Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-10-27
oArs,) BY sA duEL PLEAsANrs, Jusros, Pal
FRIDA OCT oBER ~, 1902

lN'iSS ofoSt iCS bOt OUiJ vi tRht OGUCut 10
hin, but IN some cases, necessary to the
existence of the people. Some of these
countries must supply the others with
corn. Without the oil and the wine, and
he silks, and the cotton, these countries
might exist; but the southern could not,
! IN many cases possibly exist without the
Inecessaries OF lie from the north and Of
carrying on tbis commerce there are no
means other than those of a maritime ma.
lture.
| The extent of,his commerce, in the do
minioIs of Napoleon, is scarcely to b.
lcredited by those who are not acquainted
with the fa0s. Along the coast ofNapIes,
Tuscany, Genoa and Piedmont from the
southern provinces of France and Mar
settles, thro' Cstte, and the grand canal Of
j. us klV.to Bordeaux, and thence along
the Atlantic asst Of FraGce, the whole Of
The coast of Holland and into the Elbe |;
! IN shorI from the Baltic to the southern
point of Italy, all the countries are con.
nected by a chain Of commercial inter-
course as complete, perhaps as ever existed
IN the world, and as edVansgeous as i! is
iegtensiye. This commerce is by your
imajssiys Servants, spIkcn Of under the
Degrading appeiaIion of g mere coas-
Ting tradei" but this is precisely that
trade which is really advantageous TO ma
ton. If EOgland were cut Off from all
Communication with foreign nations. she
would IN point of strength and happiness,
suffer no hing al al. Bur, cut of the com.
inunicauon between l ondon and the al
Wines, the iEhaoi' aBts OF London mus
perish or disoer Sc. There are several
branches OF our coasting trade, of DE-.
gree OF importance, MOI, indeed, approach
ing nearly TO This, bIt sid Of greater i'm.
PORTAGE 10 us, than all our foreign COM
IDefce put toge ther. If, for instance, on
1ly one years interruption were 10 take
place in ;he exchangc Of Goals for timber
between Cumberland, on the one part, and
Hampshire and Sussex on The other part,
Ithe woods OF these latter countries, mus.
he burnt 10 keep he people from PERISH
Ing whereas by the exchange now going
%, these woods are preserved. the people
have fuel in plenty, and tha, fuel, after
having gwen cu;niort IN thar capacity, be.
cNm:s valuable manure for the land
IOne years interruption of this exchange,
would do Eng land IN are harm than would
be done by The sinking Of all foreign coun.
ties To the bot ON of the sea. This is
| h1wsrSr, only one insa hce out OF hundred
which might be enumcta cd and, with.
on; any thing more beiBg said, it mus
II think, be as cielr as the sun a, noon-day
that Vt The enemy were able to pu stop
10 our ccasssn;s trade. il might al once be
asserted ba n had il in his power to
reduce u; 10 his owa terms, be they what
they might.
II is not then worth The while of your ma.
| Jesiy's se,vants--ii isnot worth the while Of
those who acc entrusted with the conduct.
! ing ofthe war, to eoqui,e what is the extent
of the coastng trade ofthe French empire,
and to inform the IN selves as to- the means
! OF destroying, or, at least, interrupt
ling that trade To attack, or to oppose
Napoleon in Spain, Naples, Sicily, Swe
den, Denmark, Hanover or in the East or
/ West indies, is what it would be for an
enemy 10 attack us in Nova SEQ ia, Cana.
da or 10 any OF our colonies where, though
a defeat might produce modification, it
would not seriously affect Us either in our
comforts or in the sources of our national
strength. We should regret the loss Of
! Canada, perhapo, or of a West India Is
I land but the loss, Ike that of a child out
of numerous family, would not be fell;
in our affairs. We sh 5uld st;Il be as rich
and as strong as before bat cut OFF the
means of sending corn and timber, and =.
ron, and tin, and coal, along our coast,
from one part of the kingdom to the other
and the distress is instantly felt. In fact,
the different parts ofthe kingdom can no
more dispense with the cpasting trade,
] than the farmer can dispense with the
aid of the blacksmith aud the wheel
wright.
This, il will, perhaps, be said, is not the
care with the countries under tie dominion
of Napoleon. But will it then, be assert.
ed that those countries, though extending
almost across the whole Of the European
J continent, and including such variety oil
climates, are nevertheless, so circumstanc-
ed as 10 be able TO exist, and con.entedIy
too, Without any commerce With each o.
ither that is to say, without any exchange
of natural productions, or of manulac
> lures 1.-The truh is lha the c1mmeree
between the several paris Of This vast EN-