Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-06-07
RIO II M o n d /:

ted ates. AS this is very important subiec,
and cannot be 700 well understood we will m,ke
few additional observations upon it, particu
larry tor the purpose of showing in what the true
INDEPENpgNc. of nation consists
INDEpENDEN CE has been the theme of
much eloquent defamation, of many an exceIent
song, and innumsrabie patriotic toasts, VET few
people have coriec; ideas of MS nature, or seem
II know what is essential to lis existence, D.,
has been called and Justly too the rich priz.
which noby was won by the blood ana ereasuYe
OF the peope oil Ameics YET chat psone ( f
wnouI it may truly be said q OF Eortunafus M,
sr bma no mt Antericaros ~ have not untl very
Lately, appeared to eitimate correctly the value
of her ir- cious prize.
Independence has inds ed been 1von by the rolls
the dangers and the sacrifices of AZ eiyh, ears
war; because The event of the contest has Ger
tainy put 1t so far in our powef ,hat TO possess
and enjoy it depends altogether upon ourselves
bu, al.no five and twenty years have now passed
away since it was acknowledged and supposed
to have been es'db!ssbef. we have never vet an
realty possessed and enjoyedi' AS this may
TO some seen paradox, we will proceed 10 ex
plain j; Immediately
The true independence of naion does moi
consist merely in having government If its own.
and being fire. from foreigi rulc ct dominion
Foreign influence arising ei,h9r from corcup ION
of the body p1litic, or from any Other cause O
Pesa,ins destruciively to III pr ispsIiy and hap
piuessof ITS Citizens is eqn-iig nconAislen, with
true independence, An individual who il dee oly
in deb and oninually ha raised By Creditors
Cannot be said to be independent, notwithstanding
his person may be exempt from actual slavery or
imprisonment, W, ndffyn being composed
OF ind,ofdaais, IT he majori,y, or a great par,
OF those. who constitute any particular nation,
generally look to foreign merchants TO supply
Them with he eomforis, and wha, they call the
recessa'fss ct Hte; It, (the balance of trade be
ing against them) many of them are therefore
involved in distres5es and perplexies aud com,
peed 70 rely on the me,cy of foreigners, -on
the favor OF Benk. --or The sorrowfll system
OF bcuowng,-to save them from sinking If
dsbls unpaid, insolvencies, and law suits ate very
numerous ia that nation she sur " ought nor
90 I've coniiiered as genuinely iudecenaeat; how.
ever ardent her attachment 20 ne psIncipies of
liberty hwever jealous her haired OF foreign
subJee ion uness It Could with psop'iety be said
thar the UhDie rs free, while the pas are ensiave,
Ii too ms cinzeus of any nation we're so fon,.
OF a. io,eS OF the growth ranuf4c ure, OF a
noiher nation. as 20 prefer hem to those of mel.
own country III some Instances whe,e n 4 bet en-
in qua icy, Simply because f5ey 1pe.e fgeien-
IT they we're even ashaaed To be .ccn d c. sed In
a suit OF lheis home made cloth and (witnou
endeavoring' as they NIGH, 10 improve its tex
ture } were cohteni to shrcw ~ a.iie as inf, m
- 49, -~~' -Iff) 'hSihSStNeS Win the
produce # TO eignuade hey should submit, 10 in
dlgnities L insn's or otherwise resort TO expen.
sive * buthensome wars 10 preserve il /: rbnt ma
iioH would nteed he far from independcnr-Tho'
not cursc' IN FORM ~ a g ,vernrnent by he king
orp1r men, f ne to'tign nation (with tie love
OF whose commerce It was infa ualed) II would b.
DICT tors sUostans', thfo' he me dunn of ITS
me chants, and thso' tie force Of its own pro-
pensities.
Thank heave' the United States are begin
ning to shake II this degrading dependence
bu the pic ure we have drawn has for long
time past, in many respects. resenb,ed their 81.
tuarion.-That which the foiure will exhibit, we
tiust will be vey different: The folly of Great
Britain has, much in the same way as formerly.
broken The yoke imposed upon us by herself
1 hat ITS broken pieces never may be ioinsd A.
gain must be the prayer of every true hear ed
American--to prevent which the only means must
be the improvement and establishment Of manu-.
iaetutes among ourselves.
h7 To morrow afternoon at O'Clock. the
citizens of Richmond will assemble at the CAM.
tol ia receive and consider the Report OF the Com
mt'iee appointed for the important purpose of
deVising some plan for encouraging domestic
manufactures.
Delegates chosen to serve in the next General
Assembly of this Commonwealth
BERKELEy, Aaron Faris and George Porter.
field, Esqrs.
COMMUNICATIONS.
Citizen who attended the meeting al
the CAPITOL on Wednesday evening, begs
leave 10 suggest To- the Committee, the
proprlety of taking into consideration the
erection OF Paper Mill in the neighbor.
hood olIhis city. I ne immense cousumD
ton OF this useful astIcle in our stare !,
well Known and the quantity for sale is
s dom equal 10 The denaod Ill We SHOULD
be involved in war, as is probable. our usu
al scan'y supply of paper from the Eastern
States will be obstrucled. Ills an indiS
pensabIe article, and the manufacture of,
on an extensive scale would be very lu.
cralIye,
1t evidently appers, from the Bos-
ton Chronicle, that if the republican
towns OF Massachusetts had been as
Jealous to send the whole number of
members 70 the legislature they were
entitled to, as were the federalists, that
a large republican majority had still
been in that BODY. The r,r,.. e =,