Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-06-23

| 1851 ih'ilatiouS 60 UiScussion Dy the
freedom Of the press, aud of restoring
liberty By establishing the Cortes. G..
| Britain sent an ambassador to be near
the sacred person of Ferdinand VII. II
suppose she meant his ghost, as for his
person, God knows what has become of
~ and she muzzled the press, and we
hear no more Of the Cortes, of the def
cheney OF education, of the cerrubtion
OF the royal family. No! No The
epithet of nell be'oved, was invented
for his use (; the titles of visc, great.
and s1Se, are long since grown stale
IN the vocabulary of courtiers.
General Moore's letters bear test;-
mony to the Indifference and apathy of
the Spanish peope and yet with that
hereditary abstinence, ferocity & OBJ
stinacy of character which mark the
Spanish nation, they would have been
well qualified to have made despe-
rate and protracted struggle, and f.
nally to have insured their indepen-
dence. But the British king could not
think of beholdlng another natien of
republicans since he had taken such
mortal aversion to republic on the
western shore of the Atlantic. So
that kings, though they happen to dis
agree in every thing else, are sure at
least to agree in one thing-their de.
testation and opposition to freedom.
The war 10 Spain therefore is no Ion
ger the war of the Spanish people, it is
only the war OF courtiers. In the con-
test OF princes, the people should ex-
claim with the emperor of Morocco,
" whether the dog eat the cat, or cat
the dog, they care nothing" provided
they are not devoured by either.
The Spanish ports are in the posses
sion Other enemies, & her armies have
been driven from the Spanish terrific
ry: with her commerce restricted In
Spanish America, with prospect OF
war with Sweden, and Of the Baltic be-
ing shut against her; and without eli
ther prospect of market for her
manufactures, ola supply of raw ma
terials for their support, and without
prospect of naval stores for the con-
sumption and equipment of her navy
is it to be wondered at, that she should
stoop to proGrr atonement for muir
der! Ought we then to magnify her
justice for partial repeal of the orders
Of council?
But her ambassador assures us that this
has nothing TO do with the preliminsries of
negotiation so happily concluded at Wash.
ington last April. Has it not : Is not the
principle OF neutral trade avowed the
same Does not one of her ministers
avow, that it is the same, and that it has
not been nor will il BIZ abandoned |?
Dies not our ambassador merely call ia
an enforcement, whilst he assures us OF
their adherence TO the principle? Does
the imposition OF a tariff of the dae of
the 1st. of May on all the articles of our
produce bespeak the spirit Of Cancellation ?
Duies on ashes, on bark, on wheat,
on naxseed, on indigo, on rice, bees.
wsx, cotton, pitch, tar, turpentine,
whilst they are supplying their exhaus4
ted exchequer with revenue derived from
taxation OF our commerce, whilst. their ar
tizans find sales for their manufactures &
are supplied with bread for their families
whilst her navies and arsenals are suppl
ed with naval stores and whilst our mer.
chants take off in return, not necessaries,
but Injuries of life what have we gained
in national point OF vewl Nothr
ing. Words-honied words, and n thing
more !! /!
We do not by this mean to throw out
any lnsinuation against our national ad-
| mlnistration: We know that there is
some confidence due to the promises even
OF an enemy but we would ncuicate
moderation to the psrtisaus of Britain in
this country: and to keep their plaudits
For more successful catastrophe. Those
cong ratulations will evidence to quick
sighted adversary the necessity we have
tor peace and our anxiety for its attain.
ment: She will enhance her demands
when shs knows the value we set upon
them. Those persons should be put in mind
that the steady course pursued by our for
ncr administration, which would have
brought Britain to our feet ere now, was
retarded by their ella hours and opposition.
tias not Great Britain becn told that part
of the states would rebel or were in re-
belIlon: that the administration had lost
the confidence of the people that our
La 4