Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-10-16
FROM rnE SANE.
(To Sc continued


Altho'the war with TripoIi has at length
been terminated by an honorable treaty,
and our captive citizens restored to tk.
arms OF their country; yet even this trans
action, which reflects so much honor ON
our government, has not escpaed the ami
madversion of its enemies.
II is we'll known that for some time be-
lore the conclusion of,ke war with Tripoli,
loud complaints against the administration
appeared in many of the Opposition pa
pers" for suffering so many of our citizens
to remain IN captivity, when their release
might Immediately be obtained by pecu-,
| MARY sacrifice. No sooner however was
It understood that the trifing sum Of Co.,
600 dollars, had been paid for their ram
som, than We hear very different language
made use ofin the same papers. The per-
son who was authorised by government TO
treat with the Bashaw, has been charged
with having made disgraceful peace, at
the moment when the gallant Eaton had
Obtained victory, and was approaching
The capital OF our enemy. Far be il from
me TO wish TO undervalue the services of
Mr.. Eaton. He has certainly :. DESCRIBED
17eH o''his country" The capture of Derne,
and the victory obtained over the troops
lot the Bashaw in its vicinity, no doub, con-
tributed to induce him 70 make overtures
for peace but il is chimericsl 10 suppose
4 hat the capture of small town, several
Hundred miles from Tripoli, would have
'compelled The Bashaw to have submitted
Gas some suppose) TO Whatever terms Col.
Lear may have tho't proper TO prescribe.
Let US however for a moment suppose
that the brave Eaton, with his army, had
continued victorious, and advanced to-
wards TripoI, and that our squadron had
CO operated with him in an attack onthat
town, are we certain what would have been
The result, 4! flour forces were Ike to prove
victorious, the Bashaw driven to despair
would have satiated his fury and ven.
geance by the massacre of our countrymen
who were in his power--on the other hand
4 Mr.. Eaton and bis party had been de-
tealed after his victory at Derne (Which is
not so improbable but it might have hap
pened as he advanced further into the Ba-
shaw's territones) the negotiation would
have been at an end the sufferings of our
captive brethren would have been great.
ly increased, and their durance prolong-
ed.
Although Commodore Rodgers, in one
OF his letters which has been published, cx.
presses an opinion, that the safety Of our
captive citizens would have been endan-
gered had the Bashaw's oveitures been
rejected, which has been confirmed by &C.
yeral officers, who were in confinement at
IrIpofi, who declared that the Bashaw
Threatened to fts aHfhe prisoners 10 deafh,
should Mr.. Eaion's army arrive within
one league OF his capital still those who
are DESTROYS OF condemning the treaty af-
feet 10 think light Of this menace, and as.
sert that il never would have been carried
into effect. In forming an opinion howe.
Yer on the probable result Of the Bashaw's
threats we ought to recolle6 that our cap
tive Citizens were not in the hands Of a CT
vilised power, but in those Of a barbarian
VINO has on various occasions violated the
law OF nations and the principles OF huma.
nily;and whom ayarice alone lin all proba-
bility) prevented him from sacrificing
them at the time when Commodore Pre-
bic attacked his capital. lie at that peri.
Cd still battered himself with the hopes Of
obliging our government to comply with
his exorbiiant demands and therefore pre-.
served the lives OF his prisoners.
Admitting however, for moment that
Il was doubtful whether the Bashaw would
have carried his threats into execution.
stui let me ask those who are censuvine
Col. Lear, whether he would have been
Jusiiiiable IN The eyes ofhi country, had he
avoided the f'effg yansoni which has been
paid, risked HE fDes OF three hundred Of
our ciHrens, who we're in captivity, when
y IS well known that ransom for prison.
ers has ever been paid 20 the Barbary
powers by the greatest maritime nations
IN Europe. Have those persons who
have ihosght proper TO condemn The trea-
~ with Tfipoli, forgotten, that under the
fso' former odiafnisirafioas (Which are so
often eoIogised byihein) ihat no, only an
enoTH'oHs ransogi was paid so Certain Bar