Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-01-02

.hent. W whatever may be the composition Of tn
Crater hope the former vii. consist OF some o.
ss'ne best materials ofthe co,ntry The arden
l'str'otisni c. our young men, and the reasons
oir bounty IN land which is proposed 10 he Civ
en- wlil lmpei them 10 join their country,
Is aheard aud to fight her battles--tl,ey will MOI
siufget the citizen ~ the soldier and in obeyie
sthei officer learn to coptemn their const;t0tio5
Tin cur eiiicers and soldiers we will find patriot
b. n 'Ho less pure and ardent than in the private
schi<en-but II they should be depTaved as re D.
resentec, what have we To fear from 25 10 So.
100 regulars Where will be the boosted mi.
siitiac the gentleman Can 100000 of MILF
] IA be overpowered by $4,000 regulars If SO.
ne" can We rely on them against foe invx.
s1ing our country Sir. lave no such con-
stemPtuous Ic.ca OF our mili:ia--their ufltauyht
brayery IS sufficient 20 crush al foreign and IN.
Seernal attempts On their country,s liberties
but we have not Yet came 10 the end Of tho
{;hapte- OF dangers. The gcalcmans iaia;as
Patton, 50 frai.ftii On this sahiect, concets Is
;'nst our constitution il nat calculated for war,
ana that It cannot stand It's rnde saock This
;'s rather eStraor6inary--we ritst then depend
upon the Pity or contempt cfother nations, for
|o our existence, The constitution, it seems, has
!alied IN its essential part Z" to provide for tbe
common defence" No, says the gentleman'
from rslHla, it is competent for dcfensiye;;;
put not an offensive war. II is not necessahyi
ior me 10 expose the error of this opinioss3;;
why make the distinction In this instance;
WA ne pretend 20 say, that this is an offensipei
",2T--a war.of conquest Yes, the gentlemahs
mas dared 20 make this assertion and for red
sons no less extraordinary than the asscrtionH
'iseii He says, our rights are violated on tKey
ocean, and thaSthese violations affect our ship:
ping, and commercial rights, TO which the Cal
n2ctas have no relation. The doctrine of ret:i.
i'ation has been much abused of late by an da
natural extension wa have now to witness Il
new anuse. The gentleman from Virginia has
limited 1t down 70 point BY his system, if yoalf
receive blow on the breast, ,you dare not re u
turn II on the head-you are obliged to meal
sure and return it on the precise point on whiclE
1t was received. If you do not proceed wisl /
thls mathematical accuracy, it ceases to be just
seh-letcnee IT becomes an unproyoked attaak :
IN speaking of Canada the gentleman from Va
introduced the name of Montgomery With
much feeling and interest Sir, there is dam
ger IN that name to the gentlemans argument 1
~ IS sacred to heroism! 1t is indignant OF subj
|lnisslonI This calisny memory back to thes
time of our revolution--to the Congress of ,74!
and rs. Suppose aspeaker of that day had RI
Isen and urged all the arguments which we hayeE
'heard on this subject-had told that Congress
.'-your contest is about the right oflaying tax
land that the attempt on Canada had nothing
10 do with II; that the war would be expensive
that danger and devastation would overspreadl
ionr country, and that the power of Great Bril-
;tsin Was irresistabla." With what sentiment \
think you, would such doctrines have been them
ssreceTed Happy for rs; they had no force al
That period of our country's glory Had thew
sbcen then acted ON, this Hall would never have
~ Witnessed great nation convened 10 -deliber-
5ate tor the general good--a mighty empire
with proader prospects than any nation the
sun ever shone on, would not have risen in the
West No; We would have been vile subject
ed colonies-governed by that imperio,1sy roo
which Britain holds over her distant provinces
.Sn, the gentleman from Virginia attributes the
preparation for war TO every thing but its true
cause He e1deavored to find it in the proba
bic rise ofthe price Of hemp. He represents
'the people of the Western states as willing to-
plunge our country into war for such base and
iprecarlous motives. / will not reason on this
point fsee the cause of their ardor. not in
such base motives, but in tleir known patriot !
|lsm and dIsintercstedness. No less mercenaryI
rs the reason which he attributes to the South,
Iern states He says that The non.importationI
iaet has reduced cotton to nothing, which has
produced feyerish impotence, Sir / ac-
lSnowiedge the cotton Of our farms is worth Butt
.liule-but not for the cause assigned by tile
gentleman from Virginia. The people of that
section do not reason as he does they do not
attrIbute II to the efforts of their government to-
country; they see in the low price of their pro-
.duce, the hand of foreign injustice they know
w ell, without the market to the continent, the
'deep and steady current OF supply will glut thal
fof Sreat Britain; they are not prepared for the
colonial state to which again that power is en-
.deaVorlng to reduce us: The manly spirit Of
itb%t section Of our country will not submit TO be
regulated by any foreign power. The love of
France and the hatred OF England has also been
81 loc ~ .c.l..
tfTance has not done us Justice, saws the trer,-
stleman from Virginia, and how can we without
|paftiality resist the aggrcssions OF England. I
tEnow, SIR, we have still causes Of complaint a.
,gsinst France but it is,of different charac-
FER from those against England. She PROCESSES
nov TO respect ourrights, and there cannot bc
reasonable doubt but that the most object.
on'Ole parts OF her DEGREES, as far as they re-
,spcct us, are repealed. We have aireodv Eor
Imally acknowledged this 10 be fact how.
Il ser, protest against the whole OF the princi-
pies on which this doctrine is founded n Is a
tnoFei doctrine, and no where 70 be found ont
o' 'Iis House, that you cannot select your anita
.5Ghst without being guilty Of partially Sir.
"hen two invade your rights you may resist both
~ either ~ your pleasure. II IS regulated by
lpiu1ehce and not by right The stale imputa-
ION OF Partially 70 france is better calculated
lior the columns Of a newspaper than for the
80 - ''.'. 'Ao'isl' ASH w NhiS PARTICULAR
~ the gentleman from Virginia, but for the same
measure which be claims for hirnself That
3bentcman IS az loss 90 account for, what ne
3calls, our hated % England lie asks how can
I've hate thc cosntry Of Locke, of NcwtsnI
llhampden and Chatham a country having The
asame language and customs with ourselves
and descending from q common ancestry. Sir,
1 he laws ofkunan affections arc uniform. If we
lave 50 much to attach rs TO that country, pow
lerful indeed mus be the cause which bas over
powered It. f.,
Yes SIR, there is cause strong enough. moi
NSt occult eourtly affection which he las sup