Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-05-13
From the National Intelligencer.
TO THE EDITOR.
No. IL.

That government cannot be bad.
which secures the general happiness
ut people, by the protection of the
trnits of their labor and of their moral
Sererdepce. should not err, were
1 TO add, that its repression of that
speculation, which is ever prone,
without labor, to amass wealth at the
exience of the industry OF others, is
an additional evidence of its goodness.
The first end has been complr tely al.
tanned by the American government.
The last has been attained in a Certain
degree and it is byyond doubt to the
agency o. the government, either pos
tive or negative, in this result, that it
owes the incessant calunny that ira
duCes all its measures.
That the moral attributes of free.
dom have been maintained in all he ir
purity is proved bv the liberty, we
might add the RIGHTEOUSNESS. with
which The administration is attacked !;
by TIE unres,rained rights of consci-
enre, by the universal security of
life and property. and by the undimin-
ished enioyment of every political
rghr ever possessed by civilised ma
ton.
That the frui's of their lahors are
secured more happily than in any other
community that exists will appear
manifest to any one, no dispassion-
ately regards objects that fall under
the cogn zance of his senses without
suffering himself to be led aytray by
Idle ciamor or maievolent misrepre-
sentation. TX the planter or the far
mer, whether Re has any apprehension
of being unjustly despoiled- Of his pro.
perty either by ihe government or "a
ny individual, and he will tell YOU
no. Ask him whether he cannot OBJ
tain for his crops a price that Yields
him handsome profit, and he will
answer, yes. /; is true, thai, with re-
gard 10 the solitary article of tobacco,
the price is much depressed below It's
ordinary rate. Low, however, as it is,
this price still afford SIN Ill profit.
Were not this the case, still the rasers
oil this commodity would have the
candor to admit-that it always has
been subject to an unusual oscillation,
rising at one time immediately high,
ard falling at another to correspon.
dent depression and that those VINO
rear IL are generally in aflfuent circum-
stances, are able to keep it for b t.
ter market, and are in fact, with re-
gard TO it, merchapts as well as plan.
tiers. Nor will he deny that the
ground devoted to this drug would,
if az piled TO the cultivation of grain
or grass, yield an abundant and pro-
f'able harvest. With regard to every
other prod ct of agriculture, the sale
is br SIX, the price liberal, and the
profit handsome. When it is added,
that this is not only the case now,
but that il has likewise been the case
tor the ten past years, the most sa is
factory evidence is furni he'd of the
ample protection Of government. For
during this period the state of the
foreign world has be infinitely chez.
gu, red, and it would be absurd to as
crlbe an effect permanently the same
to causes so constantly varying & dis
similar. 1t is impossible to omit no.
ticing here the mistaken, though gem
eral, convic ion that every thing de.
Ponds upon the state of our relation
TO fore ga nations that it is owing
entirely TO their demand for our pro.
ducts that we are prosperous and
progressive community.
If facts prove any thing, they prove
that the increase Of our wealth and
numbers has been greater while our
relations with foreign nations have
been disturbed than when they have
been tranquil. And the reason is OBJ.
vious. O0r differences with those ma
tions have sprung from their clilierenA
ces with each other, which have inva.
fisbls, by diminishing among them
the class Of cultivators at the same
time that they augmented the mass
of ccusumption, raised the prices of
or xports and increased the demand |
for them. Such mas been the inau- !