Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-06-28
POLITICAL.

General governments. Can any thing be
more directly in the face of truth, than
the charge that Two Millions of Spec. e
!. (sxty tons ofgold and silver) have lately
been shipped off in the brig Hornet, as
tribute to France What foundation is
there for this assertion! 1t is false.
Tribute to France! Good God Who
Is their so debased, that would consent to
pay tribute to France, or to England /!
sfthere is man in the United States SO
mean spirited, so cowardly, so lost 10 the
honour OF has country, let him be pointed
out to his fellow citizens. But this charge
comes from the same polluted source
from whenc has flowed, for these half do
EEL years past, the foulest calumnies ever
heaped upon the heads of innocent men.
1t truth is truth-if records do not lie
1t facts speak for themselves-it will be
sound that there is not one word asserted
IN the federal'prints on this subject. that
can be supported when put to the proof.
What has been done? Why the Flori.
das are to be purchased. Two millions
have been appropriated for that purpose,
aud as we understand, have been RENTED
IN bills to Amsterdam, and not TO Paris.
Not a dollar in Specie has been sent to
Europe IN the Hornet, or any other ves-
sci. The bills, when realized, will form
deposit for The payment of the Floridas.
NO purchase money will be paid till the
deed OF cession is received, ard The title
tairly passed To the United States. Is
this paying tribuiel Does farmer pay
tribute to his neishbor when he buys a
vacant lot of ground contiguous 10 his own
farm, and which Is necessary for his &C.
comnoda,ion Common sense saws No,
We propose buying of Spain the righ,ful
owner The ceuntry known by the name
OF the Fioridas. Is this paying tribute 10
France! Did we pay tribute TO France
or Spain, when we bought louisiana b
Certainly not. Tie strip of land called
'ne fiorIdas, possesses some of the finest
rivers and harbours in the world. The
country IS fertile, the climate good, and
the public lands are worth ten times more
than they viii cost. Now, for the purchase
money. Suppose Spain consents to sell,
and gives the United States the undisDu,
ted possession ofthe country what need
we concern ourselves with The dsifibuti-
on OF the sum stipulated To be paid She
may afterwards throw it into the sea, She
may give IT TO Algiers, to Tunis, to France
or pay 1t In tribute or otherwise 10 En-
gland, to purchase favours or advantages
which her valor or the skill or wisdom of
her councils cannot command. She NAV
be tributary to the French Government,
or she may not be--it is nothing to us.
we ask nothing from Spain but Justice.
1t IS true We wish to buy the F,oridas, and
1t eemalns with her 10 sell them or not,
as she Judges best for her own iase,cst.
4 he Federalists no doubt, want to defeat
the purchase. They would prefer acquir.
ing The country by the assistance oftroops,
by an army, and by the sword. Could
peace be preserved through such means |!
Not longer than month. War has its hor.
rors, and where are its advantages
They are uncertain. A territory acquir.
ed by conquest, may pass to other hands
in day. One single battle has decided
the fate OF an empire. In our own times.
and asst were blu. yestersly, we have seen
such things pass before our eyes. Ard
wherefore should this nation rush head
long and foolishly into war? Where il
the morality Of war! A people lust ri.
sing into consequence, indeed any PEG.
pie WIN prefer character of honesty to
traud, AID gnod and yirluous name, to
that usually applied TO all those who deal
dishonesty or practice fraud or dscei., vii,
not long hesitate between right & wrong.
IL was right 70 negotiate for the Flcridss
lit would have been wrong to seizs opon
thsm By force. Those who thought il was
right to acquire Louisiana by purchase.
must approve of The plan OF buying ali the
territory laying eastward OF the Missis.
sippf. The same course seems 10 have
been adopted now, as was pursued in the
former case. The Fsderalis,s then said
better fight for New Orleans than buv !,
---better raise an army and seize ut,oo
the city, than negotiate tori il. A contrary
policy was pursued. We aconired not
only New.Orcans, bu; the whnle Of Lon.
isianIa, Tor sum lar below their intrinsic
WORTH to the extreme and NANTES, NOR.
ulicaron OF every leading Federal cha.
rac,er IN the United States. The yeople
however, approved Of the coudu@ of The
administration, and peace was preserved.
Noisy DISCLAIMERS found fault, many ace
paid Tor finding fault. Let ,hsu, raj, on