Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-10-30

The destruction OF the editor, IL cAnno
be doubted wculd GRITTY that government
-Hrt whether it is by the means which
Goblet Pointed at: .sfhcre is ne doing anu
"thinEr 7tTh snch q man uniess yon take
I" ms HIe"-or by destroying his character,
and standing in society, is not so material
to that government as that it should be done
they view him as mere Irishma,r, and
would give more than forty narke to re-
sroUe the stumbling block.
With this knowledge, the editor would
have been indeed a greater fool than thew
suppose him to be, if he had, for an instant,
hesitated on the mode of disposins of the.
packet.
1t was delivered by a person whom he
never saw 6cf0rc-i,0r since-never but the
once.
IL was delivered in very questionable
manner-tor 1t was not the person who said
he received it that delivered il, but a per-
son who had received 1t from another.
Aware OF the strat~sens of the British.
and strengthened by the exterior appear.
ance or the packet without even a seal.
and to appearance containing cIthera cou-
pie OF newspapers ur a small pamphlet the
editor could not forget the use that had
been made of n similar occur renee in relati-
on to his predeceSsor-be conceived II to
be trick, intended to entrap him-and
these reflections arose
Suppose this packet to be political CON.
trivance hcre-
Suppose tito contain something personals
ly insulting to Mr. Erskine.
1t 1t was, and we do still believe it In he,
trick invented here, the object must be-
too obvious.
IT it was any thing personally insulting to
!hr Erskine, then the very circumstance of
ITS passing, no matter by zuLat means. tbro,
the hands of the editor of the Aurora. me-,
doubt the intention would be or was TO Ak
the act or authorship on the object so OBJ
noxious to the British.
Ihere could be no choice of conduct left
in such situation. The man was ouesti-
oned II he had any illegal intercourse, con-
irary to the presidents proclamation, with
the British armed ship The reply he made.
was, that he Svas not the herson Bur q r.
iafion ofhis.
The reply made by the editor was. the
only course for you and for me is to send il
to the executive.
NccorolnglY, 1t was put under a cover A.
long with short open note to the secreta-
ry OF state, noticing how it was received
anu 'ntima'lng the editors ignorance of Mr.
ErsEinc's actual residence.
a gentleman, not an agent of Mr. Por,y
as has been said-in about three bours ,f-
forwards, called and enquired about il, buzz
the packet had been dispatched, and OF
course was out of the power of the editor =.
but had it been in the power of the editor
ne would not have acted otherwise because
he found 1t incumbent on him le place the
goOeTnment Of The country between him g.
the fleshLence Of British connerion
AS to Mr. Erskine's being in this CITY, tha
editor did not know it, until informed so
,hrce hours after the transaction ; ifhe had
known 1t, under the circumstances in Which
1t reached him, he would not have Trusted
to any equivocal course.
The adherents of the British couern-
mem have now the whole advantage oF
their trick, for such we must still believe
IL TO be. But the trafr did not catch-thev
must try another trick OF give it onot6ry.
turn and they had best request a copv or
the original note of the editor to the secre-
tary of state.