Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-12-28

y
J Come cut and the public rot yet familiar
With IL, take the liberty 20 rcancs, YOU
VII insert IL your widely circulating parer
ead ms conSpIcao:s q form az y1w may
iind convenient, for such | think it de-
serves.
The State of Virginia was pronerly
considered the fountain of Southern resis-
lance. Her relative Antiquity, the STOCK of
loyalty for which she bad been slyays dis
tinSuished, her well known obedience to
law and hatred OF change had convinced
tie wavcring and.the doubling, that our re-
sistance was just. GhaS, by the sanction OF
her authority. she had stripped resistance
OF It's immaginary horrors. The extent OF
her domain, the value os her products, the
viSor OF her councils, and the political fame
she had acquired in tho first Congress BY n
happy selection of delegates. placed her
;ilyh IN the respect and confidence of her
sister states The uniform sample of wis
dom exhibited BY her deputies in that BODY.
inspired the nation vita exalted sentiments
OF the place of their navi,y. To the hand
OF one OF her Sons had been committed the
sword OF defence, aud from the lips of ano,
Their, In obedience TO the commands of his
constituents, was proposed our indepen-
dence. Although the most ancient and 10y
al OF the colonies, she had, in our just war,
been uniformly decisive and active and
though not particularly injured by the first
hostile acts OK Parliament, she nevertheless
kept pace with Massachusetts the devo
ted object OF ministerial vengeance, in the in
cipient steps OF resistance. thus distinguish
ed, she was marked as peculiar victim by
the common enemy. Happily for herself,
as vel as tho Union, few of her inhabitan
mad taken side with England: and most of
those lew in the first stage of the revolution
mad lett the state. Thus her undivided a
bliity was employed in the firm maintenance
OF the war;"
Now lbeg leave to recommend this pas
sage to the consideration of the publick at
large in the middle, the southern, and the
western states, the editors Of whose repub-
iisan newspapers respectfully hope NAV
see hit to lay it before their readers with the
same views that request you to insert it.
10 those people in Massachusetts who have
taken side with England and against their
ewn country in the present Just war l do
not address It, well knowing that their sor-
didness and their ferocious passions render
them quite insensible to the lesson it CONVEYS.
But surely ifgencral Lee had intended to re-
Duke their vile conduct, and place that of
Virginia during the last war i'm honorable
contrast to it, he could not have framed a
passage more opposite 10 his purpose.
embrace this occasion to say that, as enc
OK the communityin these parts, | read with
entire appreciation the spirited and wei,
written essays that have lately appeared in
your paper upon thc subject of Massachu-
sets disso!viIg the union. She has very
long been threatening US all upon This
point, through her newspapers, through her
political pn,pits, and through Mr.. Quincy.
Who seems sent to Congress Tor the express
purpose OF Informing us what Massachusetts
means to do if she does not soon get the u
mon into her own hands, or ii & congress dare
to pass laws that Sic does not like. For my
part, without any disr spect to Mr.. Ouin
cy, but merely as general rule, am ant
10 think an Eaoituai thrratener. 10 better
than bully who most co,un,on,v 800
the spirit to execute what nc talks about.
But admitting that he does mean what he
says, all have to say is let his state eo OF
u she chuses, nobody cares, although thro'
inc fundamentally of her " niscreants"
she has done us and continues to do us. all
the harm she can. She identifies herself in
al! things with the enemy, and abuses our
own government infinitely worse than thev
do in England. That she has not vet made
direct attack upon US with force of arms.
Is the only particular in which her rancorous
hostility, has not yet been shewn and this
England herself has not yet been able
to do except through her Indian allies to she
westward. Let her now do something to-
wards dissolution since she seems SO re-
solved she hiss been talking about it long
enough verify thina she is contaminatinF
,ther parts Of the Union by her licentiouS
and unprincipicd attachment to the CONNIE on
enemy, and that the rest of the union is a. |
bic TO tight out its battles without her and
much better without her than with her AS |
she now lends her aid Let her Join her |
sister colonies Of New Brunswick and No. |
va Scotia, and let Us sec whether she can do
best without the rest of the union or the |
rest OF the union without her whether the |
union is clog To her or she to the union.
II Nan IF the A5fddLe States.