Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-05-02

Aefn. The known superiority both in
qnality and 'cheapness OF British manu-
tactures, and the habit which we had
long beemin of p,efering and using them.
wocia iorce them into our markets under
some other name, and by seine more cir
culsous rsute-but one not less certain.
And IL would be nothing mote than
slight tax upon the ingenuity OF SNUG.
glcrs to evade this law, IN such way as
10 bring very near as many articles of
British manufacture into our country as
ever, without the. possibility of detection.
Tie irresistiSle conclusion in our minds,
from this reasoning vss--fhat C.. Britain
would be little injured by any such mea-
sure; at the same time that the injury
done to US, and particularly to the agri-
cultural part of the community which
constituted a large majority of the whole
people of the United States, would be in.
calcu!ahlc. But it was said, suppose such
a measure did produce war; would you
not rather go TO war, than sacrifice your
rights by suffering your commerce to be
restrained and your seanen impressed.
TO this il was answered that not going
to war, particularly willis, We had neeo-'
citation depending between our minister
and the court of London on these very
subjects, could not be thought to imply
relinquishment If cur rights. The
right OF going to war, which nobody dis.
puted, was one thing. TIE physical
power and the expeaiency of doing il,
was another thing. That Great Britain
had eight hundred ships ofwar, America
few frigstes and gnn-boats. That Mr..
fitt, a. we had every reason to believe,
would rejoics at such q pretext, either
for continuing the seizure of our vessels,
or for an actual declaration of war. That
the Consequences 10 America would be the
immediate loss Of her commerce., upon
which depsadsd her revenue, an entire
stoppage in tho payment Of the public
debt. The creation of heavy taxes, at
the moment too, when our capacity to
pay thsrn vas much diminished, if not en-
tirely destroyed by the depression in the
prizes of produce; the augmentation Of
our navy, thing SO much deprecated ut
all times by the republicans and the es-
Enlistment perhaps of standing army.
'rhess things would necessarily BIZ &C.
companied by 4 sensible change for the
worse in the administration, whose pstro.
mage and power wosld unsyoidabIy be e.
Enormously increased, by all those chan
ges and arrangements incidental to war.
And for what should We heard such
sacrifice For the protection of that com.
merce, which, rs soon rs il 10 extended
beyond supplying us with such article.
of foreign manufacture as our own nc ces-
sites and comforts require, in exchange
for our surplus produce, must inevitably
become dileterious and destructive to the
manners, the morals, and the government
of the nation. But the commerce essen.
tial to the best interest and prosperity of
our country was not in reality that for
which thi. protection was desired. 1t
was the carrying and the covering trade
alone which had been assailcd by Great
Britain. A trade, beneficial chiefly 10 q
few individuals, many of whom were To-
reigners, stationed amongst US only for
short time, or at any rate 20 minority
only Of that class Of citizsns called mer-
chants. A trade too, which would in u
great measure cease with the war be-
tWCCu TfrDCC Uuu GtfBthUus III ~ ever
should be consistent with sound policy to
attempt aaording this branch of our COM
merce any protection beyond that which
it receives at this time it was in the pre-
sent situation of our country physical
impossibi,i,y. 70 engage in any contest
to which the resources of our country
were 30 incoapstent, would be an cvi-
dcnce rather of madness, than courage.
1t was no disgrace to our country to be
at this time incapable of wsgipg COM
mcrcial war With Great Britain, nor was
there shadow either ofjustice or reason,
in charging US for asserting this incapa-
city, with any partiality for England, I'M
lass the opinion which we had been hardy
enough to pronounce, that six American
friEstss ware not match for eight hum
dred British ships of war, could be con-
s;rued az proof of such Partially. That
love OF country, which prompts the glori-
oug sacrifice both offf. and fortune, would
prove curse instead Of blessing, un-
less accompanied by the Judgment at ell
times TO perceive our true interests, and
10 estimate properly our capacity to as
sert and maintain them.
Another objection TO the proposed mes-
sure was, that il could moi, at one and
the same time, be considered, as some
called il, " taking strong ground, and