Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-11-20
.stplnta Nrgns.
MONDAY. NoyEns3a 20, 1910.
RI c II NJ o n d,


The English, it appears, are rot will
ling to let Lucien Bonaparte come to
America; and this shews that there is,
in the opinion of the British, a little
brotherhood still prevailing between
him and Napoleon: or, perhaps, John
Bull means to fleece him Of his loose
treasure, and then SGT him afioat again.
We hear much about French spies,
and ii there be any such, working In
Jury 10 the United States, we heartily
wish them all hanged. But the croakers
ie not say any thing about British spies.
The reason of this is, that the influence
|of Great Britain in this country is so
prevailing with particular prints, that
II no longer depends on a system of es-
jpionage; and certain class of men,
the leaders of the federal party, do not
think it at ali disgrace to prefer En-.
Iglish interests to those of America.
Formerly, just after the close Of our
revolutionary war, the very thought of
a British spy was odious to all but old
tories and it was deemed necessary
TO repel destinations of that sort by de-
claratIons of abhorrence. By degrees,
however, the ne1O tories, or present
leaders of the federalists, have become
so strongly fixed in their attachments
o England, that, forgetting the indie
pendence aad welfare of the United
States entirely, they speak, through
the medium Of their prints, of every
hing hostile to England as ifthis coun-
TRY were Enelan Thus French spies,
(which can only be French spies in re-
lation to Great Britain. are denounced,
as if the United States ought to be on
their guard against emissaries of that
Sort And so, indeed, we ought, if
we had any thing to spy out; but the
a'rness, the openness, the honesty of
this government, lays bare 10 every eve
tthae chooses to look that way, the re
sources, the Improvements, and the
ELECTS of the country. Then, what
have Frencnmen to spy? Aud, in
dsed, how can they get along in po-
iucal sense, seeing the difference OF
heir manners, language, and DISPOSE
ION from ours? The case, however,
is different with respect to English
.n,n: they glide in among US, as II
tn y were really Americans and how
are they to be deiectedf Only by their
sentiments and that is such vague,
metaphysical mean of detection, that
| ic requires great deal OF ratiocination,
and so much vigilance, and persever-
ance, to prosecute the counte, action OF
those sentiments with success, that i,
IS not only an arduous, but very diff
hcult task to preserve republican doc
Tlnes in the ascendant under the per-
pstual p esslre OF British monarchical
IDEAS. This, then, is the dangerous es.
ptonage; this is the spying cur of which
we ought truly to beware. The pro.
pagators of British aristocratical sen
siments discover our weak sides, our
/ predictions for mother Britain, and
they assail US intellectually. An En-
glishman no sooner arrives among us,
than he slides into society, and We
converse with him at once as citizen :
there is no obstruction, no barrier.
To mark the influence which the
i British nave obtained in the United
States, we have only to recur to the
! prominent observations of the federal
prints; the. open countenance given
to the ottrages OF Great Britain in the
gaz cttes OF that party and to the pub.
lie entertainments given to English a.
gen and discarded ministers. Let us
reverse the picture, for a moment, and
see how it will look: Let US suppose
: minister OF France in this countr,
: had openly bid defiance to the presi.
dent, and when his recall Rad been re-
: queSted, re knowing how well ht
would be received by certain partizans
should start on a journey through the
union, and should be feasted, and toast
= ed, and Aattered and all this in oper
= Daylight? How would the nation
. ike the procedure on the part of A
q mesican citizens TO French discarded
h minister. Not at al, we are certain
" Aud yet /, has occurred, and moft
" Than occurred in the case Of Francis /
Z Jackson. Thus, all concern about IT,,
y cerrency of BritiSh Spies is ab or5ed ii
e the (,.,eu avovai of British G tti,oents