Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-05-20
parallel. Entirety deprived of the al.erna.

tive OF naval force, by state Of things
winch made IL certain that We should loss
IL as fast as il was created, aud having nc
other mode of defence on water but gun
boats, this last resort was held up 10 ridi
cuic, as t.ie dream IT moon rack phlo
s0yhy, as the hobby horse OF missionary the.
Org; AZ sho't, as eyinclve of an irrevoca-
Die purpose TO withhold all protection from
Commerce. Because The executive recon.
inended the only measure for its protect
on, which the SITUATION Of The world, or the
feelings Of The nation, authorised, party
mal,gni,s had the hardihood 10 represent
him as inimical loit! When, TOO. the ex.
: per'ence Of o.her nations had proved The
great value oil this instrument Of defence.
A million was proposed 10 be appropr.
aIed sor the defence of ports ard aarbors.
Buteven this measure, which i, might have
been presumed would have been zealously
supported by federalists, was denounced
as altogether inadequate TO the object, and
was made The vehicle of copious detracli-
on.
An additional military force. measrr {
SO Systematically supported by federalism
when, Proposed under republican admi.
-nistration. was likewise opposed. The en-.
e'nieS OF liberty discovered on this oocasi.
on that standing army was fatal TO its
existence /! The friends OF an energetic
executive found out that il would swell the
treasure OF patronage The advocates of
a prcdigal system OF taxa'ion, and fer ma
king The people letl the public burthens.
invyighed against 1t for producing the We.
~ eftccss heretofore SO highly apprec;a
ted by them Energetic, indeed, as large
military force has hhherto been consider
ed in repelliog foreign danger, they made
on this occasion the wonderful discovery
that il should not fail TO increase The yul..
nerabie points ofthc union
The embargo, that measure, which has
saved the whole commerce of the country,
which has preserved is peace. and which
still Turntables chance of weatherinp out
the storm without resuTting 10 war, me,
with The mos furious opposition, when irsi
imposed anu has continued to receive il,
without abatement, through all the neces.
sary measures adopted for carrying il into
eEec'.
This opposition and embarrassment are
in one respect only perhaps to be regret
tel. II is to them that we are to ascribe
IN great measure, the iuefficacy Of the
embargo. They have served 10 fan the
hame oil commercial d,scon,ent TO favor
the idea CT oppression, aid thence 20 les
seoithe sense of moral turpi,ude attached
10 violation Of is legal provisions. Blu
tor The misrepresentation containedi in The
speeches aHd lstters of members Of Con
gress, ascrIbing the measure TO French
inHuence and 10 deliberate and inexora.
bic hostility IN comnerce, many, vrry ,I.a.
ny oil the infractions If this law would not
have been committed. The powerful in
fiaence of public sentiment on The enforce.
nent OF revenue laws is well known; we
all iecoilscl ourssly Ives, or lave heard Of
periods antecedeut 10 the revoiu:ion, when
smuggling WAS deemed rather meritor,-
Gus than dishonorable. The ns,epre
,sentatO,is spread have hal, in i quaified
degree. the same efie4 on this occasion
with British oppression formerly.
But il is the vehement opposition, made
~ the supplementary aGls for enforcing
the embargo, that exhibits the opposition
in their tfue colorS.- That measure haV-
ing been once announced as the will of The
patton, and having been adopted for the
double purpose appreciation and retaliati.
or, it was 10 have been hoped that every
man in the country woui. nave contributed
towards carrying it into full operation by
which alone is efficacy could be tested
Much nose WAS il TO be expected thai mer
charged with the high and special duty Of
Protecting their country, and OF seeing
THAI The laws were faithfully executed
would have done all in their power towards
this end. Instead Of this, We find them
the loremos, in efforts 10 illustrate every
siep Of his nature taken.
From men, thus hostile to every mea.
sure proposed, with The honor and rights
OF their country constantly in heir mouths
We had right at least to expect disclo
sure of their plan. Their not having bro't
forward such plan, their total silence viii
regard 20 the best measures 10 be pursued
proves 10 demonstration the character oil
their opposition. The truth IS, they dared
not TO offer plan; they had none TO Of.
fer, winch could have stood examination
sDd hich would rot have justly subjected
them 70 that reproach for in.beciliiy 50
IDLY cast upon The administration.
We shall soon be able TO give our col
um1s a more miscellaneous complexion.
For a short time they will be principally
a "a