Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-05-16
(Nat. Intel. }
From the PARIS ARGUS.
SPEECHofNr. WIND HIM in tie Bri.
fish HOuSe Of Commons.

SPEECH.of Mr.. WIND HAM in tie Bril-
Hsh HOuSe Of Commons.
SIR,
rise IN pursuance Of the notice I
gave last week to move the house to take
into consideration the state of the nation,
and to propose an easy remedy 70 part of
the difficulties we at present labour un-
der. 1t would be useless to take up much
OF the time of the hon. members in reca-
ptulating evils which are so universally
known, and not less severely felt by every
man IN the country, except his Majesty's
MINISTER'S; yet now tina, am on my legs.
cannot bear to sit down before have
called the attention of the house and the
country to the situation in which we are
involved, alike incapable of defending our
selves, and OF attacking the enemy by the
blind obstinacy of our present premier
not like my friend the late capt. RiskwelI,
who alter playing at hazard till he grew
so blind as not to be able TO see the dice,
much less distinguish their points, CONT
nued Tor many years to play by the ear.
lie had been so long accustomed to the
castor's rattle, that he would cry out mo
Die" SO well in time as to astonish the
whole table, of which he was nestor. Our
present caster on the contrary, cannot dis
tInguIsh point in the game with his eyes
open; and though we have been rafting
IN his ears, that he has laid his stakes
without the least attention TO the odds, he
still risks on, and if suffered to throw the
dice Tor the nation much longer, will not
only be cut up himself, but will ruin every
person that backs his hand.
Neither is it necessary to be very skill.
tul Judge OF cockhghting to perceive that
our volunteer P IS, woodcocks and
weathercocks all a fit match for the
French gamecocks the blood ofthe latter
must be entirely ebbed, and consequently
their strength utterly exhausted before
their courage will fail them whereas the
former, having never been used, much less
trained to sparing and chasing, will hard
~ be nj tor any other than the use COM
monty made of them. But seeing the Pc
rllous state we are reduced to, it behoves
every man in the country and more par
ticularly the representatives Of the people.
TO turn their thoughts to every means of
defence, independent of those hitherto a.
dopted by our inapt Observation-Disclosures
principal obJect ministers should be atten-
tive to, is the proper direction of the force
we can easily dispose of; yet they have
idly dispersed, and consequently weakened,
the most formidable means we have of at
lacking our inveterate enemy. mean
the cheap, ready and extensive way that
llesopen to us,of sowing dissention among
the French by our periodical publications.
We have often boosted in this house of
being able to cope with France single hand
ed, and though I am firmly persuaded
that is the only way which we could op-
pose that country single handed, we should
also be a match for the wide world, ryou
readily conceive, Sir, that mean our writ
ingsl yet we should not venture to try their
eifectupon othernations, unless we are able
to meet them all in arsis, which we may
have to do by pursuing the method his
MaJesty's ministers have of late adopted.
How was | not grieyed some time since,
to see advertisements stuck up for seamen
to tight against the puslllanimous Dons,
at the same time that ministers were un-
decided, as indeed they arc in every good
thing, whether they should attack the Spa
niards or not! How much better would II
not have been to take the Dons unawares, to
seize their galIeons and other vessels, to
ravage their settlements, TO render them
in short incapable Of defending themselves
before ever they knew what we we're a.
bout; Even Thomas Jefferson could not
escape our open censures, because he
chose to be civil to the government with
whom his country is allied, though we
must be all persuaded it would be happy
for England had she such man to di.
rect her councils. Il was lamentably said
IN this house about twenty years ago, thai
il would require at least half a century &c
r.r...- IL LIan... A.-..-...- 2