Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-12-21
MFR. CHESS steech Continue d.

would not condescsnd TO make the obser.
walton here, had he not, alter heaping up
On US, during the while of his admins
,ration, every injury and insult in his pow
err, at the close of it placed us in ludi-
crous situation by imposing on as an obi
salioD, i'm grave and serious concern to
the n.ti.n, of expounding his equivoques,
and unriddiing his riddles.--I really teell
some condescension in being compelled
in my place to hunt out for his and Mr..
Jaokson's meaning, through transition
of sentences, coilecstion o! words, and a
shifting of verbage--and indulge nae, Sir
with remark ng, that | conceive the stu.
atom of a nation never can be more dis.
astrous, Calamitous and lamsotabe, than
when it's great and serious affairs are pla.
ced in the hands of parcel of punsters,
For. sir, men of minds OF that description
are too much employed in the pleasing
amusement of lookiRg gu, for eorrusca,
tjons of viii and sentiment, to have any lei
sure for the more dull and unpleasu. able
business Of observing and marking the
gtea, occurrences IN human affairs, and of
deyising means of giving them direction
favorable to their own views, or 10 their
dull and plodding pursuit for men of such
light, fitting, brilliant imaSinations, and IT
ever they unfortunately undertake it, they
soon find the woeful mis-application o.
talents, II, sir, any illustration were wan.
ting of the correctness of these obserYa
tions, it could no where be found better
than in an attentive review of The histor-
cal events, which occurred during the lae
British adminjslra,iSn--the administration
OF the energetic--lhe brilliant-,he sarcas
tic--the iace;isus--the joking Mr.. Can.
ming. He has carried his joking propen-
sites Ear i1deed. l. may be truly said, he
tests a. scars indeed at scars Of The black
est disgrace and ruin inflicted upon his
bleeding country upon great nation
which probably would have received and
certainly merited better fate, if it had
fortunately placed lis destiniss in better
hands. Sir, i, appears 10 me that all the
military enterprises during his whole ad
mlGistration, from the The abomi6able at.
tack on Copenhagen down to the last ex-
peG;tion against the islands of Zealand
were nothing more than bel!igerent puns
aud corundrums. Il has been constantly
announced that some grand, secret expe
diuon was on hand, and each succeeding
one ecander than the preceding, until the
last expedition to WsIchcren, which wa.
the grandest of all and when the sscrer
really came out itappeaTed, either that The
object was abOmi1abIe, oC contemplate
and The means OF executing even the con.
tempiible object, upon experiment, were
generalIy found incompetent. Yet, sir
probably, these enterprises have cost The
British nation the lives OF fifty thousans
brave Ulcers and soldiers. aud will no
undI.' axe to count the millions of dollars
Slr, The same little minded course Of pol
icy has aiso been uniformly manifested du
ring the same time against the u. s.
and IN no respect more, than in The disa
vomal OF Mr.. Erskine's srrsngement--ir
avoiding 10 aYUw the real motives for il
and in The uDcaudid attempt to convert th,
bad ia h OF the British government, inu
regiO4ch upon Our own; aud this wa
10 be done by an ingenious mental device
Pre- KY conceived by Mr.. Casning, AM
sdroidv executed by Mr. JackSou VIII
il uot equal 10 Mr.. Canning IN the mys
ferrous arI of puunisg | think can be We
~, yusy iillle way behind his prototype, il
tt!@ ar u ttlI'fOANNos Oiif Nuc ttSdNOHd
80 my judgment, was not for the want @
compeIen, powers. Too great a share O
the real causes of the dsavowal unfortu
naiely IS attributable 10 ourselves, and nsv
IS the moment 10 relieve ourselves from
che impuialior.
Let me now, sir, call your attention T.
Ihe letter of Mr.. Smith TO Mr.. Jackson i
reply to these highly offensive insinuations
dated I9ih Oa 1909, pages 46, 81, of tn
printed documents
The stress you have laid on what yo
have been pleased to state as the substi
tuition of the terms finally agreed on, 70
The terms Grst proposed, has excited n
small degree Of surprise. Certain 1t i.
that your predecessor Did present for m
consideration the tnr4 oaditions, whic
Dow appear IN the printed locument--tha
ne ives disposed to urge them more tina
the nature oftwo Of them doth palpsbl
irsdmissj5Ie and one more than merel
Uaimisable) could permit, and that o
Ending his licst proposals unsuccessful Ia
more reasonable terms comprised ~ tn
arrangement respecting the orders !