Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-05-11

our neutral rights 10 their disposal. nus iar 4
as it relates to war on the ground of our Matt
onal Independence. |
But, fellow.citizens, there is another consi- |
Iteration which applies to the respective parties
within the United States, as republicans and je-
oeralists. The republicans have underworld to
vindicate the rights Of commerce rs neutral
nation-They have taken measures to accom-
piish the important purpose. They have tried
| e1nbargees and non-intercoWse--1hey have bro't
their energies into operation by manufacturer
the Introduction of merinoes-the cultivation of
the soil-But every measure adopted by the
republicans has been opposed by the federal
lists. They have assembled to oppose the en-
bargo-They have voted that every man who
complied with it was enemy to his country
They have resolved that the laws ought to be
opposed" peaceably if they can, forcibly if
they must" Not proposition can be made
by the Government bat what is opposed-They
| have taken the utmost pains to counteract eve
| ry proceeding of the Constituted Authorities
and to cap the climax of their enormities, they
| have been .jerrettinS the republican majority in
| Congress to show their energies--They have
exulted over their moderation-They have en-
| deavored to irritate them into a war to support
| their dcclarations--Theyh have said that the u
nited States could not be "kicked into WAR;"
The federal papers have declared that though
we talked about opposition, yet we dare not
That Congress would never have the spirit to
oppose in an hostile manner the impositions of
England. This has been the language Of the
federalists during the whole controversy.
| Here then, fellow-citizcns, the republicans &
federalits are at issue--which of the two par
ties have brought rs to the alternative of war.
Have not the British been encouraged to pur-
sue their measures-to continue their Orders
\ in Council--to increase i'm their impositions |;
when member in Congress declares that we
Il onaalI hsa Ill Ill
the federal papers promulgated the degrading
ideas, that though Congress held a warlike Lam
guagc IN their debates, yet they had not spirit
to put their threats into eXecution--that the
laws would be opposed, and that the custom
house officers were threatened in the execution
of their duties. Thus has Congress been beset
by faction, and baihed in every peaceable
method to vindicate our commercial rights.
WHO THEN ARE THE CAUSE OF WAR! Have
not the federalists been telling the British that
we could not be clicked into war;" and that
all our declarations were only gasconading
Ituminations, and that the majority of the peo-
pie would never aid and assist Government in
hostile measures In short, that every appear.
ance of energy or serious resentment, was moth
ing more than a ridiculous parade of threats,
which they never dare put into execution AT
ter these constant declarations both by men in
government and out, when assemblages, circu-
lar letters, newspaper paragraphs, debates in
the Legislature, spoke this degrading language,
| is it surprising that the British have continued
their Orders in Council, and have persisted in
violating our commercial rights Gould we
| suppose that they would relax in their outra-
ges, when the federal faction were encouraging
them to persevere, and declaring to them that
it was not the intention of the people to yindi-
cate their rights, and that Congress was afraid
to call on them to do it AFTER doing this in
jury, they are now the most clamorous IN suf-
fePing under it.
Who then, we repeat again, are the CAUSE
| OF WAR! Have not the faction drove the
| country either to submit to ths BritiSh debre-
datiOnS, or to Tepet them ? Have they not for
| ced tie goVern7llen. to take an hostile position
Have they not by declaring that we could
not be :" kicked into war; sanctioned all the
impositions which We have experienced ! Have
MT faction, while thus abusing the administra-
ton, been constantly eulogizing the proceed
ings Of the British! While blasting the char
acter of the President with ePithets the most
degrading, have they not used the most fayora-
BILE appellations towards the British ministry,
and even entertained in Faneuil-Hall the man
who was sent out for no other purpose than to
throw contempt on the natisn Look at the
toasts ofthat d&y--read their votes, resolutions
| and circular letters-cXamine the writings OF a
Boston RebeP'--and then, fellow citizens,
say who ARE THE MEN to whom the GALLANT
TIES OF WAR are to be laid Do not tins fac
tion still pursue their nefarious course Tho
they have thus brought us into a war, yet they
are now endeavoring to palsy our energies
They assemble i'll caucus to encourage each o.
ther nor to assist tie Government. At this cri-
sis, then, let us critically watch their motions
for such an enemy svithin tie camp is more to
be dreaded than ten times their number with.
out it. During our revolution, one company OF
old tories, was more disastrous than a regiment
of British soldiers.
HANCOCK.