Alexandria Advertiser And Commercial Intelligencer

COMMUNICATION.

MELANCHOLY COMPARISONS.

THE difference between what was and what is may be more easily discerned than described. After what has been written in regard to the past and present situation of the country in general, the past regard and present disregard of patriotism, talents and virtue, we are brought to a comparison of those men under whose administration our country was happy, prosperous & respected, and of those men under whose administration we are distracted, declining in trade, commerce & manufactures, and disrespected: upon a view of which, the wish of every American ought to be, that their country had attained the climax of folly, & that the epoch had arrived for retracing the steps of error, and endeavour, by prudent, yet effective means, to regain that state from which they have fallen, to wipe away the stain of ingratitude, and to profit by past experience, an experience which they bought at the expense of a nation's happiness, may in future serve as beacons to escape the dangerous shoals and quicksands of error and neglect, to which they have been driven by the blasts of democracy. During the first twelve years which ended on the 4th of March, 1801, we find our affairs to have been conducted by George Washington, who was eight years President, and John Adams, who was eight years Vice-President and four years President. Timothy Pickering, Postmaster-General, promoted to be Secretary at War, and then Secretary of State, till 1800, when John Marshall succeeded him. Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, till 1795, and was then succeeded by Oliver Wolcott, who continued in the same till January, 1801. Henry Knox, Secretary at War till January, 1795, who was succeeded by Mr. Pickering and James M'Henry executed the duties till 1800, and was then succeeded by Samuel Dexter, Esq. who continued the duties of that department till January, 1801, and then was appointed Secretary of the Treasury. Benjamin Stoddert, Secretary of the Navy, from the commencement of that department, till the 4th of March, 1801. Joseph Habersham, Postmaster-General; this office had been filled before by Col. Pickering, and I believe others, but he continued a little after March, 1801. Thomas Jefferson & Edmund Randolph, executed the duties of Secretary of State for some time; Jefferson resigned when he had to contend against Genet; & Randolph was permitted to do so when his intrigues with Fauchet were discovered. The former also was Vice-President during the four last years of the federal administration.

Since the third of March, 1801, we find the following worthies promoted to fill the high offices of government:

1st. Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States.

2d. James Madison, Sec'ry of State.

3d. Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury.

4th. Henry Dearborn, Secretary at War.

5th. Robert Smith, Secretary of the Navy.

6th. Gideon Granger, Postmaster General.

Compare, my good reader, the characters which compose the first list with those who compose the last. My God, my God, what odium does it throw on the American character; every thing that is great and good is found in one, whilst depravity and littleness is found in the other; in the one we find concentrated bravery, wisdom, virtue and benevolence; in the other, cunning, feebleness, shallowness of comprehension, intrigue and persecution. Opposed to a Washington & an Adams, stands the chief of the sect, Thomas Jefferson, famed for resigning his office of Governor, when his services were most wanted: the same that abandoned to the false pretensions of France our fisheries; the same that wrote the Notes on Virginia; the historical and philosophical Notes, in which are ridiculed & derided by all men of information, his religious opinions contemned, and his detail of Indian massacres, with his Indian speeches, made by himself, with a view to insult an unoffending family, denied & proven to be false; the uniform and inveterate adversary of the federal constitution, by removing from office the needy veteran, who fought and bled for the independence of America. Opposed to a Pickering and a Marshall, the worthy successors of their bland and intriguing predecessors, is Mr. James Madison, worthy of better employers. "Good enough tho'." Opposed to a Hamilton a Wolcott and a Dexter is Albert Gallatin--what a comparison !!!! the first famed for their love of country, their political integrity and financial knowledge; the latter--damned for his uniform opposition to the American Government, his fomenting and assisting in the whiskey insurrection, whose talents consists in abundance of low cunning and artful intrigue--no tie to bind him or to insure a faithful discharge of office--a foreigner of no known connections whereby it might be hoped he had ever before him any examples sufficient to lay the foundation of morality or religion, much less political honesty. Opposed to a Knox, Pickering, and a M'Henry all the faithful companions of Washington, is Henry Dearborne--said to be once a Colonel in the Army of the United States -but known better to be a contractor for building Light Houses in various parts of the said States -his being an officer will certainly be allowed as giving a just right to office, yet we are sorry to add his vindictiveness towards those in office before him leaves us no grounds for saying he is "good-enough." Opposed to a Stoddert, who bled upon the plains of Brandy-Wine for American Liberty, is Robert Smith, well known in Baltimore--the facts relating to this gentleman will be reserved for a future communication -we do not consider him entitled to any praise for his conduct towards the first clerk in his office-he ought however to be forgiven--Col. T was an old and deserving officer. Opposed to Col. Joseph Habersham, is Gideon Granger, all that can be said of these are that the first is a gentleman of distinguished courage, an old and faithful officer, and one who possesses every domestic qualification to ensure the applauses of good men--of the second I leave this small blank**********By good men I know how it will be filled, by bad ones it is too small for them to fill with much good. Having thus compared the characters of those that was with those that is, I shall in a subsequent paper draw those conclusions which appear applicable to the subject.

A VIRGINIAN.

[To be continued.]