Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-03-26

80 May smile and smile and be villain"
The disclosures made by Mr.. Henry have
been held up 20 ridiculc as unlmportant, and,
with the same ease as froward child breaks
out into historical laugh to conceal the
sorrow its little heart is too stubborn to avow,
we have seen some who have affected to
laugh at their contents. If this mcrriment
be affected, it is childish and unworthy of
men Of sense and character if not, it is
worse. In the same spirit in which Nero
hddled when Rome wash flames. thought
less men may smile at the approach or the
hydra of foreign influence which threatens
to devour them; as far be It iromus to envy
them, rs to participate in their amusement
This Is not the first time that ridlcule has
been resorted TO where the recoil of weigh
tier weapons has been dreaded. But in this
case, the arrow is SO light and i'll sped that
it chances from the object ct which it is aim
ed. rebounding on those who use it--iur
what can be more ridiculous than 70 mani
fest hatred for the agent in this plot IN the
same breath ,hat the principal is defended !;
or what more absurd than the declaration
that these documentS are forgeries, and
henry himself ungvorfhy q credit, ut the
same time that his whole buCgS, ? r;1nsack-
ed, and this mans private letters exposed to
REV, to erculhate from participation in his
VIe1s those 7viom no one has CcnsHred as
concerned?
A futile attempt is made to stife the
| force of Henry's evidence, to screen from the
public eye the danning facts ire exposes 70
view, by ;nagnifying the amount OF the COM
pensation SAID to have been made by our go
vernment to Mr.. Henry for mis- disclosure.
Surprising all that is said to be true, bow
can that possibly detract from the atrocity Of
| the act disclosed, and which is tactly con-
| fessed even by the British minister? When
a man is convicted of house-breaking or
| murder, is his conviction less important to
society because reward was paid for his
| detection or apprehension On the same
| principle it is that services such as Henry
has rendered us are rewarded by govern
inents. What honest industrious man, that
in the silent dead of night has found his house
| IN fames, his property Inenaced with instant
destruction and only saved by the iIterpo-
sItion OF Providence, but would freely give a
tithc of his weekly earnings for the discove-
| ny of the .nCendiary? We know not what
Henry has received for revealing to our 60
vernment the incendiary agency for separa-
ting this Union, but this we know: that
! those who hcld us Union cheap will think
the secret purc ed at price too dear
A
our readers thu vhate .eC compensation
Mr.. Henry may 1--we de. n1ed from our
government for the com .n.,cation of his
credentials, he migh rom another quarter
| nave commanded five tsnes as much for their
suppression.
though many may say, with the honor
able Nv. D. ~, 5hai the PRESIDENT has done
worthily Al Ia IS the aEIair before Congress,
in our view ~ as oniy performed an act
OF obvious ana .nper tive duty, imposed by
the awful soiemnty OF his 1ath to support
the constitution # the United States. If
the President knew OF the existence of evil
dence OF a plot to sever the Union, to destroy
the constitution he had sworn TO support
was he not bound to OBTAIN Il , When ob-
tanned, cclid he have faithfully discharged
| the duty conlided to him If he had refrained
from laying it before Congresss If not,
ought he to have refrained from SO doing
| from an apprehension of offending shose
| who chuse TO consider themselves as imDii-
| cated9 lfhe had concealed it, he had be-
| come an accomplicein the crime; by disclo-
| sing it, 1t is no fault of the President, howe
yer 1t may be a cause of regret, that the
feelings of some respectable individuals OF
keen sensibilities appear to have been unin-
tentionally wounded.-b.