Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-02-16

treaty by our government won d not have
added To his popularity So highly and SO
justly incensed were the people of the u.
States against Great Britain so trembling
Iy alive have they always been to the vindi-
cation of their rights; that nothing could
have induced them to acquieSce in the sa-
criiice of any, eUeu Of the smallest If,
therefore, such d treaty, with no provision
for the safety of our seAmen, and with none
acknowledged 20 be obligatory for the free
dom OF our legitimate commerce, had been
ratified their ardent indignation would
have been excited agains, the ministers by
whom I was negotiated, and against the
administration by which it was accepted.
The popularity OF Jcferaon and Madison
would have been ruined by such measure
neither would all the purity Of his intent.
ons, and tile strict pr0priety of his conduct,
have saved Monroe from sharing in the
same fate. We confess VIC are at a loss to
dist over in what manner Tie result could
have been otherwise.
If, indeed. Messrs. jefferson and Madi-
son Or the friends ofcitier, had, in any IN
stance, attempted to cast reproach OH Mr.
Monroe, by imsinuatng that he could have
obtained better treaty, there might have
been some plausibility in the suggestion that
! it was rejected for the purpose of diminish.
/ ing his popularity but, for such a SUPPOSE
ton, there is not the smallest foundation.
On the cont airy, they have always done
him the justice to applaud his conduct. lie
did ms duty in sending over the treaty as
the then uitimatuni of the British govern.
ment, and they did theirs by rejecting it
Again, MIR. Madison is accused of being
actuated by the same unworthy views, in
sending Mr., Pirckney to England. Mr.
&c c,,A =. r
sistance and the furnishing an envov ex.
traordinary, as his aid, conveyed an insinu
alton that he was no, able to do without him
As well might similar observation have
been made, when Mr.. Monroe himselfw :
sent TO France. to assist Mr.. LfUfnr8fou.
and to share in the glory of acquiring Lou
fsiann. Yet that appointment was given
nm by the same men who arenow accused
OF wishing 20 depreciate his merif, for who
we venture to pronounce that they feel the
[ highest esteem and respect, and which they
are TAR, very far, above the pitful base
ness OF endeavoring TO attack The truth
is, that, when they sent Mr. Pinckney, they
knew that Mr.. Monroe was zeal,usIv Ia
boring for his country's interests, that he
shed for nothing but 10 accomplish the
object OF his mission, and coald not be infIu-
enced to such degree by the sc fish desire
OF enhansipg his own reputation by singly
concluding treaty, as In take umbrage at
their affording him an able coadiutcr. The
public good being the only object which fbe,,.
as well as Mr.. Monroe had in view. thev
did not permit the trifing considerations of
! Etiquette 70 prevent them from done VIII At
they supposed might possibly promote tha,
object; remembering the vulgar but true
adage th0t I" tzUo heads are better than one %
and the sound doctrine ofholy writ, that s u,
The multitude of coUH8eiio,.s there is mig
DOM" Perhaps, i'll this opinion they were
mistaken and Monroe might have done
very we'll without Plnckney but, surely
this is ridiculous ground of Complaint
gainst them, and a strange reason for de
claring Madison unworthy of the ofEce NJ
President Is it not plain and obvious thar
a knowledge of the state of the public mind
in America, of the warmth of zeal amonr
the people in defence of their rights and
of their general union in support of the d.
) ministration Tin spite of the declamatorv
speeches of the minority in Congress) was
/ calculated to be very useful for the purpose
| OF opening the eyes of the ministry OF Eng.
land and urging them to an accommodate
on that the mission of Mr. Pinckusy. i'm
me6'afeiy from this country, would CON
vey information, OF those subjects, which
I Mr.. OloHroe's long absence had incapscita
I ted him from communicating, and thar
therefore (without any disrespect to Mr..
Monroe be it said) the Pres dent and secre.
tary bad reason to think that the arrival
MIR P'nckney would really be conducive
to the ultimate success Of the negotiation
Is it not we'll known that aIlhou h the b,,si.
ness was in train for adjustment, vet. even
in the lifetime of the celebrated Far. / :
| conclusion had been continually Drocrasti
mated By the British ministry and was il
not probable, that new envoy, by perso
nally conveying to 'heirears the recent sen.
timents of the American nation, would have
4 good effect on their proceedings, and 500.
! ner bring them TO a close
II the measure asioned any deIqy. i,
ought not TO have produced il: and we con.
ceive, no good reason can be assigned for
surprising that such a consequence foyes
4 from it, The subsequent death OF Mr. For.
and other causes are amply sufficient to ac.
count for any delays thar ensued
We are so far from being of opinion tba,
/ PiHckney's mission was intended to iniure
Monroe, that we think it demonstrabIe, thai
The latter might have been materially i,iiur
led, (by men so Gisposed) if no envoy had
been sent to assist him. His treaty might
have been rejected, & all the blame thrown
on his shoulders whereas, now, his associ.
ate Mr.. PiHckney, who Is not "a competit,r
with Madison for the Presidential char, &
whom we therefore may charitably suppose