Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1802-07-28
From he 1flesoR Of the 9a-5trrs. q
TO THE EDITOR.


In most of the papers, I ,eIieye an ex.
tract Sad 10 be taken from 3 French pa
per, relating to the views ct thar nation,
in settleing Louisiana, has been published,
and IN many of them with marked ten-
dency TO excite alarm in the 'inds 81 the
people Tor our political saEet Spd bug
oear Is mustered upof the great STRENGTH,
and encroaching ambition ofthe FrencI. 20
induce the weak to suppose i is their in
tenuon at some future day, to swallow.
and render US province oil che eRrnr
RATION.
While 1t is proper and necessary 70 he
on our guard, both CT home and abroad
1t IS weak 20 believe every unfo,,nded nm
NOR and disturb ourselves with apprehen-
sions which never can be realized, "a !,
IS wicked 10 excite such approximations as
tend to unsettle the minds of or citizens.
and induce them to imbibe preindiccg
which may finally be highly injurious
Let those who are seriously disposed 20
make enquiry, and inform t5emse;ves on
this subject, consider that taco was tins
when France was IN possession of Canada.
ana almost all the country west of the
mississippi, and many places east OF che
Ohlo--that most of the Indian nations
were connected With them, vet no+witb-
standing the reinforcements they racc;yad
from the mother. country---notwithsta
ing the assistance of the Indian tribes
the weakness of the then colonies Of Great
Britain, and the small aid our EoYe-fatbers
| obtained from the parent country, altho'
! the French were then as DESTROYS as thov
can now be TO bring this country under
| their dominion, what were they able to ee-
tect Little or nothing. And shall we
De alarmed at their settling on the banks
! OF the Mississippi, when we know how DIFF
hcult It viii be to supply colony at any
considerable distance an the river2 That
for great length of time, those new set
tiers must be unable TO provide fully for
themselves, and therefore willdepend much
upon the Western States?
Fromthe strength Of the Uaion at iaroe.
ana OF some Of those stetes,e a. the yVcs-
tern waterS--the resources az fhe present
government in men and arms, ammunition
and rnoney---the facility with which all,
things necessary may be transported darn,
the river, and the difficulty which the
| French whould have in sendino troops -,6.
either by land or water--the necess;tv
which the new settlers would be rrrler. nv
a long time 10 cultivate the arts of neoce.
ID order to acquire the necessaries ofiife--
their ignorance OF the .country, and modes
OF warfare ina land covered With forest.
the want enhancement TO attack us. there
beng no rich nobles--or rich churches ~
Piundel--and lastly, that the inducen,gnt
10 VISIT MEXICO, on those, and many Other
! accounts, are 50 much greater, than to at
tack the hardy inhabitants ofthe Western
/ waters, Tor barren laurels---that think we
may safely rest Tor the present generation.
without disturbing our repose, by visiona.
| ~ Tears oonred up BY certain persons,
Tor political purposes only and void Of any
real weight.
Let us suppose the French .encaEed in
| settling the territory Of Louisiana, and that
they can land on the shores ofthe Miss;s-
sippl 10000 persons pei. annuTn Ia great
I emigration indeed, and sueb as il IS no
way probable viii take plocc} ofthese rot
more than 5000 can be s.bposed fit TO
J bear arms-and of those III to bear arms.
not one-fourth could be spared Cor any dis
tant expedition, while their families world
be ieit behind to starve. But admit their
soidiery 70 Increase 5000 per sunun how
short would this be Of the increase &C the
| population Of the Western states, especi-
! ally, when we add "a the natural progress
sion the great number &C foreigners who
land on our shores & yearly, settle beyond
! 'he Allegheny. Let rs 'reheee also, that
these was = time when the sN-poyei.f,i,