Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-03-29
Ia 1-2 Cents .Sinr,c.

lmcn and merchandise had been so extrsf;
as not to admit OF one days Gclsy, oliehS
not that extreme danger u have beet. sXs
Inhibited to congress? i'he constitrtief.
which requires the president $50 give Ia
congress information of the state of the a.
nion, certainly meant, not IiarEiah bus
lco5;fle:c information on the subject OF 4
communication, so Tar as nc possessed IL.
And when It eDjo:ns him ssto recommend
ito their consideration snch measures as he.
shonlo Judge necessary and eXFcden;," X
is rs Certainly intended that those recon-.
lmendations should be bot;omed OH inf5,Did-
Ifion communicated nos Oh flcIS zv:thheIi1
iaud locked mp in the exccc.ite cabinet.
Had the pubic safety been :. stake, or any
lgrcat pubic good been pre- seuted TO OIL.
view, but which wo'J'i be lost by noment,s
delay, there W ud have bcen come apollo
icy for dts, :afch though none fcr ec,iny.
scftAoat die in/5,mefi0n Ia truth, SIS
measure appeared TO me then, rs it still
docs, and as it appears 10 the public, with
out sufficient motive; without a lesiti-
mate object Hence, the general ENQUIRY:
"For what IS the embargo had 20 And 7
challenge amy man not in the Arcfefs OF She.
executive TO tell. know, sir, that the
! president said the papers above mentioned
Showed that great and encrees dengeTs.
threatened cur vessels, .ur Sc amen atid our
exhibited no TeTv dangers none of which
Our merchants and seamen we're not ap-
ipris cd The British proclan, alton had ma
ny Gays before been published in the news
papers the copy laid before us " tic pree
SldenS mad becn cut out OF :: neasoa-
per aud so had the subs ance if not the.
! words OF Reyrier's letter. Yet they had
excited little concern monE merchants and
seamen' the preservation Of whose persons
ana property was the fucfcssed object os
| the presidents recorIm, rd2tian of an rrn-
barge. Thr merchants and scsmen could
accurately estimate the dangers Of c0ati-
n,,inS their commercial operations Of
which dangers, Indeed the actual premis
| Iins OF assurance were satisfact terry guage.
! hnse premiums had very little increaseds
10y tne Brush proclamation not q cent:
| ana oy ne French decree 50 l;rtic Is aot tu
| step commercial enterprises. The great
! lumber OF vessels loading or loaded and
| prepared for s''a; the e&ertions every where
made, on the first runlor &c the embargo,
% Dispatch them demonstrate the pre- ST.
dents dangers TO be imaSjnary--tu have
bcun assdGied OR If great ard real dam
seis, unLuswn 70 Commercial men, were
Impending, or sure to fail, how desirable
was it 10 lIaye had them officially declared
and published TINS would have produced
voluntary embargo, and prevented every
cCmpiaius. Besides, the dangers clearly
defined and understood, the public mind
would not have been disqu!eted with ina
sniary fears, tho more trrnentng because
unCeriain
j. IS true that considerable numbers OF
vessels Wete collected IN our ports, and
many heli in suspense not. however, from,
any new danGcrs which chteared but from
ste mysterious Conduc. OF Cur fairs, after
the a,tack on the Cheea PEI ,>e and rom
tue p"diai apprehension that TIC coarse
me F:ss'dSuI was pursung would tefmi-
bate IN war Tne National Iptellseucer
(usuaiiy considered IS TIC cxecvtiyc news.
| p'pGr) gave the alarm ant. i was echoed
throuSi the United States. va. probabls
or Inevitable war, was the coHs,unt taeme
u the newspapers, and Of the corvcfsaii-
ons, as was reported, Of persons supposed
| 20 be best informed Of executive designs.
| ret AMID tins din OF war no adequg5e are
paratiohs were seen making To meet it
The orGsr TO de;ach a hunGi cd thousand
! militia to tght the Britis.. navy (ior there
was no appearance of az enemy in any o.
Their shape was so completely absurd, as
70 eXcitc, with men of c0mqon sense, no
| other motion than ridicule. Not the s;ia-
dow OF "a reason that could operate ON the
! mind OF a man of COMMON understanding,
can be offered in its justification The re-
iusa! OF the British officer 10 receive the
fuga;e Chesapeake as Il PRIZE, when ten
dered 10y her commander, is demonstra-
tion tliat the attack upon her was exclusive
| ~ for the purpose Of taking their deser-
ters; and NOT intended as the commsrce-
merit Of q 7oGr betTeen the we nations.
| The president knew that the British had
no invading army 10 land on cur shores
and the detached Ioiiitia would be useless,
Except against land fprces. why then was
this order for the militia given! Tie ma
ture oi the case, and tie actual sta.e of
things, autlt'se the infer encc, tn.t ITS inn
mediate, Il not its anu object, was to in
crease che public alar:,I, 60 aygrayAte the
public resentment against Great Britain,
to excite var pulse and in Ire hcig,.s
| OF this tkCial fever OF tive public mini,
which was To l:r mifc kisTu a. g. Britg.n,
TO renew tic demands OF her government
IN the pocr eXpccta,iop q es;,crtirg, in that
state "t things, concessions of points witch
islic had always considered as her fisthfs,
and which ~ all times and under all cir
tcumstanccs, sine had Cnhorniy iefuscl 10
relnQulsh. The result o.. the 81, =, gncnt
lnrgociation gt london has 81; WI hc~ re-,
I'etly rn!ouuGed was the presidtLi's eSpeG-
tation, low perfectly uTcie..i al tbs biuSs
tcr Of war. WIFE ~ well l,forfncc cIal
Goubted THAI the British government world
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