Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-06-23

! MISUNDERSTANDING our peifect neutrality, do
we not all, 1T this mDm.n,, suffer i'm con-
/ sequence OF the war between France and
. England II is Iii Sh time that we had
commerce of our own. as independent; as
: possible, of the ever changing politics of
, the old world. This independence will be
greatly promoted by the reciprocal wants
and capacities of different portions of our
now widely extended empire. Oae ex
treme Of the union abounds in shipping,
overilows with inhabitants, and is ripe for
manufactures; while the other, engaged
IN the cultivation OF amore fertile soil, finds
ITS interest in purchasing manufactures,
brought TO their doors. a domest COM
I inerce of this kind viii cement our union,
and make us really independent.
| Peace with all the world, and especially
IN our own country, - the true policy of
! these states. This is now much ms re pro-
bable than it ever could have been, while
we had strong French colony in our
nei,5hborhood. The day that France made
the cession we now celebrate, she reiin-
pushed all prospects OF interfering. in our
! government. Il BonaparIe had had any
hostile designs on these states, he would
as soon have given up Brest or roulon, as
! Louisiana.
Within the limits ofthe coded territory.
We know of more than twenty independent
tribes of Indians. As long as powerful
nations of Europe had access 10 these un
uttered savages, the peace OF our frontier
settlements was exposed to a variety of
/ contingencies. In the two last wars, i'm
which this country was involved with
! france and England, the blood of our inha
olIants, shed by savage hands, flowed in a
thousand streams. In every period OF A.
merican history, he nations of Europe, re-
| CARELESS of morality AID religion, have al
ways awaited themselves of the aid of the
! aborgines in destroying each other, and
( also, the colonies of rival nations.
} IN gaining the affections of the savares,
the French were re."Ininent.-Figure to
| yourselves what would AVE been The stu
! alton of our frontier Settlements on the
western waters, in case of a war with france,
! while her emissaries had the numerous
, tribes OF Indians in Louisiana, firmly at.
| tached to her interest, and ready, when
! called upon, To make war upon our dis.
| persed and detencelrss inhabitants. These
indians are now all our own included
| within our limits, and so Tar dependent on
rs, that no other nation can interfere with
! them. The cesson Of Louisiana has wrest-
[ ed the scalping knife and lomahawk from
their hands, and laid ne foundation ofper-
petual peace, by giving Us every desirable
opportunity for introducing among Them
| the blessings OF civil and social life. They
are now thrown OH eur humanity and ge-
nerosily.
Mysterious Providence We, the peo-
! pie OF the United States, who, less than
ihiriy years go, we're the subjects of the
British King, are now the independent
| proprietors of this soil and tina, portion
OF 1t which we originally possessed, is
more than double by arecen' cessionoftcr
rltory, in which are numerous tribes Of In.
dams whose ancestors owned this whole
country from time immemorial before
ny one of ours had SET his foot on Ameri-
can gound. Trusting IN the virtue of nv
countrymsn, and warranted by the present
and past eXertions of our rulers, / am con
fident thai these helpless natives will have
no cause to regret, bu abundant reasons
TO rejoice IN the change which has taken
place.
The voice OF every good man should be
raised ~ favor Of our red brethren. The
common Father of them, and OF US, calls
upon us to impart to them the superior
blessings which we enjoy. The competi.
ton of rival nations, bidding against each
other for their friendship, is now TO more.
We have the whole field TO ourselves and
a glorious field it is; in which we may,
and l trust will SOW the seeds of know
ledge, Of virtue, Of useful arts, of ciyiliza.
ton, and religion; and that these will grow
up and flourish till they yield a plentiful
harvest of human happiness. To trans
form savage warriors to peaceful farmers
TO convert their lomahawks and scalpinp
knives into plow shares and pruning. hooks
to turn hem from the worship Of evil
spirits to the worship Of the true Cod
! from the absurd ri'es of PAGAN idolatry to
the mild principles and practical virtues of
| Christianity, is Godike work. For the
execution of it, the * eusion of our boun-
DIARIES gives us facilities we never had be-
fore, apd which, trust, will be improved
for the best Purposes.
The cession Of Louisiana, gives addi,i-
I