Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-10-27

lie continent OF Europe, is -riven with st
view OF keeping Napoleon f,oa, our own
shores. The expressions are somewhat
ditercnt, but this is The ssiOsIance, th;s is
the real meaning of tne wotds. Does is
not then become me; IF l have it ia my
power, to prove TO you ;hai THIS IS not the
way to keep the coDqueror from ihe s3creS
OF England That this rs Il waste ut our
means! That it has no o,her elect than
that of augmenting at oncs rur deots and
our taxes, and OF hasten,ns the Gay when
the cries of the widow and The orphan
shall proclaim whether or not 8 a national
debt be national blessing"
In what way, should Hike to ask es
your majesty's servants, II their subsidies
to the enemies g France upon the Continent
are TO keep Napoleon from our shores ? Is
it by giving him employment on the CONT.
nent? That ofcourse must keep HIM from
our shores Tor while out the posebiLr
ty at least is, that by all the means we can
contrive, bs all the wars we c,n excite, q
by all the treasure we can squander, he
cannot, for any long time be thus empioy.
ed and consequently when he can no ion-
ger be SO employed, we, upon the very
principle on which this aid is given to his
enemies, must be in imminent danger.
Therefore, by our present lire of politics,
by our present system OF defence, by our
present explicit avowal, il Napoleon sue
coed in subduing all has cgenies upon
the continent, "we have very little hope
of being able TO resist higl."
This, sir, though neither very ccnso!ing
nor very honorable TO the country, is the
conclusion to be drawn from The declarau..
ons as well as the acts of YOUR majesty
servants who appear to have given up ali
hope of England being able, if lett to her
self, to provide even tor her safety, leav-
ing her honor totally out OF the question.
And this opinion is, indeed, very reasona..
BILE, upon the supposition. I" that the pre-
sent is the only system of naval warfare
that can be adopted" Upon the SUPPOSE
| ton that we have it not IN our power L
prevent Napoleon from Carrying Oil an
uninterrupted exchange ofs products, the
most valuable of all commerce. between All
the countries from Naples to Maiseilles,
and from Bayonne to Hamburg, that we
are unable % prevent HIM from Connecting
all these countries, and CONS Jiidating tn 4In
under ms sway, by ties OF convenience s.
of interest as web as by the power of his
arms and OF his civil and political estab-
lishments, that we are unable with al uly
| endless list of ships, to counteract the Oh.
| Ell atoms oil signal fosts, defended each Dy
| a couple otinValdS ; that IN spite OF all W.
are aulc e. Go, France will then with sea-
| men, naval stores, AID all Inc means or
/ speedily creating navy upon this sup.
| position it is ipuesd perfectly reasunaD,e
to concludes that wnen Napoleon ma. put
| down ali hiS enemies upon tue Continent
when ne has removed the possibility OF
there meeting WITH further hostility excl
| ted by our god, We ourselves shall be ana.
| BILE to res,sI his power Tor any length OF
| time. Upon such 4 sapposIslon, THIS con-
| Ciusion Is natural but as / think / shall
| be able 70 snew IN my next letter such a
supposi1iou is not founded in truth, and that
| we nave the ABILITY to 10 with respect To
! the commerce OF France with respect 70
that fruitful source OF p1wer 10 her and OF
| danger TO us that we have tae ability 10
do all those things which are necessary
to our safety, permanent as welt as pre-.
sent, aha wiin Il comparatively small por
ton OF eXpence.
Waen one looks at thenavy of England ;
at the quar,er OK million vi peOp,c vhon
in various ways it employs 1T the Is Oh
IL millions OF money ca iifIn part ! beueys
of the rem. al of the whole Kingdom ,ha,
1t annually costs when one looks at Tai.
wonderful power, TINS mass of means, this
focus OF the fertility OF cur soil, and Of
the Industry, Ingenuity, vAlour, and patri
otism OF tile nation wnen one contetn plate:
all this, and reads the history of the wal
for scverai years past, one cannot help be.
ing struck with the disparity between the
means and the effects. For what purpose
are AL lhis preparation aud all the sacri.
fees whiCh IT occ Sons Wnat does this
immense navy accomplish 1t, tor many
years past, all It's prizes and ali the mis-
chief 1t has done tue enemy were estima.
ted, shey wound not amount to enough tc
pay the eXpence oil fiud,ng the navy IN wa.
tel. Lac navy Is our defence, 1t may be
SAID but tn Cannot be said, without acli
nowedSlng, that we are deficient ei;her
IN strength OF the courage or the will "a
defend oar country Oy Iand-As the means
OF mere defence, eItaer The army or the
| navy E,ust De considered as superfluOus, OF
else We Acknowledge Gun serves To DC infe
r'Or TO our ehSmy Ia point OF vdlour, or ui
| disposition 10 oeiend our country 10 Goa.
slider the navy As the means az mere de-
tence, Ia, IN tact, TO acknowledge, at once,
| tnat n ,polcUn las At IN ms power TO pul
US To an eXpeOce OF II millions year
without any other expense on his par.
than that o. paper ard INK, composing a
paragraph ~ one OF uiS Monueurs. Inc
| navy should ne made the means o! annoy
aDce, The means OF distress through the
empire o. the enc my The tak.Gg or de-
strOying ships 4. SCI, the Capture OF colon