Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-07-19
FROM THE NATIONAL IkrEL1,erseER


ministra,ion on topic we'll fitted to ex.
cite the national sensiblity. The wrongs
and insults offorsign nations, who, in the
iplenitude of their power, lawlessly tram
! pie on our commercial rights, have ever
1 been fruitful source oftndigDation. So
lung as these feelings were directed to
the perpetrators of the crimes. or to
those who directly or indirectly counte-
nance them, they may be considered be.
nefcial. Ii is the desire no less than The
interest of the American people TO re-
main at peace with the. whole world |;
but when outrages are offered to their
undisputed rights, when their honor is
wounded, and their property pillaged by
the licensed free-booters Of the ocean, it
would betray dangerous inse',,ibili,y, a
fatal lethargy, not boldly to-. avow the
sentiments they entertain of those who
inJure them. Such a manly expression
of their feelings serves to keep the pub
| lie mind in a state OF excitement and vi.
GLANCE, which would enable u. with less
difficulty and more effect TO resort to
| measures of a hostile complexion when
ever accumulated wrongs shall leave US
4
| ting this state Of readiness for the worst
events, powerfully tends to avert the
necessity of such resort. Ii arms,
Likewise the government with the means
OF urging with greater cffsct its demands
Tor redress and reparalion.
But when the spirit, instead Of being
l;aSiy directed against our enemies, Isl
| through the pteiudces Of party feeling
or personal msIevoIence, n'yzsfLy turned
on those who administer the national
concerns, il cannot be too SEVERELY re-
pUpba,ed. It may be, in degree, We
NAL, for the different parties that subsist
among US to carry their ppliiical fsuds 10
considerable lengths, aud i'm the ardent
wish to PROSTATE their adversa,ies, 20
consider the ends they pursue as justify
ing the use Of equiyocal means ca;cuia
| ted 10 efc & hem. But even such con.
daet is declsi,ned by morality however
tits iurpItGde may be mit,yated by the
feelings almost inseparabls from party.
Bat when any man, or set Of men, Trough
| motives purely personal, can contemplate
the rights Of their fellow citizens trampled
upon, & the Dationai character woundedby
the base outrages Of foreign power, and,
at the very moment they know that their
/ government is engaged in pursuing the
best means according to its belief, in its
power, for obtaining redress, raise loud
cr clamor against ii than against those
who injure aud insults US, our minds are
naturally lost in establishment at The ex
lreme depravity TO which nisdirccted
passions lead those whose highest boast
is the gifts of reason with which they
are endowed.
How can redress be obtained but
through the exer,ions of the government
supported by public opinion! What then
shall we say of those, whose systematic
cxertions are enlisted, not on the side Of
their own government, hot virtually on
that of the government whose wrongs are
the subjects of our complaint? In peri.
od of war, it is treason to aid AIN enemy.
Is the crime ofalighter hue, whose direel
tendendcy it is to translate peaceful natl
on into state Of war; but every man Of
common sense will see that wrongs unrc
fdressed naturally. necessarily lead to this
result. 1t might not comport with the
language Of decorum to stile those men
TRAITORS, who pursue this course OF conduct,
but the eye Of justice can scarcely con-
template them in any other light.
Let not these remarks be mi.uDder-
stood. They are not intended to incul-
cate the duty of ain unqualified approba-
ton of the measures of the government
with respect 70 oar foreign relations, or
Iof an abstinence from laying before the
public a full exposure of facts, and go
ing into free discussion Of the correct
ness OF the measures pursued. This,
so far from being pernicious, aili, in =
government like ours, be invariably at
tended with The bappiest eF-ets. Those,
who administer the government, awate
that the scrutinizing eye Of parry is upon
them, ready 10 expose their omissions
and errors will be melted tn faithful
and vigilsnt discharge of duty and, on
many occasions, useful hints will be sug
gested, and important information thus
laid before them, which they would not
otherwise possess. But such course OF
conduct is as different, as day light from
darkness. from that OF which we COM
PLAIN. The one consists in statements
founded in truth, in representations foun.
ded on facts, in discussions, untinged by
Dersonai rancnuf Io,v rihaldrv. al f,or,,