Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-10-20

is attributed TO ono Of our Generals,
whom prudence lorbds rs to name:
sen. 70 Gen. BsnGharsc.
GENERAL,
7. IS Of little consequence to me, that
Fou cause yourself 10 be called Consul or
EMperor--;hat you should be seated on
Chair or or Dhrone---a more pompous
tiue or greater act Of madness, will nei-
Their make Inc tolerate YOUR presensions,
or acknowledge your rights--you exercise
a power without responsibility, without
check. or conuoul; and by this alone. you
are nothing in my eyes but the enemy
ut my country, and daring usurper.
IA determining to write 20 you, to tell you
plainly vha; think OF You, OF your en-
terprizes, and of your cruel and desolaiing
success, you will readily believe that
have before my eyes the danger that one
hazards in telling you the truth, and that
l am accordiD sly prepared 10 brave it.
Thus, whether you Cause me 70 be shot,
at midnight, without other witnesses than
the Instruments of the eXecution-that
you strange me in one OF your bastAcs, or
transport me beyond the seas, am re-
signed 10 my lot, and brave The utmost of
your fury.
In thus addressing you, ought, per-
haps. to have waited until your anxiety
had ,orn me from obscurity on the sup
position OF crimes; or until some happy
Circumstance should present me with the
means OF freeing nay c9untry';-.-but it
is declared that you suspect me--that the
interest took III the prosecution instituted
by YOU against Gen. Moreau, seems 10
you proof that l was party in his de-
signs, or wished Tor their success-I can
no' in such a STATE Of things be silent, aud
II / am 10 prove that there are virtues that
tyranny is enraged at s. cruelty punisheth,
shall a. least demonstrate, that they in
sPlre also courage that nothing can dis
cOnCert--1 shall! a. least leave an example
that will not be without its irnitators.
Yes, MIR. General, l have interested myself
strongly inthe fate Of Gen. Moreau-it is
crime which France and all Europe have
witnessed-I am ignorant If he entertain.
ed any designs against you but | have
certain proof, that for long time past,
you have corShired against him-and
when ] saw that this noble vi6lim was a.
bout TO swell the number OF those who
have been already sacrificed 10 your i'm
placabss vengeance, to base jealousy, the
only wishes that had were TO see him
triumph in splendor over your persecutj-
ons, or to see him fall with honor. Nei-
tner OF these wishes have been gra,iiied
You have spared his life, but you have
aullied his giory--that glory which, foun-
Il q . 4 N.sf -
more solid Than your own. Thus, Mr..
General, 6y employing alternately assas-
sination and treachery, you have succeed
cd IN snatching from the French nation,
two men gho were an honor 10 il, and
from our armies two Generals in posses
sion of their Ges: wishes, and best ai{eGti-
oRs because they sought only their coun-
| try's welfare. Yes, you g,.t,er with all
the lustra thai great Victories occasion--
no importunaie renOwn row shocks your
pride--the tomb has swallowed The man
whom AL Europe ranked above you, and
all the Generals Of the re yolution. --Ba.
nishment is the lot of him, who following
these footsteps, has obtained reputation
in the opinion of the public, far above
yours. 1t is by these two outrages, these
two crimes against the nation, that You
have at last quoted your jealousy and JUS
tiled your ambition. look around me
for all those brave characters who first
conducted the French armies TO victory
who saved their country FROM the dis
asters OF foreign invasion--I find them
either prescribed or emigrated--the more
ancient their SERVICES, the sooner they ara
biotted from remembrance. There is TO
longer any recompence, any. power, any
influence, but for those, wlA, like your
self, have only triumphed over the obscu-
rity that surrounded them, by serving the
rage of revolutionary tyranis--those who
massacred Frenchmen before they turned
their arms against foreign foe. You
have named yourself Emperor, Mr.. Gene
ral--5ut this proud title does not so far
disguise the origin Of your celebrity,
as to make us forget the bloody era that
began, and the frightful success that
established tall France knows, all the
military of France remember, that but for
the bloody day of the 18th Vendemsire,
which made you great man, a hero, a
sovereign, you would have gone to La
!