Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-04-09

who are opposed to hostilities with Great
Britain. Their logic flows through one broad
general proposition. They argue, that tho
value OF the object is not equal in amount to
the cost OF the contest In stating the OBJ
Ject, however, they contine it exclusively to
the trade carrying on between the u. States
and the continent of Europe. This state
mcht is altogether unjust. 1t is not for any
particular trade, which, from time TO time
may Change, and may not be permanent c.
ven in time of peace: But it is for fundamen-
tai rights, which, if not maintained, involve
every thing precious to the republic and it
50 happens, that in sustaining those rights,
various points of policy will be promoted.
Policy alone ought MT to carry Us into a war !;
but in the support OF our rights considerati-
ons OF policy ought not to be lost sight Of To
Illustrate what is meant Ivy centending for
rights; let us recuf to the case of impressed
Seamen. Ten OF twenty thousand citizens
impressed into the British naval service, Con-
sjdered merely in relation to their value to
the United States, would not, it is evident,
be worth war that would cost forty or fifty
millions of dollars. But the right of freely
passing every where, upon lawful business,
without molestation, would be worth any sum
that the nation could afford to pay because.
nf
ten or twenty thousand seamen, but emf ra-
ces the entire security of every man in the
Union who may now and hereafter devote
himselfto commerce and navigatian Nor is
this security all: The feelings of the parties
are to be taken into the estimate the inf
mite sufferingS ofseamen, tho disgrace of their
servitude, the ruin of their families. tbr an
guish of theirparents, the anxiety of friends
and the debasement Of the national SENT.
ncnt by familiarising it with foreign outr,re
The PRINCIPLE is all that is worth fighting for.
The number of persons impressed is cfno o.
Their Importance than as it serves to mark
the crimina'i:y of the British. Increase of
population would soon supply the deficit oc-
casoned by the loss of seamcn who are inn.
pressed; but what can repair the loss OF our
honors
Thus it is likewise, with the commercial
,1ShtS tor which we ought to fight 1t is not
tor the petty trade which Napoleon NAV, oc-
caslon9lv, permit us to carry on with his sub
Jec-s and his allies; but it is for the ,ipht of
free trade at all times and in all countries.
agreeaoiy to the established law of nations.
Where the principle is broad. and the rieht
Is manifest, it is not material at what poipt
the stand is made. The battle thatis FOUGHT
OH the frontier protects the whole republic :.
and the effort that is made to maintain sim
gle right, vindicates all the rights Of the ma
ton.
To illustrate the subject further, let us ap
peal to the history of the war of the Ameri-
can Revolution. The point at which a stand
was made was the duty on tea. Was the
three-pence per pound worth the contest !.
BY no means. But mark the bearing of that
measure. The duty on tea was practical
exercise of an alIedged authority to tax the
colonies in all cases whatsoever, and with
out admitting the colonists TO voice in par
lament This, i'll principle, was tyranny,
ana oh principle 1T was resisted. The at
tempt to levy the duty was opposed as an in
stance ct the tyranny. And there sprung
from this opposition to