy who so often deceived the shepherds by the cry of wolf! wolf! when there was no danger, that they were quite inattentive when the wolf really came, and suffered their flocks to fall an easy prey. Thus, we fear, it may happen with the people of the United States. The men they have appointed to guard their interests have so often rung the alarm of war, that very little attention is now excited by a clamor which was wont to raise the sensibility of the nation to a very high pitch. Every man remembers several occasions of late years on which the people were led to believe, by the tone of their rulers, that the country would very speedily be involved in war. Without particularising every instance, we shall notice one which may have escaped the recollection of many of our readers.

During the session of Congress which took place immediately after the misunderstanding between our government and Mr. Jackson the British minister, a resolution passed the senate containing the following passages:

—"And the congress of the United States do hereby solemnly pledge themselves to the American people, and to the world, to stand by and support the executive government in its refusal to receive any further communications from the said Francis J. Jackson, and to call into action the whole force of the nation, if it should become necessary, in consequence of the conduct of the executive government in this respect, to repel such insults, and to assert and maintain the rights, the honor and the interests of the United States."

This was on the 11th of December, 1809 and it was impossible for the American people to receive a pledge so solemn, without being impressed with a conviction, that war must speedily ensue. Yet that disastrous event did not take place, notwithstanding the spirited language then held by congress: Either owing to good luck. or to some unknown cause, it was not found "necessary to call into action the whole force of the nation," or any part of it, and peace was preserved.-- Happy will it be for America, should it still be deemed unnecessary to pursue such a course : It is far from being certain, however, that this will be our good fortune at the present time. The "dreadful note of preparation" sounded by Mr. Madison in his message to Congress last week, furnishes "continued evidence" that war has some powerful advocates ; and when it is considered that Mr. Monroe's reply to Mr. Foster was delayed until the sense of the National Legislature was fully ascertained as to warlike measures, the friends of peace will find much to apprehend, and the sanguinary much to hope.