Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-09-10
Thy Friend,
I1EZEKIAH HOLDFAST.
Mr.. Peasants,

In Davis's P4TRIo7 Of
the 4th instant, under the George IOWA
nead, appears paragraph which seems IN
tended as u modest preface to the mumme-
ry winch was 20 be acted on the following
day, under the preteXt of doing honor to
the memory Vi one or the misguided lnsur-
gents, wac lost MS life IN consequence of the
comnotion designed, planned aud created
bJ A. q. Hanson and ms associates, in the
city OF Baltimore. 1t says, that spec
tacle Will be exhibited tomorrow, 7vithin
t.vo miles Of the Presidents hguSe, worthy
of the treemen of America, and winch free
men will dehght to contemplate. 1t will
prove To an adElring world, mac Ill the We
rY heart of country d,Slgncdly given nf to
the government If a La.vkeSs bGnHttti, sc.
IL appears s. indeed. Is IL true, then,
(answer me who cah) that the government
of our country Is given up to these men, and
that they feel themselves so secure, that
within two miles or the Presidents house"
they boast eheS will exhibit an uncquivocal
evidence OF their supremacy, and mock our
President Chat wdS) to his head Fl had
heard, Mr.. Peasants, that these insurgents
had evacuated Baltimore, and made Geo:
Town their headquarters but l could not
have supposed 1t possible, that in the short
space which has interviewed, that they could
have effected total revolution OF our go
vcrnment They cali themselves a Lqz,iesS
6atiditti! This surprised me at first sight
but recoiiected, that agreeably To their
principles, laws are only obligatory on those
! who give their assent to them /; and as they
had withheld their assent, they were
without laws, and being lawiess, ergo ban
| dlti; ergo, iawless banditti. And Dy a pa
rity of reasoning, as names heretofore hon.
orabie and denoting something excellent,
have, III the process OF time, become names
OF disgrace aHd reproach, such as Christian,
Republican,, sc. SO epithets, heretofore
deemed disreputable, will nnw be as titles
of honor and distinction. We expect, there
fore, when this banditti, organize heir nezv
government, ander that constitution which,
in the paragraph alluded to, they say mas
bee. transmitted to them by their fathers,
their chief magistrate will be styled the
Grand BandH Z; and that orders of nobility
will be instituted and instead of Earl,
Duke, Lord, Marquis, &c. they will be de-
nominated Traitor, ApOstate, Conspirator,
| incendiary. &c. as SYNONYMOUS.
There have happened Of late, so many
and wonderful revolutions in the govern.
ments of the world, that had almost ceased
to wonder At the strangest things. But
confess, Mr.. Peasants, that the news of
this fundamental change in orr own govern
ment, as we were wont To- call it, 50 sudden
iy achieved, with so little noise and so little
opposition, took me unawares, and for a
while astonished and distressed me. Until
saw this paragraph, could not account
for the boldness of the insurgents in Massa-
Chusctts, in the pulpit and clscwhere-For
the capture of Gen Hull-for the retreat of
the P--t from Washington, and his cap
ture and rcturn--But this solves all these
strange appearances and they confirm the
| truth of that assertion, in the dreadful para
| graph, that the government is given IN 10
| thu LasVLcs8 b11ditH.--I had always believ-
| cd, tina, the object Of these honorable gentle
! men Cf may dare use the titie) vas to
suovcrt the existing government, or assimi-
late it to that of G.. Britain--I feared, thu,
they would do much mischief; but had NJ
even dreamed, that they could have com
| passed Jlieir purpose wish SO much case
| Their plans must have been well maturcd
| This work must have cost them large sum
| fmOney. We should not nave suffered the
| British TO have gained such an ascendenc
! over u bat We we're blinded by ayaric
! and we shall h.N receive our reward.
| Yours,
SlgNE9N 2lSlPLE.