Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-01-01

OFT ant, and deserve few special OBJ.
yet it is evident that the
nam subject of solicitude respects our
foreign relations with France, Eng
and, and Denmark"
We shall pursue the commentator
no further. This is in the true style
of an American Commercial Gazette
and candor requires THE acknow-
ledgment that the writer has taken the
high road in which our great national
errors associate from long habit and
run together, without distinction of
party or profession. The first article
that tracts our attention in all our
public papers, IS the foreign news-and
much doubt whether am earthquake
which should sink any one OF our
capitols, Washington excepted, would
excite as strong sympa:hies as the ac-
count of the expected battle near Lis
bor--the blowing up OF the palace of
St. James, or the burning OF Covent
Gard n Theatre.
Judging from our newspapers, and
indeed the acts and the hsrrangues IL
our national Legislature, one would be
led TO suppose, that all other interests
were absorbed in our commercial in
terests, and that all our relations to
each other, our country and our God,
were swallowed up In our " foreign
relations" -Yes-''i it isevid nt", says
this echo to our common error,
6 that the main subject Of solicitude
respects our foreign relations "--wbile
the other subjects enumerated, de-
serve (only) few special observati.
ons"i Can it be true that the Ameri-
can Sampson has neither bone nor
muscle on which he can rely, and that
our &C foreign relations" are the hair
in which his great strength lieth ?
But an experiment has demonstrated
that this is not the fact. The locks of
of his foreign relations have once been
shorn. Whatever might have been
the endorsements and complaints
under the embar go, never did any act
of our government, or aoy concurrence
of circumstances, since we have been
a nation, do so much In so short PEE.
Rod to develope and to bring into eff
fective operation the resources of the
coantry as this measure. One of the
effects Of this measure that does not
give the least offence to lis most inve.
terate enemies is, that it has at once
caused the roots of our independence
to shoot deep in our native soil, and
given US the most promising clusters
of its fruit.
Whatever may be cur foreign par
tialities and our difference of opinion
on public measures already adopted,
or hereafter TO be pursued, every
friend to our independence and pros
perity, must agree in one great lead
ing position, that in the present state
of the world it has become peculiarly
necessary that our national Legislators
should devise aud5pursue system Of
national policy which should poize it.
sell as much as possible upon the firm
basis of our own internal resources.
There is but one nation on earth Tand
| do not know that China is an *
ception, that has so much within IL
self, the means Of Competency, wealth,
luxury, and I'll that is necessary for
individual happiness and the most per-
feet national independence, as the u
ni,ed States OF America.
Shall we, in our public papers and
our legislative acts and discussions,
hold out to the world, the false and
self debasing appearance, that we are
a people, scattered over barren waste
hat has noattractions for our patriot
ism, or even our " darling avarice"
That our representatives, always too
much like ourselves, are set of men
with hearts cold to their country's
honor and eyes blind to its means of
internal Provements, sent to the
capitol exclusively to look abroad and
to watch our fore ign relations for a
pitiful supply to our treasury.
But we must look to Washington
for The answer to these questions
for a comment on the presidents mes
sage, which l trust will be worthy our
country.