Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-01-01

| "A crisis has arrived, that calls for somt
decided step, The natlonai spirit is ~
| hat spirit is invaluable. lncase OF a wai
| 1t is TO lead US 20 conquest. BY the vgor
with which il shall WELD the physical force
OF the Country, il is To inspire us with un-
shaken confidence in our strength, and "a
appal our enemy, In our solemn appeal
to the world, il is to silence forever the
idle hope that hatsers itself with the phan-
tom, either TINT we are divided people,
or that our republican institutions have
mot energy enough to defend us, much less
to infl'ct serious injury. on our enem MES. To
dispel this illusion, in such an event there
must cease to exist an inch of British
ground on this continent.
The people having shewn their spirit,
the season has arrived for the government
Co sustain, second and directit. To delay
any longer to do thls would be TO ieQpar-
die its existence. The crisis. not reouir-
ing war, still hoping, if not expecting
peace, IN embargo is the next best mea-
sure for maintaining the national tone. IL
will arm the nation 1t will do more. 1t
will arm the Executive government. It is
an nnequivocal, and efficient expression of
confidence in the Executive and gives
the President a new weapon of negotiation
we say zredhon OK negotiation, for, in the
present state OF the world, even Degncia-
ton has ceased to be pacific. Without
being backed by force it is an empty
sound.
The embargo furnishes this weapon
The sword is not drawn from the scab.
bard. but it may be,drawn at moments
warning. BY i, every member of the
community will be sensbly impressed with
the solemnity of the crisis, and will be
prepared for events. The public will he
impatient for a decision If the great in,s-
rests depending. All Will be anxious for a
restorat ton Of their ordi's'v pursuits. Our
inegociator will be armed with the public
sensibility. He will be constrained to re.
quire Gehnitive answer, ard tile whole
nation vii! call upon him with one voice to
require that this answer be prompt The
negociant of a foreign nation, if his in
stTuctions be aMicaidr. W II himself per
ceive the NICE sity Of prompt and candid
answer, and give it and # hostile, the
sooner the truth comcs out lie better.
This is exactly the result so long impa-
tiently expected hy the milton, result,
whose further protra ion might be ruin
Gus 10 our interests and derogaJory to our
character.
There are those who suppose that this
step will be productive of incalculable
commercial losses. L will certainly pro-
ducc much inconvenience to the fnercan-
tile world. But II will be not unaccompa-
MED with Benefit. Ii viii separate the
wheat from the chaT l; will coerce the
settlement Of long. STANDING and complicat-
ed accounts The merchant, who has been
frandnlently trading ON another's capital,
may sink. And will not this lie Just Is
the man AN object of commiseration who.
at such moment, when all our resources
ought TO be carefully hushanded for the
dry OF danger. is base enough To rsque not
his own properly, for he has none TO risque,
but that of another more cautious than
himself, and that too, which if lost, is so
rouch lost 70 the Maroon, and so mnch gain-
cd by our enemy? Can any legal measure
be too strong for such n man; one, whoto
personal dishonesty adds total dcstitutioi,
OF patriotism !; Cne. who to promote his
own interest, eau behold with Indifference
the wreck of his friends fortune, and the
dIsgrace or ruin Of his country Ifthere is
in the United States such a class of men,
the sooner they are called to account the
better, and the sooner they are arrested in
their injustice the happier for the honest
part Of the community. As TO the solid,
honest traders, it is fact that the greater
part Of Il en- have long contemplated the
lowering aspect of the horizon, and have
wisely and h0norably. by withdrawing their
property from tine OCEAN. determined to a.
wait the Issue Of events Tnis body ofmen,
and we hope it includes great majority
of our mel chants, viii approve the en-
barge.
We believe it will be popular measure
with all classes We are certain that the
!armer, the planter and the mechanic viii
approve it from the security it offers to-
tie public interests; aud if the merchants
he rs hca"sl n enlightened, as we trust
they are, they will perceive the ind;ssoiu-
bic connection between their s1lid and per-
uancntproSpcrity and the general weFnfe
Facts too at;fsJ the general expectation
that his measure would be reeortcd to BY
The govern nent, no sconcr was the late
news received than the public priGts oil
different POLITICAL characters, and ~ dit
feFent parts OF the union demanded an en-
bargo; and no sooner we're the doors Of
Congress closed, than it became the uni
vetsal Impression that this measure was
about To BE takcn. Iu proof Of this take
the following extract from the Gazette Of
the United States, paper decidedly iede-
raj, Of the 21st inst.
"This i, therefore, no time 20 stand up
on punctilo or TO adopt provoking and en-
feebing regulations. The necessity of tie
case points ont is remedy. We have il in
our hAuds Let an emba-So he laid uuOu|