Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-07-08
Aselr9lllla szAraM3.
II c Ii NJ o II d /;
FsIpAY, JULY 8, 1903.

lam Sncuce, Great Britain can continue "a
ncurish in wealth and prosperity from her
Internal resources. independent of CON-
merce, we may prepare TO pay the most
psofound homage &c this mistress of the
world. 1t is an alarming picture, and be .
comes more SO, as we examine its most
prominent feature of political morality,
which frowns upon the most sacred prin-
ciples oil justice, whenever they impose
the least restraint upon her wild career.
AS soon would We trust the might power
of love, with a maniac, as 70 give TO the
British ministry, the destiny of the world.
it is, however. cons0liug 20 the feelings of
humanity, and the friends of neutraltv,
20 know that these calculations exist in
Jaacy oore than n fact, in vanity more
than in tralh. 1t would indeed be cop
GUS source OF universal regret, if this bare
atom IN NATURES eye. possessed the supreme
power of controlling The nations OF the earth
with fleet without mercy. and n council
that seems TO have adopted the maxim of
the Emperor Joseph, that HUes are ~ no
consequence. Nature, however, has wise
ly ordained that her maritime power should
not be independent OF her commerce, and
her commerce independent OF honor aud
justice. Whcn then she entrenches upon
this code os nations we have only to limit
her ,nrlerce, 10 diminish her power
Il is perfectly infeas,ble (apd peculiarly So
at this tirAel that Great Britain can sup
port herself from her own income, in a. |
d,pting The SYSTEM Of agriculture propose
by this writer. He seems 20 imagine tha; |
: nation can throw off it's character, ha |
bits and profc ssions, with as a,nch expe-
dition as he could his dress. The WORK of |
ages he has embraced in moment, and |
fanciss mat the TITLED orders would almost !
throw away their garters and coroncts aud !
trinkets, which tliey have been accustom- |
Cd TO revere wi'has much faith and rcspect,
as the ancients her henateS that they
wen expunSe from their list Of expendi-
lures, every article Of foreign luxury, ana
tina, their long rentals, so necessary to
their pride, would be instantly pard and
Diminished &c suit national econotny. The
thousands who support their ..milies by
t&e POINTING of pms, the texture of lace,
and the dyeing Of cclors, are instantly to
handle with Skill che axe, the p.,u.h and
the grubbnr-hoe-A million OF mechanics
or more, who have been taught in their
profession and voluptuous mode of life, to
iosk wi n indife; ence upon agriculture,
and with contempt upon the husbandmsn,
ire 70 ddzzfe win their dgrfcUiturGt gran :
utur, which has, been so long concealed ,
by commerce snd manu{dctUreS. In order /
be as plastic and yielding as in the creative I
mould of the Deity: 10 teach, m so short
time, the prodigal, frugality, the epi,sirc,
the abstinence OF a Bramin, the vicious
and noisy mechanic the plain, Pleading
habits OF agricultural industry, aud every /
panied butterfly of the court, TO become
the busy ant OF the field. In short, he
would have to conquer the most deep-root-{
ed habits and invctsrate passions IT nature,
bv the y still small voice. of admonition,
aud Which to AN infinite number would seem
the delus ON Of folly Il is almost beyond
the power of time 20 induce people, who
fer almost two cen uries, nave delighted
III commerce and I'll It's train Of Injuries.
to become ,uddcnly the followers OF agri-
culsure From the history of men and na-
tons, we cannot hesitate to pronounce it
impossible. sTha, trade IS indispensably !
necessary to Great Britain, is a truth &C.
compagied by the resistiess evidence of
her history from the sixteenth century tol
the present crisis We would fain enquire
how has this cohntry supported its CONTINUE
al and eXtravagaat wars, but from the
wealth she has derived from commerce ?
ii is evident from this recurrence 90 the
rise and progress o. her naval aud COM
mtrCial prosperity, that before Eug'aDd
became a trading country, She was in a |
s. &c Of considerable inipoverishment, the
general price o. her land was IL year, /
purchase. and she lagal interest for money
was ] o per cent. AS we pursue tl,is part
OF her history from the commencement of
fcrcgn traffic, we iiuA her navy, constant
iy increasing, her land rising in value, and
interest lowering in per cent this, then
must be received as conclusive testimony |
OF the wealth aud prosperity which ccm-l
merce b1stows upon til I coG6try, for in al /
rising and Rourishng countries the price
oil land will be high, ard the interest Of
money low. In exploring The sources Of
her grandeur ANA wealth, we Can find no
Other tnau Commerce. Is it possible then,
that she can stop this vital ST cam, with !
ca sensible shocks OF dissolu, on If it
were within the compass OF probability,
that her internal resources, with every
czcriicn, could affo. her wealth ard safe
tys II is beyond the bounds Of possibility,
that she can avail herself If them in SO
abort a time, ~ 90 preserve her feet upon
lie presen, footing. 70 make country
wiich has been completely commercial,
Suddenly agricultural, is a tasi, OF infinite
difficulty, If not IN attempt at impossible
~. We may be tcld tnat her commerce
- already gone, for according to Mr..
Brrushan, IL BIS speech, q" the commerce
oithison, -four shng country isrow rgght
down 20 p STATE lower than j. ever vas e5l-
= oted 10 reach. even in the most gloomy