Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-01-27


sir; j. is for ,h- purpose of decriving
the people of This country with the
most ungentienanly, and unmanlv
nj REPRESENTATIONS. God forlid. that
l sh 5uui believe ina. G.. Britain, has
many a,iherents in this country bat
that she has SOM, this business is TO
my mind fab demonstration. How
is this production received? How is
it ushrcd into the public view? Have
the printers who first gave it publicity
shewn even common impartiality
between their own governments, and
thar Of a foreign nation! Have they
shewn desire 10 hear what their 60
vernment could say before they pass
ed sentence of condemnation upon it
No, sir; they have taken the letter
at first blush as compile e evidence of
the criminality of their own govern
ment. Can these men be Americans?
No, sir; they are British partizans,
pleading the cause Of the British go
vernment against their own. Mr.. ".
said, he had before him paper cal
led the Boston Centincl, containing
some co uments on Mr.. Cannig's
letter. [Mr. Nicholas here quoted
some passages from these comments
stating this letter of Mr.. C's, to be e
violence OF a partiality in the govern.
ment of the U. S. to France, sc. &c.
This is an American print (said Mr.
NJ and this letter is exultinglv given
to the American people, as tending t.
shew that their government has prac-
tised deception upon them!
Mr.. Troup said, he believed that
the publication Of this letter was in
tended by tie British government to
influence the peoPIe; and in order
that the whole truth might be widely
disseminated, he moved that 10000
copies be printed.
Mr. GARDENER concurred most hear
tily III the morton for printing, and al
so in the proposition for the largest
number Of copies. Assuredlv if there
was a matter upou which it was impor-
tlnt, that the people of the u. S. should
be correctly Informed, it was the sub
ject which the message of this morn
iugpi2ced before the house. for one
(said he) cannot hel p reGretting dee0-
ly, that the public confidence in the adj
ministration of the government should
have been so shaken, by some cause
or other, as that gentlemen of the first
respectabiiiiy and no common infu-
ence in this House should be driven
to the necess ty of combating on this
floor the ebuilitions OF the editor of d
newspaper. Are these publications
OF newspapers the topics fit for discus
sion in the House of Representatives
of the y. States? Is it come to this,
sir, that Representative of the peo-
pie, TO protect his government from
public oaium, thinks 1t necessary TO ar
ray the Representative of the nation,
against the humble editors of a news
paper? feel hu diluted that the af-
fairs OF this country should be brought
into such condition, that it should be
necessary that the editor of a news
paper, for the first time, should be re.
futed by a member of this house in
his place. | had thought that these e.
bullitions passed by the government,
as an idle wind which it needed not.
But if the government is brought, ell
ther by its own weakness or the ma
chinations OF a foreign nation, to such
situation that it cannot stand para
graph in newspaper, it is brought TO
low pass indeed. But the remarks
of this editor have been introduced in
to the house do not wish at this
time to go over the ground and admit
or deuy, the proposition which be cen
ceives he has established. But | re-
greet that this humble editor should
have been made the subject of such
severe remark, not only because |
wish that he should have been unnoti-
ced in this house, but because [ CON
fess thas IN the material matter of fact,
/ can sec nothing of harm which this
poor Editor has done. He has printed
the letter Of Mr. Canning to Mr. Pink
ney; and 1t appears that he has pub.
lished a document which the admin
.istration had not thought proper to
communicate, but which was genuine
and true. From these facts, now es-
Z