Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-05-03
[fo"r Dollars Per Annunr-Paia in AdOance.l


go laid {" is satisfactory answer denied !?
WHY'S not Congress made acquainted with
the actual situation of the u. s. in relation
10 France Why, in this dangerous crisis :,
are MIR. Armstrong; letters 10 the Secreta.
ry OF State absolutely withheld, so that a
line OF them cannot be seen Did they con.
tain no information of the demands and in
tentions OF the French Emperor Did the
ReOenge sail from England to France, and
there wait three or four weeks for disDat-
ches OF no Importance IF so, why, reg ard
less OF the public solcitude, are their con-
tents SO carefully concealed If really un.
important, what harm can arise from tel
ling Congress and the Nation oGfciaHy, that
they contain nothing of moment to the safe
ty, the liberty, the honor or the interests of
the y. States? On the contrary, are they
SO closely locked up because they will not
bear the light! Would their d sclosure
rouse the spirit of The people, still sumber-
Ing IN blind confidence i'm the executive
tias the French Emperor declared that he
viii have no nentrals Has he required
that Our Ports, like those of his vassal states
IN Europe, be skYf against British COM
merce Z Is the embargo a substitute, a mil
asT Lor0i OF compliance with that harsh de-
mand, which, If exhibited in its naked and
ihsul'ins aspect, the American spirit might
YET resent Are we still to be kept pro
'oundly ignorant of the declarations and a.
vowed designs of the French Emperor, al
though these may s:r;ke at our liberty and
independence ? And, in the mean time. are
we, by thousand irritations, BY cherishinc
PreJudices, and by exciting fresh resent.
ments, TO he drawn gradually into war
with u. Britain Why amidst the extreme
anxiety OF the public mind is it still to be
kept on the rack Of fearful expectation, bv
he presidents portentous silence respect
ing his French dispatches? In this conceal
nent there is danger. In this concealment
must be wrapt up the real cause of the en-
largo. On any other suppostion it is in
applicable
am alarmed. Sir, at this perilous state
III things cannot repress my suspicious !;
Or foroear thus to exhibit to you the
grounds on which they rest. The people
are advised to repose implicit condolences
IN the national government in that unboun-
ded confidence lies our danger. Armed
with that confidence the executive NAV pro-
cure the adoption of measures which may
nverWhelm us with ruin, as surely as if he
had an army at his heels. By false Doli-
cy, orby inordinate fears. our country may
be betrayed and subugated to France, az
surely as by corruption. trust, sir. that
no one who knows me will charge it to va
nifty when say, that have some knowledge
OF public men and public affairs: and on
that knowledge, and with solemnitv, de-
clare to you, that have no confidence in
the wisdom or correctness of our public mea-
sures: that our country is in imminent dan
ger: that 1t is essential to the public safe.
ty that the blind confidence IN our rulers
shcCld cease; that the state legislatures
should know the facts and reasons on which
important general laws are founded; and
eSheczaUy that those states TvhOSe farms are
on the ocean and zvhoSe hai.UestS are eath
cred IN eUery sea. should imneRidteEy and
seriously consider how 10 hreserUe them
In all the branches of government, CONNER
cIal information. is wanting; and i'm "this
deserl" called city, that want cannot be
supplied. Nothing but the sense of the COM
mercial states, clearly and emphatically
expressed, viii save them from ruin.
Are our thousands OF ships and vessels to
rot in our harbors Are our sixty thousand
seanen and fishermen TO be deprived of
employment, and with their families, redu-
ced to want and beggary Are our hun
dreds OF thousands of farmers To be Cornpcl-
led to suffer their millions in surplus pro
duce to perish on their hands that tho pre-
sldent may make an experiment on our pa :
tIence and iortutude, and on the towering
PRIDE the boundless ambition, aud unvield
ing perseverance Of the COnquerer of Eu-
rope Sir, nave reason tobelieve that the
president contemplates the continuance of
the embargo until the French emperor, re-
.peals his DEGREES violating, as well his trea-
~ with the u. s. as every neutral right !;
and until Britain thereupon recalls her re-
taliatng orders by that time we NAV
have neither ships nor seamen; and that is
precisely the point TO which some men wish
TO reduce us TO see the imhroUidence of
this project 60 call it By no haraher name,
and without advertjng to Interior views)
ct rs look back 70 former years.
Notwithstanding the well founded com
plants Of some individuals, and the MUIR
nurs of others; Notwithstanding the fire.
quent executive declarations OF maritime
aggression committed by Great Britain
no wi'hsnndng the outrageous DEGREES of
France and Spain, and the wanton spolia-
tons practised and executed By their CRUZ
sers and tribunals, of which we sometimes
hear faint whisper the commerce Of the
u >. has hitherto prospered beyond all ex-
ample. Our citizens have accumulated
wealth and the public revenue, annually
increasing, has been the presidents annu..
III boast.
The facts demonstrate, that although 6.
Pritain, with her thousand ships Of war,
could hive destroyed our commerce, she
has really done it no essential injury and