Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-04-03
CI2 IL Gents Single.
FROM The NATIONAL .NrE111cHucER.

( was altogether unacCu2intcd with tho e..is-
ting political state OF the world, and parti-
culaliy with that OF the United States, what
would be his impressions from reading the
federal prints
! 1. lie would believe that under the name
/ OF free republican government, We had
the worst species Of despotism that ever ex-
listed. He would infer that none ofthe great
| privileges, for which men of independent
and generous minds have SO often risqued
their all, were enjoyed that freedom of o.
| plnlon was not tolerated, that freedom of
/ conscience was prescribed, that the free
} dom OF the press was in chains. 1t is true
that the free structures passed upon public
measures, and the vehement denunciatiCns
levelled at public men would lead him to
hesitate In embracing this last opinion
but the reiteration OF the assertion would
compel him 70 6elicUe at whatever sacri-
! ice of his reasoning faculties.
! .. He would believe that freedom ofpur-
suit, the next dearest attribute of an indie
pendent mind, was absolute Y interdicted,
ana that the government, by dealing out
tits protecting power, so encouraged some
branches Of industry as to cmbarrass and
crush others.
). he would more especially believe that
commerce was in the most ignoble letters,
and that the merchants were consequently
among the poorest, lowest, and least res
pectablc classes Of the community.
4. He would believe the whole nation to-
be in retrogradc course towards poverty
and debasement.
5. He would believe that industry was
Paralised, agriculture unproductive, and
manufacturers at a stand.
6. He would believe the people oppres-
seq with taxes, and suffering under the
most oppressive burthers.
Z. lie would believe those in government
of the lowest order of mankind, and total
, ly incapable of conducting the public aft
fairs.
8. Ee would infer that the mind of the
! American was sunk into apathy and igno-
rance, and that knowledge was his con-
tempt instead ofhis ambition.
! 9, He would believe that the American
ination and government were held in con-
tempt throughout the whole civilized world.
! md he would naturally exclaim "mise-
rabe people for whom nature and Kind
Providence have done every thing-but
who have done nothing for yourselves
( Thy glory is extingnishcd. In infancy thou
teeiest the decrepitude ofage. Better had
I 1t been for thee and the human race, hadst
thou never asserted an independence thou
! knowest not how 20 maintain"
But what would the astonishment Of our
morslISing stranger be, on employing his
own senses and judging for himself from in
ldisputablc facts and observations, to ind
/. That every man, from the highest to
the lowest, was permitted to enioy an unli-
mlted freedom Of opinion, political as well
as religious, and that the press was suffer-
cd with lmpWity, not merely to utter the
truth, but 70 propagate the most fragrant
untruths, to dcciare public measures to have
been taken which never were adopted, to-
ascribe motives to public men which never
Influenced them, and not satisfied with this,
to attack their private lives with the ba-
seat calumnies What would be his asto-
Eh'shment TO md, although the FIRST magis-
trate possessed private character without
stain' that this en8laUcd organ had tor
tured ingenuity to multiply and aeeravate
the number and degree Of vices ascTibcd to
aim Would not his astonishment be ex-
IRENE to near, that Notwithstanding tho a.
troclty OF these calumnics and the almost
universal reverence entertained fer the
ICharacter of the chief magistrate, and not
wthsta1ding the existence If laws fully
competent to the punishment OF caiumria-
tors, not single prosecution had been in
stituted by him or his friends.
2. What would be his establishment to
learn that freedom Of pursuit was not only
exempt from any positive restraint, but that
~ wa "uaoiasCl( protected ana guaranteed
by habits and institutions unknown 60 any
other nation that there is not a single le-
Salised monopoy--that there are no entail
led estates--that there are no established
orders-that the road to Office is equally
lopcn 70 all--that every useful occupation
tot lire IS held in estiwaGJn-that there is
mo preference whatever given 60 one pur-
suit over another, and that such preference
IS actually prohibited by the letter and spi-
,rit 81 our institutions.
;. What wouid be his establishment to
ind that trade was almost as free as air:
chat the field Of enterprise at home as wei
as abroad was almost entirely Unrestricted,
that u was in @ state ofprosperitv without
q precedent, that no people so Young had
ever been so commercial, and that the mer-
chants, instead of being tie poorest. thc low
est, and the least respectable elias, I'm the
community, we've uHGue i'onablv. for their
numbers, tue richest, & that thcy lived in "A
style OF elevation and enjoyment unknown
TO ANY other part OF The nation, ENJOYING the,
best tables, living IN the largest houses, the
most spieldid,y iurni. he'd, keeping their
carriages, ard retiring .u Tic summer to
their gay villas, and living there With even
more elegance than in town Would he noe
almost disocHevC his scness, vixen, Dart3-
king OF their cheer, and surrcurGcd bv an
the dclicacics ofthe season, and the more
ff. ,.r