Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-04-28

hdVc oOtaineI leave 70 puOtiSn tniS inter-
esting letter. We cannot anticipate the
comments that may be made but the text
is genuine and We subscribe to its ortho-
doxy.-Bosfon Patriot.
QUINCY, goth Dec. 1903.
Sir,
/ RECEIVE. very k;udly your oblising
Letter of the 18th of this month. Ever
since my return from Europe, where had
resided ten years, and could not be fully in
formed of the state Of affairs, in my Own
country, / have been constantly anxious
and alarmed at the intemperance of party
spirit, and the unbounded License OF cur
presses. In the same view, l could not but
lament some things, which have lately pas
sed in public bodies. To instance, at Dcd :
ham and Tops6eld, and last OF all in the
resolutions OF our Ma5sachus. it's legislature.
Upon principle, see no right in our Senate
and House to dictate, or advise, or to re-
quest oar Representatives in Congress. =
The right of the people to instruct their re.
representatives. is very dear 20 them, and will
never be disputed by me. But this is a
very different thing from an interference
of a state legislature. Congress must be
the "cloud by day and the pillar Of fire by
night" TO conduct this nation; and if their
accidentally springing up in every dIrecti-
on, I'VE shall never get through the wilder
Ave not been inattentive to the course
o. public affairs. and agree with Con
gress in their resolutions to resist the de.
crecs, edicts and orders of France aud En-
gland; but 1 think the kings proclamation
for the impressment ofseamen on board our
merchant ships, has not been distinctly e.
nough reprobated. 1t is the most ground
less pretenson of all. Retired as am, con
versing with very few of any party out of
the secret ofaffairs collecting information
only from public papers and pamphlets, ma.
ny links in the great chain of deliberations,
factions and events, may have escaped me.
You will easily believe, that an excessive
difhdence in my own opinions has not been
"the sin, that has most easily beset me-"
must nevertheless confess to you, that IN
all the intricate combinations of affairs, to
which have ever been witness, | never
found myself so much at a loss to form a
Judgment of what the nation ought to do,
or what part ought to act. No man, then,
hope, will have more confidence IN the so.
lidity OF any thing / may suggest, than
have myself.
IreVere the upright and enlightened ge-
nevertheless capable, like other nations, of
general prejudice and national errors. A..
moug these know not whether there Is i.
ny more remarkable than that opinion, so
universal, that it is in our power to bring
foreign nations to our own terms, by with
holding our commerce. When the eXecu.
tive and legislative authority of any nation,
especially in the old governments and great
powers OF Europe, have adopted measures,
upon debberatlon, and published them to
the world, they cannot receds, without
deep humiliation and disgrace, in the eyes
OF their own subjects, as we'll as all Europe.
They will therefore obstinately adhere to
them, at the expense even of great sacri-
fees, and in defiance of great dangers. In
IVA, Congress appeared almost unan
imously sanguine, that non importation
and consumption association, would procure
repeal of Acts of Parliament
and Royal Orders. / went heartily along
with the rest in all these measures, be.
cause / knew, that the sense of the nation,
the public opinion in all the colonies re.
qured them; and did not see that they
could do harm. Bat had no confidence in
their success, in any thing but uniting the
American People. i expressed this opin-
ion freely to some fmy friends, particular
~ TO Mr.. Henry, OF Virginia, and to Ma
jor HAwLEr, of Massachusetts. These
two, and these only, agreed with me in o.
pinion, that we must fight after all. We
found by experience, that war of eight
years, in addition to all out resolutions,
was necessary and the aid of France,
Spain ami Holland too, before our purposes
could be accomplished. Do we presume
that we can excite Iusvrrection, Rebellion,
a Int -
olation would be no benefit to US. A Re-
nuh1icau Oovernnenk - ..,ooIl -