Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-02-17
FROM THE MONITOR.
MEASURES OF THE GOVERN.
MENT

MENT.
Certain men have taken il into their
heads, that he administration is alarmed ::
that there IS a division Of sentiment a !.
mo'g repnbl'cans as to the course TO BE-
pursued IN the present EFFICIENCY. But
those unours are as baseless as they are
vile. There is no disunion other than what
naturally springs up in the amicable dis
cussions which arise from an anxiety cher.
ished for the general welfare. Let Us
view Tor an ms. ant the course contem.
plated by the government, for ,ecoliec.
tons of the past have their usefulness on
occasions like the present.
The embargo was laid on TO preserve
our ships and merchandise it was, al,n,
Thought by soma, that ii might operate as
measure Of coercion.
IL did save our property but the eva
SONS OF the law and he Spanish re-
voluiion. prevensed its effect as cpercye
a6i
On the mseting ofcongress. it was de-
termined 10 repeal il. Bar, as a repeal
without resort to arms, and resort to
arms wiihou' being prepared for war,
would have DC submission in the one
case, and folly and veal. ses. in the other,
1t was determined to pu1 the ma ion into
state OF defence, and o keep or The EN-.
basgn till the oblcct was effected.
ne Keeping ca the embargo till we
were prepared for war could only be for
very short time bat SHIRT IS the time
nigh, be, 1t became necessary aud pro
per to eoforce the emb lrg., wnilsi it las
ted. upon The principle lha, government, is
bluHd 10 enforce inc laws as long as they
are laws.
Accordingly Mr. Gil ss embargo law,
founded upon MIR Gaiiaun's representa-
tons, was enrcted a1d The congress wen,
M TO arm ani prenG.c for hostile mea
snres. The only question of difference
was, VIVA, m5de OF def-nce shall we z.
oops! Doe, the Other, o. all three! The
examioition of these 9 esions neccssar-
" Consumed some lime. There was NJ
differences of opinion, [excecpt in nne r.
two solitary cases) abou the embatgo's
coming of: ,he administration desgnee;
% raise 1t, bat they did no want % leave
the country stafk naked, Without the
means ofresising foreign iavacl.ag enc
nv,
Fhe only alarm or confusion that his
been excited was occasioHcd oy Vi = IN !.
cy and ms sec. Th-y brew obstr,,c.I rs
al every step, in he way OF The a,!sninls
tTa;iDn.--l If The nbarg was 10 be enfjr
ced during IT'S shore Continuance, it was
domes.ic tyranny If The navy was TO b.
put on respecl able footing Il was souan
dering public money il was TO Cypress
the CT zens; If an army OF volunteers was
to be raised il was ior the purpose of es.
tablshig military despo,i,m. Such was
ihe languages OF opposition IN and out OF
'ngress fhs m,jpr,;y cord not get a :.
long ~rhoui sitting up all night, and risk
ing their health and ives.
These measures Of government were
plan and unequivocd:
lT. An embargo to save our pro-
petty.
ID. Enf,rcemen,s of ,he embargo til
we were armed --and
Sd Repeal of the embargo so soon as
We we're prepared to mA.o ain our rights
If agai1 attack I'd in Their exercise.
Ssme conTane,y of opn,on has sub
sisted as TO the mode of resistance
LIST. Whether we should make formal
war, by decl ,raiGn--or,
2d Arm our merchant vessels --le
them go out, If they are attacked, let them
repel the sssaIlani, and lhen bring in he
whole force of the nation to their sup.
port
Men may very honestly differ on these
points; but there never would have been
any difficulty at ali if il had no, been for
the conriyances OF The EssexJun;o.
The slatmists have their object They
wished to provoke rebellion, TO introduce
anarchy, and thus destroy our republican
form Of government.
FRoN THE AURORA.
Mr.. Duane--I will, through the medium
OF your p.per, ask those citizens yet living
who assisted TO deliver us from foreign
yoke, II any of the tories of that day, ever
ventured to belle and abuse, in their news
papers, the then congress, as has been
done of late years, by the tory newspa-
pers Of our day! Did they so openly, in
common conversation or o herw Sc SLAM
der, and vllify the then congress as has
been done the present session, and the adj