Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-02-10
FR ID,AI FEBRUAR 10. 1909.

1 piate SuCn State OF Things out with nor.
ror! Who can lend it even his silent coun-
ltenance Are not liberty, safety and pro-
perty our dearest rights and dearest enjoy
ments, the creatures of law, upheld by its
jpower and rendered sacred by it's energies (?
i If government languishes and fails, will not
these blessings languish and perish also !
l--Who does not know in the range Of excl
ted passions, broken loose from legal res
ltraints, property is fatal TO its owner, vir-
tue to its possessor, and family blessings an
invitation to the hand of the destroyer
when beholding in the mirror OF past times
and distant ages black and frigiltful afro
cities of furious and ungoverned men, a..
midst the wrecks of civil observation-disclosures. will
not thoughtfulness in the language of our
| departed patriot, frown Indignantly up
on the first dawning of every attempt to
ALLEVIATE one portion of our country from
the rest, or to enfseble the sacred ties which
now link together its various parts ?"
Frown upon every suggestion of non
Execution of the law, resistance or a andon-
| ment of the Union Such suggestions are
not less iibelu the morals & understand.
iny oil the great body "a the NJ Engla and peo-
P'e han on their patriotism. Their charac-
ter is n OF marked with propensities to out
rage disorder and blood.
| Such report must be repealed. Our
wisdom of existing or projected measures
ou' Tor support OF their government, their
right. and their independence the major
tity is immense.
| Will not the advocates for the town
meeting, the authors of resolutions, be ia
dUced calmly TO weigh the spirit and
principles of their opposition and to re.
fleet further on the tenJcncy o. their meas
ures! Are they prepared to pull down
the splendid edii,cc erected by the wisdom
and valor of their fathers and to bury
( themselves under the ruins of Liberty +,
Are not all their prlvations and suflerngs
notorious to rulers and from necessity
yielded co, with parental sympathy, an!
painful sensi5ility? While lirge major
ity of the people of the Union, of their ma
{tional representatives, OF the state Leeis.
| atures, of their towns and counties, seri
| ousiy believe that the existing measures
! re essentiai to our safety and the best foc
the whole, can their opposers wish them
tobe abandoned and surrender of the go
vernment into their hands,. And Will they
Iyield 1t, in turn, to other towns and sec
tions OF the country, that NAV make A
similar ciaiml-Would they wish in these
| periious times to see our peace, liberty
| and social Blessing at the feet of party
| Would they wish to break those ties which
unite all to the Common centre, deposit
tor tie pubic opinion, public confidence
md public power !---Such cess;on from
the salutary conceptions of our Constitu
lions and the fundamental principles of our
government won d be more to be depre~
Icatcd and oui.weS:h in mischief the most
Exaggerated evils of the embargo.
| The cultivated reports that the admin
Istrat'on and the Southern people are hos
title to commerce and uniriendiy TO the
4 "A are ~ al,
uneasiness, jealousies and d ssentions. The
| evidence of such facts have never seen
Ny eonvistions, under some ADVANTAGES
tor observation, have bsen otherwise.
L question not the sincerity of the opinion
OF others The principles and the public
lconduCr OF our rulers ere the fair objects
of a manly and public spirited scrutiny.
J ioc the purposes of merited censure or an .
iprohation of their continuance or removal
from Office in the prescribed forms. The
proof OF their talents, zeal and labors to
serve aud render their country great and
happy, are before the public Their DIS
QUESTION with truth and firmness. would be
saluta-y and agreeable to- the genius and
spirit of our government. But misreprescn-
tations, groundless suspicious, violent and ia
discriminate abuse, unless checked, must
end III opposition 10 the law, contempt for
its authority, and distracted breaches OIL
! the public peace.
Ii legal animadversions on incendia-
ry and libellous republicans would be
Thought By some dangerous to the Ii
berty of speech and the press a
: strong public opinion, favorable to go
vernment, would be equally efBcacious
to its authority and to discountenance
its opposers. Shall such aid be with.
5 held! Or must false views misstate.
, nents and groundless alarms, indica-
: tive OF extreme distrust and dan
ger from the Representatives of our
/ own election, the Government of our
own choice, hurry virtuous and well
J meaning men into acts pre- gnant with
awful consequences 1t is said mea-
sures are necessary, unconstitutional,
: Oppressive and tyrannical. Is it GER.
tain this is correct! Are citizens in
the treets, in town meetings in multi
tudlnous assemblies, citizens pressed
with deep personal interests and excl.
ed from erroneous conceptions, capa.
| bic OF deciding on great complicated