Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-05-12
CHARLESTON IS. c. May 8.

WeIiCan gentleman IN England, to his
friend in this state, dated 25th Febru.
airy, 1909.
6 Owing to the few convevauces
which have offered for the u. States.
during The last wear, have not had
the pleasure of writing to YOU as often
as l Intended. The embargo being
laid on in your ports shortly after nv
arrival here, stop was put bv it 10 the
plan OF business came here upon. and
was left at leisure, to wait for such n
change in affairs as would promise to
be more favorable to my views. For
some months, during the last wear, I
scarcely dared to Aatter myself that
This wished for period would take
place In any reasonable time ; as /
could not bring myself to believe, from
the appearance of things, that any cir
cnmstances could happen which would
change the very naughty tone the adj
ADMINISTRATION OF this country had as.
sumed towards America. The un-
expected rising, which took place in
une last, In Spain, in opposition to
the doings there of Napoleon, seemed
70 have infatuated them-one might
have supposed, from the deliriUm
which pervaded the nation, that the
French had been entirely driven out OF
that country ; that they would never he
able to return to it and that this coun-
try was toPossess Spain and all It's DO.
sessions, as efectually as if they were
colonies to it. Hosts of Commission
ers and Envoys arrived from that
country, they were feasted and treated
as no men had hardly ever oesn before,
and at one of the public dinners, given
10 them, our Country and its President
were Kissed, WREN an attempt was
made to give them as toast. w,
were told IN the papers OF the day, that
Great Britain could do without us !.
that the embargo injured none but
ourselves that they had vent for ali
their manufactures. Of much greater
consequence than the United States /;
IN snort, we were completely put III
the back ground. Things continued
IN TINS way throughout the summer !;
the evanescent success of the British
arms IN Portugal, added to the delu-
sion. Timothy Pickering's letter had
arrived, it was printed in all the pa.
Pers' and large quantities of pamphlets,
containing it, were dispersed in every
part OF the three Kingdoms. Accounts
were daily published here, taken from
papers inimical to the q ADMINISTRATION
lot the United States, ofHissentious in
the Eastern States of threats being
made to dissolve che Union and posi-.
tive assurances were received. that the
presidential election would terminate in
favor of the federalists, and that Mr..
! Jefferson and the republican party
would be set adriit indeed some were
so grossly deceived by thedistorted &C.
counts given in these papers, of the
, situation OF our affairs, as to believe
that our country was in a fair WAY ~
returning to the allegiance she hae
formerly thrown of. These thing,
rendered their boasting intolerable
1 never passed my time more disa
greeable than when my business cal
led me to Mkt with their politicians
But early in November things bepar
to wear another face. The speech o
the Emperor Of France to his lepisIa
ture was received in this he announ
ced his determination of CARRYING hi,
arms into Spain and Portugal and a,
he IS known to be man who is gen
orally very punctual in performin,
those kind of promises, some copsid
crate men here began to be apprehep
, sive for the safety of the British arm,
in Spain. It was also foreseen. thar
owing to partial failure of the crop
there would be scarcity of bread. &
that DIS the ports Of the Continent wer,
shut, aud an embargo existed in the
Onited States. no great relief could b,
looked tor from those quarters ;beside,
r every article wanted for the navy. anc
many IN their manufactures, were RI.
sing to most enormous prices, and some
OF the first necessity were not TO be hao
at any price. About this time also
accounts were, received from your side
OF the water, which stated that III,