Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-10-25
FoR TIE argus.

Observations in opposition to the opinions
and principles, contendei for in a pam
phlet called War in Disguise.
Eo. I'm
Remarks conceTfsnps tire ORGANISED s-,sfe7,,
Of Ihe .federdtiUe hog,eYs Of Eugo6c, in
relation 20 The United States, es 4yeH as
tie freedom Of the SecS.
Considerable object;oas have been made
by some readers, 10 the manncrin which the
character, the crnduct. and the designs of
the emperor Napoleon have been repre-
sented Tae writer IF these ESSAYS n;sht
defend and justify his nwa conduct merely
by the declaration, that his allegations are
all true, and THAI the differences from
them are rational. Eut he has been and
vet is actustcd 5y olhcr motives, than mere
~ 70 have an occasion to make these trite
replies The changes which had hap
pened and were about to take place in Eu-
rope, could not fan 20 have an influence
upon the great interests OF TIC United
states. He foresaw that qUestionsGnd pro
positions Of great magnitude would soon &c
cur upon which the future fate OF this
country might depend.
Every body knows that The peopIc of the
United States, haze been long devi info
wv ~ 81 si-isA ". if-4-S f.aaft.s & .,
the leaders of one OF these parties have us
cd their best Efforts to assimiiate the 20
veTmnent Of tits country 10 that OF Great
Britain The other has been actuated bv
preiudices so strong as 20 amount to decla-
rations OF hostility AGAINST that govern
ment all It's proleccs ard partizans. The
last mentioned party being the most hume
rous, il no other questions had occurred,
there would have been no room for the for
mer to hope for success, in any of their de-
signs, or measures.
But great difference Of opinion amount
ing tn an irreparablc breach has taken
place in the other party. Many OF them
highly respectable for talents. influence
and virtue, have imbibed an implacable ha-
tired against the emperor Napoleon They
not only cherish but promote in others, q
temper OF the most vindictiye hostility to-
wards him They deny that he possesses
or cherishes any Of those exalted virtues
which arc necessary to constitute a cha
racter truly great. They pourtrav him rs
the common enemy Of mankind--as TIE tv-
rant OF Europc-and saw That nc is restrain
ed only by the British Navy from subiuga-
tine the world.
There is no doubt that many ofthose who
entertain these opinions, are actuated bv
the most honest and laudable motives, and
there is rs little doubt, that those opinions.
If they should predominant III the Amcri-
can counSels, viii cntangle the United
States in difficulties, the consequences OF
which cannot be estimated.
With sincere and ardent zeal TO conn.
teract these decisions and ,prejudiccs, the
writer Of these essays has taken candid
and copious views, of the great concerns %
the Eastern Hemisphere. lie is neither
actuatci by animosity against Great Hri-
tain, nor nvcrCharged by n jealous venera-
itinn for the character CF the emperor Na-
lpolenn. He has pursued the means which
appeared most likely to opel and expand
the understandings Of his countrymcn, so thlt
their opinions might be formed free from
attachments 20 the one and uniniiuenced by
preiudicos against the othc.
While the writer has been engaged i'm
the honest execution of these duties as re-
laced to the United States, many Of those
things which were anticipated, and foretoll
i'll relation TO Europe have happened, so
that when this sentence is penncd, perhaps
question or proposition Of incaicuiabie
importance co the United States, is prepar-
ed for the consideration of cur rulcrs the
nature and tendencies Of which viii be now
explained.
Thepe have lately appeared some dIs-
cussions in one Of the Paris papers, relat-
ing to war and peace between France and
Britain, which deserve our particular no.
tice. In those discussions it is alleged, chat
Grelt-Britain pretends that she cannot
safely make peace with France 6ecaHsc
Trance 7vH tIcu haze an ofhoyfa1niky oj
rc-csfabHshtHg her murine, and reuipfae
her commerce. The French writer very
candidly admits the truth Of these COME.
lures, ard says also, Il Bfitsiu vii nc.
make peace, Fra5Te zviH attack cH tIos,