Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-06-27
AND MARY COLLEGE,
PROSPECT Of Peace with Britain.
[cosrlNuxD FROM OUR LAST pAprn.l

WHAT, therefore, are our hopes Of
an adjustment Of differences with Bril-
tain We have observed already, and
1t IS an observation that cannot be too
often repeated, that the spirit of conci.
liasion, or of aggression, has proporti-
onably risen or fallen in that country.
as their allies on the continent. have
been either victorious or defeated: in
the one case that spirit has been often
raised to silly and bloated state Of
excitatiou in the other we were allur-
ed with soft words and promises, with
repeats OF blockading orders, and or
ders OF council all of which, upon sub.
sequent experience, we found to a.
mount to nothing. In case, therefore,
tnas the arms of Austria shall be able
to resist the united forces of France,
hu STA and the Princes of the Rhenish
confederation p; we may look upon the
sly and arttul declaration other ambas-
sador, as SO much waste paper: and
we may expect another Whitbv to in-
suit our vessels In our own waters.
But it the House of Lorraine fall, En-.
gland will be forced into terms with us
on account of the precarious nature of
her existence, surrounded as she is by
a vigiiant and enterprising enemy, who
momentarily threatens her with des-
truction, and who will combine and di-
rect against her, the resources of unit
ed Europe. Her sole dependence mu It
be placed in her navy for protection
and whilst this navy is manned and sup
ported from the sources of commerce
and whilst her people find employment
and their trade is expedited in turn by
the maintenance OF navy, it will be
the interest of Britain to court our
friendship, who possess raw materials
tor the use of her manufactures, and
who consume the mass of her exports.
Though Britain has made peace with
Turkey, this will be attended with no
important consequence to her COM
merce. The face of Europe is not the
same at this day as it was in the be-
ginning ofthe 9Th century. Her Tur-
keycompany canno longer be establish
ed with safety, whilst Russian E npe-
ror in league with France is acquaint-
ed with the road to Byzantium. And
that Emperor of the Moslems, who
dares to oppose the combined will of
Napoleon and Alexander must needs
expect to perish by the bow string or
in a dungeon.
Her treaty with Persia will turn to
no better purpose. The neighborhood
OF the Russian Tartar provinces to the
northern frontier of the Persian EN-
pre-, will always enable Alexander to
influence its councils: and whilst Rus.
STA and Denmark dictate.to Sweden,
can g. Britain, therefore, count with
certainty, upon single allv
An identity oflanguage, religion and
manners, make this country the natu-
raj ally of Britain. With that country
we have been accustomed to trade !;
and in every article either of necessi-
ty or OF luxury, we use those which
are English, or such as are assimilated
to English fashions. In the event of a
=. ~p N -" ~pN piCocub oIIudllOU Oh
Europe, her exports to this country
would be nearly equal to her exports
to all other places Of the world, but
through degraded commercial lea.
lousy ola trade which our own activi-
~ and the convulsed state of Europe
would have enabled us to enjoy, she vi
olates the laws of nations and outrages
the rights ofneutrals. Labouring, there
fore, under this infatuation, it is doubt
full whether she has proposed the late
terms with the determination of max
ing them the Preliminaries of treaty {:
or whether to gain time, to observe
what shall be the future fortune of the
belligerents to obtain present supply
of naval stores and of raw materials
for her manufactures, and to sell in ex-
change their wrought products to
give employment to her people, and in
crease her national revenue, she has
practised temporary deception.
In such circumstances, we should
notpursue that short-sighted and mar