Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-09-03
- sssacsEt a

pose certain yagpe, indefinite fears, Of the
dangers with which they conceive peace
TO be pregnant. Frs, they imagine that
good or even fair terms canno, be expect.
ed; lheu they think the enemy viii no,
be sincere; next, TREY dread his taking
the opportunity OF rscvuilirg hi. resour,
ces, and especially o. restoring bis rarY;
lastly, ihss expetl ,hath- will take us by
snrprisc.{ and attack as when lie is Sure 10
sGcos-a. in al these srpyeheHs ions,
Hswev<t, there IS u yfea: deal of niScon
cepton, aud no small inconsistency. As
10 the terms, We mus first see viva, lie
oilers. /, is indeed very evident, that We
clrGot e%prct such favorable conditions
foe the continent, as Il we had not plung.
I'd /, Tito the ia,e war. ard oCCesioned the
ruin OF Austria, the cunqucs; OF Naples,
and the aggrand.zrnent OF Fraace and
her dependencies. We cannot hops such
1.rm, as the pre- sent administration would
have gained, had i. been formed ,xo years
ago. But it is equally clean, that If The
enemy finds his advantage il peace {ani
II he does not, we need neither expect u
nor desire il and If he estimates, as he
must, the high spirit and upcoo nueradie
Valor O! ibis country he will make no pro.
posals which can dishonOr us. He will
even tempt Us 10 overcome our repug-
nance towards him, ap.. orr contcmpt Of
his new authority. by soT.e favorable con
cessions. Then, wi'h regard TO his sin
cerly. we may fairly conclude that the
same motive which leads hin, TO ihiok OF
making peace, VIII induce him 10 keep
T--~ihe motive of interes,-for what can
he gam by a transient peece,ssxcept The
pai,ry cession OF a few islands, which we
snail always be able 10 relake, with the
troops and shipping he may send ,h;ther,
SO long as our n,arine Is superior TO his.
Mex, as 10 his ,eciuiiing his resources,
x particularly his navy, this he most un-
doubiedly viii attempt To do. We must
lay our accoun, wi u it. We mean 10 re-
crr,t our own army, and he must lay his.
accoun; with that. Bdi does il follow,
that lie .yili be able 10 acquire Il navy e.
quail TO ours during the peace ? Where
are his seamer! Where are his officers
and pilots! Whsre are his Nelson's
Should lie peace las, for ten years, which
is unfortunately high estimate, how
macl, would England gain in her com.
mercc, her finances, her colonial and do.
Ines,ic economy, her military system, her
+. foreign policy! And France, TOO, would
gam somewhat Ia several OF these parii.
cniHrs. h<r trade would increase, and
she woui5 acquire colonial esiaGlishme nts.
Would no, tn!s make her much less war
Ike f! Wouii it no, be utterly incoHipati.
bie wHh the military CONSUMPTION, the
f..ts ,t.kl I'm
peel? Would it not render her less mill;
tary in peace, and more averse 10 war, the
greatest CT evil, To mercantile aud CO.
ionai nation! Bui could her navy in ten,
or even twenty years Of peace possi5l,
grow UP so IS to match our owni Should
we nos ~ the end Of such happy peri.
Cd, ep;er upon The war with our commerce
augmented, cur fnaDccs cleared from
debt, our wealth more able 30 supply cur
necessities, oar navy more nu.ncrous
And would not this be the very same
thing @.:h beginning new series OF br1.
liant victories over the navy of oar enc.
mes! Besid $, With The Reservations of our
continental relations and the improvement
OF our army, might we not fairly expc q
even success on shore, IS we'll as a. sea
Why is not France ayerse 10 peace from
her Fears OF our commerce Increasing, end
our army beng established on new sys
icm! Why then should we, who are a,
courageous as herself, dread The progress
ot her ltade and The re.estab..sh,nent of
her marine ! Bat 10 all such fears one
answer may be giyen--they prove too
much-.tfey prove that peace can neye.
be made, ift!isy dissuade Us from making
ii nov; they have 40 application to tbs
particular time, hey are approximations
''f al times, aud they go 10 involve The
world III one eternal war.
"i.e' Us hope shat the wise men, who
are now happily placed at the head of the
state, sill judge Better, as they see more
Clearly than such despol ding and narrow
views permit the multitude 10 do; tia,
they viii justly estimate the sum of ,r.
fairs, nor iimIdly shut their eyes to the
nistcr'nnes in Which they have found he
couniry; that with all their ftorls TO car.
~ on vigorous war, they Will Keep in
mud how peculiarly The great end OF all
Warfare Is desirable at the present crisis,
for our allies as well as for ourselves that,
without abandoning one point which the
honor OF England ,equires them TO main.
tain, they vii sbjure all those false Doii.
ons OF honor, by which nothing but eter.
Bai hostility with an the worId con eyer h..