Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-09-16

neral ssahders with which the opposition prints |
abound ut this crisis, and more especially at
tho multitude Of fLlschoods so easy OF detecti- |
IN. he would be apt to infer that their au- |
.hors would be overwhelmed by the avenging |
voice of truth, AMI consig red to contempt the
more acute from the utter futility of their ca
"imnies as soon rs they shoald be exposed But
he would soon discover his mistake, by percei-
wing that the party print tn 1t sheds the poison
invariably refuses admission to the antidote,
thereby securing, without check, its delc;eri-
Gus effect; and he would discover that false
hoods are Systematically told to operate an in
Simultaneous and temporary effect, which in fact
is freqneuty produced before the antidote, how
ever eficacious or immediate, can have any in
iluence. Hence on the eve of an important e.
lection, days, and even hours are calculated.
! Islander is kept in reserve till the last moment,
and is propagated when it is impossible to over
take it. Hence the people are duped By false
hoods whose detection however sure comes
! too late. 1t is in vain that the federal prints
are called upon to republish the most incontro-
vertible statements of Facts. They are treated
with sullen silerce, or mutilated till every ORR
ginal feature is lost. 1t requires no gift OF pro
phcsy to say that this will be the treatment of
these very remarks, and of those which have
preceded them on Mr.. Canning's speech
Among the eminent merchants of the u
nited States, who are decidedly friendly to
the embargo, we take pride in enumerat-
ing Col Buchanan of Baltimore. Veryl
much to his honor he has come forward in
a public manner, with the most unequivo-
cal expressions of his convictions. The fol-
lowing is given in the Baltimore Evening
Post as sketch of his remarks.
Col. BUCHANAN was repeatedly called
on to address the meeting. He at length
complied. Mr.. Winder, said he, has pour
trayed our grievances and the evils of the
embargo but he has pointed out no rene
ldy. He said he would not follow the
gentleman first up, (Mr. Winder) through
all his arguments, because he was not ac-
customed to public debate; but he would
answer and correct the gentleman's mis-
takes on some commercial points. And be-
in5 merchant himself, he must be all eyre
gious blockhead indeed, if he did not know
something of the nature of commerce, and
the effects which the orders and DEGREES,
and embargo had upon it. He affirmed that
instead of one million, the gentlemen had
stated was said to have been saved, our
floating capital has by the most intelligent
! merchants, been estimated at one hundred
and t7oenfy.jfVe millions no man ever con-
tended that the property out when the en-
barge commenced its operation could be af-
fected by it, nor did the orders or DEGREES
extend to any of our return cargoes, but we
I all know hat as each ship arrives, agree
able to the course of trade she is immedi-
ately dispatched on another voyage; it is
thus, in a few months, our whole capital
would have turned into exports, and the a
mount been swallowed in the vortex of
these orders ana DEGREES. The embargo
( has, therefore saved to the u. States one
hundred millions Of dollars, and he appeal
ed to any federal (mercantile) gentleman
present to correct him, he mistated par
tlcle of fact The gentleman had said, that
he considered an embargo of short duration,
and that duration limited, as proper oniy,
when preparatory for war. An embargo,
said Mr.. in its very nature, must be in
| DEFINITE as TO duration, or it would be great
ly absurd and utterly Intellectual. What
Should we proclaim to France or England,
| that we could endure an embargo for one
month or two months, or until some given
period, and no longer? If we did so, it
would be saying to them-On such a day
you may prepare to pounce upon our pro-
perty, which we must by that time launch
on the ocean, TO provoke your hungry jaws.
Let such an embargo be laid, and it would
be completely absurd indeed.
The present embargo law was word for
word the same with that imposed in 1894,
under Washington's administration if it
lasted much longer, there was much great
er cause for its continuance. The Affairs
Of the zvorld now, bore no parallel to those
of former days We must be guided by cir
cumstances, and external circumstances,
foreign and uncomfortable, which COMPEL.
ed us to lay an embargo-We were placed
between two robbers, which strove which
could excel the other, in depredating upon
neutral commerce, under pretence of retail
atiDg injuries upon each other Unwilling to
be longer sacrifice for either, we had pur-
sued the only wise policy that could be pur-
sued; produce was low now, but decla-
ration of war would sink still lower the price
every thing. Occasional purchases were
now made, in the expectation that CONNER
cial restrictions might ere long be revoked,
but, IT war be declared, the probability is.
that it would last for three or four years
and few or none, would be adventurous e.
nough to lay out money for domestic pro-
ducts on the forlorn hope Of exporting it to
a foreign market. But the eloquent gentle-
man who spoke first, was resolved to brock
no insult-he would, it seems, take both
France and England by the beard Why.
sirs, If we so to war with England & France,
at the same time, where shall we find a mar
ket for single pound Of -four or a stem of
| tobaccol
Mr.. b. made many judicious observations
on the arrogance of the rival powers-and
the dictatorial character of the British Or
IL Of NJ