Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-05-26
Foreign Intelligence.
LONDON. March 10.

The vile OF General Moreau is the OBJ
Ject OF general sympathy and attention.
Her house is crowded daily with ladies',
who go to pay their respects 10 hcr, whilst ,
the levees Of Madame Bonaparie have /
been comparatively thin and deserted. |.
This must gall the tyrant. Several TO- |,
reigners of distinction who had visited Ma :
dame Moreau have been ordered TO quit
France.
Another circumstance will not tend To
diminish the anger or the apprehensions
OF Bonapartc. An uncommon eagernesS
has been shewn by the Partisan bar to de-
lend both Moreay and Pichegru. Twen-
ty four Advocateshave offered themselves
as the official defenders of Moreau, and
sixteen for Pichegru.-Mcreau is said to
have selected the celebrated Advovate
Chaveau Lagrade, whe pleaded for the
late queen of France.
March %.
We see with surprise and regret the
Journals, whether favorable or hostile to
Ministers, argue upon the late discovery
of plot at Paris, as fit were certain that
the assassination of Bonaparte was the OBJ.
ject Of 1.-THE crime of assassination
never can be justified nor should any pal.
liation of it be admitted. The dagger of
Brutus, and the pike which struck Lord
Kilwarden, must alike excite horror, or
the assassin will never stand without AN
excuse.
But we must not take it for granted that
those are all assassins who are accused
Persons smarting with conscious guilt
charged as the worst Of crimes against
their enemies, those very offences, the re
colt ction of which stings and goads them.
Hence it is that Bonaparie is so anxious
to fix on Moreau and Pichegru this abo
minable charge, but before we admit the
truth of it, let us examine a little into
facts. II does not appear from the report
efthe Grand Judge, or from the informant
on disclosed, that there was any design to
assassinate the Chief Consul. The Grand
Judge describes the proceeding of the con-
spirators, none of which Showed design
to take the life of any one; and then he
esSers heir intention was to assassinate ;
but This rests on his assertion merely.
Georges he calls robber, and that Hero,
, as Mir. Pi,t more Justly stiled him, is on
all occasions represented by the French
government as the most detestable of cri-
minals yet Georges is a man as undeserv-
ing OF this calumny as any other French
Royalst. Georges is neither an assassin
nor a robber; lie is one of the most faith
full, active, brave and enterprsIng of the
Royalists: He is man admired for his
courage, beloved for his fidelity: he is
the dread of the enemies Of Royalty, and
has gained the confidence of its friends.
Such man, therefore, is the terror of
Bonaparte, who endeavors to blacken his
character by charging upon him his own
crimes of Robbery and assassination.
What does the Grand Judge say of Geor-
ges That he was sent 10 the Western
Departments 10 raise partzans, and that
he hac come 10 Paris with sixty of them.
These are not the steps which would be
taken by an assassin, who necessarily con-
fines his secret to a few /; they are the
steps of one who aims at the overthrow
OF a government which requires the as
sistance of many. The mild and humane
character of Moreau will shield him from
the suspicion of being am assassin; the
same may be said Of Pichegru with the
slri6test justice. Assassination, we are
persuaded, was not the object of these
men, but counter eyolulien.-Their in
tehtlon Is said 10 have been to scizs the
person OF the Chief Consul, and to have
GU III ldFOI vi the DOurDOn amlIV I:
TO have dethroned a pagan Tyrant, and
TO have restored a Christian Prince. That
this was their design is manifest from the
great number Of persons engaged in their
plot. Assassination is best cffe6ted, we
must again observe, by few persons the
overthrow Of Government requires ma
n.y. Had assassination been the Object
OF these men, they would probably have
succeeded, as their failure has no doubt
been the consequence of making their Sc
cret too generally known TO their hume
rous partzans. Every circumstance that
has transpired shews asssssination was not
in their mind, and we should carefully a.
void impuung so base crime to illustri-
GUS characters, who have ventured so
much in attempting an enterprise, which,
1t it had succeeded, would have given
peace and happiness to the world.
April ID.
MILITARY DISAFFECTION.