Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-03-21


fhiiadeiphia, and Baltimore and Norfolk
ano Charleston, lei gen,iemsn come Gus,
ana say so; and iet comniitiee OF PUB.
nc safety ne appu.ased nom those towns
10 carry on Ihs government. /, Tor one,
NV not ihorigage my property and my Ii
osriy TO carry on THIS trade. The nation
SAID 50 seven years ago,---I said so then,
and say so now. Ii is not for The ho.
nest carrying trade of America, bu, for
this mushroom, This fungus of war,-for
trade which as soon as the nations of Eu.
rope are at peace, will no longer exist,
It as tor this that the spirit Of ayaricious
traliic would plunge "a into war.
am forcib!y struck on this occasion
by the iecolleclion Of remark made by
one of the ablest (if not the honestest)
ministers that England ever produced.
mean Sir Rsbert Wslpo,e, who said
that The country gentlemen (poor meek
souls y came up every year to be sheared
THAT they laid mute and patient whilst
their ileeees were taking ofr-but that if
ne touched q single 6risHe of the com.
merclai interest, The whole s'ye was in
an uproar. |: was indeed shearing the
hog" great cry, and little WOOL"
But we are asked, are we willing to
bend the neck 10 England TO submit to
her outrages? No, Sir, answer, that il
viii bo l.Snc enough for US to tell ren,la.
men what we will do TO vindica,e n. vio.
iation OF our flag on the ocean, when they
shall have told us what they have done
IN resentment of the violation ofthe adm
al territory the y. States by Spain--the
true territory OF the L. States, not your
Few tangled country over the Mississjp
pr, out the good old U. SHAKESPEARE of
Georgia, OF the old thirteen slates-where
ci!'zens have been taken, not from our
ships, but from our actual Tertiary.
When gentlemen have taken the paddock
from our mouths, l shall be ready 10 tell
them what will do, relative TO cur dis.
puie with Britain, on the law of nations.
on coniraband, and such stuff.
have another objection TO this course
oil proceeding. Great Britain, when she
sees it, will say the American people have
great cause OF dissatisfaction with Sna;n
She will see by the documents rurni,hrd
by the President, that Spain has o.tyure6
orr territory, EirQsea nlton AR coo,ms,ce
ana fn1lrtSoned sar citizens and she win
enquire what we have done? II is nm.
she Will receive no answer, but she nu.t
know what We have not done. She vii
see that we have not repealed these out.
RACES, nor made any addition TO our ar.
my and navy--nor even classed the mill.
Tia. No, slr--not one of your militia Pc
nerais IN politics has Inarsha:Ied a sinoI,
brigade.
Although | have said it would DO time
enough to answer the question which gen.
tiemen have put TO me when thew sh,lI
have answered mine, yc, as do rot m
long prorogalions will give them an an
swer now. l will never consen, IN on 70
war Tor that which l cannot protect. |
deem 1t no sacrifice of dignity 10 saw to
the Leviathan OF the deep--we are unabI.
to contend with you in your own elem. nj.
but II you come within our acluaJ limit.
we VIII shef our last drop of blood in IN cir
defence. In such an event would feel. not
reason, and obey an impulse which ne.
yer has--whlch never can deceive me.
France is at war with England en-
pose her power on the continen, of Fn-
rope no greater than it is on the ocean.
How would she make her enemy feel il
There would be perfect non conductor
between them. So with the United S,ate,
and England---she scarcely presents 10 M
vulnerable point. Her commerce l.
now carried on for The most part IN (laet,
where in single ships they are slou,
and well arIRed--very different from tba
state OF her trade during the American
war, when her merchantmen became RE
prey of Pa!try privaleers. Greal-sri,ain
has been too long at war with the tbee-
most powerful maritime nations of In.
rope not to have learnt how TO pro,.et
her trade, She can afford convoy TO !,
aii--shc has 500 ships in commission.
The navles oil her enemies are atnihilA-
ted. Thus this war has presented the
new and curious poliiical spectacle of
regular annual increase (and 10 an Inn.
mense amoun) OF her imports aud ex.
ports, and tonnage aud revenue, ard all
The insignia OF accommodating wealth
whilst in every former war, withou, ex.
ception, these have suffered greater
or less diminution. And wherefore ?
Because she has driven France, Spsin.
and Holland from the ocean. Their ma.
r'nc IS no more. verify believe thar
ten English ships Of the line would NOT
decline a meeting with The co,nh;,.d