Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-10-22

Should, however, the moral or political
maximS of such writer's he questioned, the
numerous presses, established in everv part
OF the union, present the ready means of
bringing them tn the tOuchstone of exam
nation The talent that suggests a new i
dea, or the cloquencc that enforces it, are
DISPLAYED in the face of the whole nation,
whose reasoning powers, being equally a.
cute, whether exerted in the north, or the
south, give the same general award, which
thus pcrvadcs the whole union 1t is thus,
through the medium OF the press, itself the
organ Of every thing interesting that is pub
lshed, that ascendant talent finds legiti-
mate channel for the peaceful! exercise of
its powers, and is enabled TO effect, with
out turbulence or conyulsion, the revoiuti-
ons in public opinion to which it aspires
Under ether circumstances these revOiuti-
ons have been the wort, of the sword, and
the Cow OF human blood in copious streams
has invariably attended thea.
9. Our people are almost all the offspring
Of Che SAME stock. Some Of our forefa-
theirs, it is true, were Germans, some
Dutch, and few French. BUT SO inconsi-
dcrable is the number of these, that they
cannot be counted rs a tenth part of the
whole population. The residue cnigratcd
from Great Britain and Ireland A varie-
ty Of character, it is true, exists between
the iahabitants Of these islands but by no
means that hostility that is displayed in
the character Of different nations. They
speak nearly the same language their re-
iigious teaets are marked by nearly the
same characteristics, and they have long
been accustomed TO consider themselves
the same people.
8. Like causes produced their emigrati-
on, and when settled I'm die new world, &C.
pented their union. Political dcspotism
and religious bigotry impelled them TO
cross the Atlantic. To protect themselves
2gsinst these evils became the CHIEF object
of their greatest and most perseyering CT
forcs. Each community, weak il itself, na-
rally sought she good VIII of It's neigh
bore and pursued the only ct!cctu2l way of
obtaining it, by IN interchange Of good Of
, fees The progress Of othcr commune
ties Is not their origin, has been marked
J b. carly and systematic striTe and hostih
, ~ the origin and progress Of these COM
/ anuEjties were formed and have proceeded
On the principles of brotherly love, on ma
! tual confidence, and on comprehensive
views Freemcn cleared the wilderness,
| freenen cultivsted the earth, frcemcn pas
| sod laws for their own government from
/ the day on which thev set their feet on Gun
shores. Can the same be said OF any of the
| Dignv or gigantic confederacies which have
| hitherto existed among such
! 4. The people Of the y. States indulge
no strong or latent attachment to their pa
rent nation. They can, indeed, scarcely
| he said to have hareat nation. 1t was
! the persecution OF that nation, which ought
! 10 have projected them, that impelled them
| to A. from hcr tyranny. Some regard
! they undoubtedly feel for their forefathers,
| for it is inseparable from human nature
tn cherish such sentiment; bul it is not
| that blind Election that obscures the percep-
ton OF the understanding, and which rem
ders those who cherish It the slaves of dan
gcrous errors. 1t is, OH the contrary, the
sentiment Of compassion for the mistakes
and n1isfnrtures of those whom we regard !;
and 81 far from being connected with any
! wish tcimitatc their conduct, it is express
/ " founded on . conviction OK its iunproPr;-
ETY..
It has been the lot of other nations, who
have been severed from the parent st@5kF 10
look back with mournfll regret on the pc
riol oftheir union, and to dwell with a kind
ofmelaacholy delight on times, WHICH con-
tcmplatcd through IN obscure medium, Of
FER toimdginstjous depressed by missorcuaes
scenes Of departed pleasure. A people in
: whose hearts this sentiment is predominant,
constantly cherish the hope that the period
viii arrive in which they MAJ be restored
to their former situation. Such seEti-
nent necessarily renders them dissatisfied
with their present condition, and ready to
Weld to every Rattering suggestion that am
bition or folly may Offer. Such people, too,
I lookiug forward % the haicron dlysso ar
IDENTIFY Desired, arc satisfied % pass their
davs IN ingiorlous Incidence, s accordingly
rcirainfr0m those grelt, vigorous and systc-
matte excrtinns, either Of mind or body, CO
which their Improvement and hsppines
would depend. Things, therefore, instead
of advancing, according ~ the usual laws
Of nature, 50 backwards, and dissatisfied
on & misery arc rapidly multiplied. This is
probably, the principal reason why the fore
coalitions OF nations have been 50 cvaucs-
cent, and have, while they lasted, been Sc
repctc with rcbcllicns and distress H1r-
PLY for us, It has in the u. $. no eX,s-
tence. We feel no immoderate regard fof
the Inhabitants, the manners or TIC inscitu-
lions Of any foreign nation whatever. Ihey
have all our general good viii, haS this is
all. Experience hos convinced US chat The
most fortunate circumstance attending oui
,ituaticn is its remote position from Oh
Euraocan world, S, that the vast ocean thai
rolls between will etcrnally separate US
+ The American people arc in truth, in Chi
,steu f,f fi,fs att,if.fe fbg same III tNCV nlt