Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-11-02

tant work. He now finds, however that
there is great difference between native ia
Guilty and acquired artfce, between ingenti-
ity and genius, between real talent and a
mere habit of phraseology. An individual
who pcrpetnIlly substitutes abuse for ridl-
cule. rhapsody for argument, petty allusipns
for wit. and scurrili,y for criticism, must be
radically defective in intellect. From no
thnghe came and to nothing he will return.
As long as he prints newspaper. so long
he will be nourishcd by the factious But
this sdigressing. We meant To- say the pre-
sidentiai election is at close. We believe
there II no danger. a. to the choice of chief
magistrate. The Argus will be soon devo-
ted to other topics, more amusing, because
less personal, and therefore less Calculated
TO excite envy. fine war in Russia. that in
Spain, the war in which the United States
are engaged, and the proceedings of Con
gress, all present. a wide field for scrutiny,
comment, and Illustration; and to these we
shall, accordingly, turn, glad to escape from
a partizan warfare, which embitters animos-
ity and provokes defamation.
1t has always been a difficult thing to fix
the true definition Of the Li5crly of'the Press.
friend to the senior editor of the Baltimore
Wing, at length enables US to come at the
very NTH OF the thing, in the following words:
1t is necessary To- premise that the apostro-
phe is introduced By the assertion that the
MadisoDians were withdra wing their sub
scrip'ions from the WFiiig and that the y. S.
Marshal had taken from that paper his adj
l-vertising custom
Can such men be called Republican
1T this conduct is to be tolerated, and fhe
PalL0dinDf Of ouT Liberties thus attacked
and trvstrated with impunity-adieu to the
happiness and Independence of cur country"
Thus, the Liberty of the Press (and let no
| man dispute it y consists in the Madisonians
patronizing Journal tina, daily revilcs them,
| and III Marshal's continuing TO advertise
! in it, We alluded to the subject duy or
| two ago; but we recur to it again, for such
a valuable discovery ought to riuef public
| attention,
| We are glad TO find that the Senate of
| Massachusetts, a majority of which is repub-
lican, have referred the choice OF electors
of President and Vice-President TO the heo-
| hte. Mr.. Madison's friends do net wish that
ne and MIR. Gerry should succeed by any
| sort OF iegislatise pertinacity, whereby the
people should be deprived of what may be
considered their political right. This con-
| duct IN the Massachusetts Senate, forms a
very honorable contrast to the behavior of
one branch of the Pennsylvania legislature
some twelve years ago, in similar Case
We never calculated on the votes of Mas
sachusetts for two republican candidates /;
nut nozv, we confidently expect, that they
will get severai from that state. The cleo
tion of Messrs. Madison and Gerry, however,
perfectly sure without them.
Since the observations on the Battle of
4 Queen ST. 10 fry. fhi
we have seen and read the letter of Gen
Van Renssalaer to Gen. Dearborne. There
Is nothing in 1t to change, bat much to con-
firm the opinion We have formed of the pro-
bahle influence OF that conflict upon the en-
envy. We are sorry to find that there should
be any portion of American citizens, who,
when embodied as militia, should refuse to
march. We suppose the sighr of the battle
may have struck them with panic, as il
is well known that the aft11roach to the fray
is always more terrific to the new recruit than
the actual encounter. An old general ofthe
revolutionary war once told the writer, that
ne had seen militia men Fly at the first onset
OF the enemy, and in three days afterwards
when little more familiarized with service,
meet the foe like veterans 1t cannot be
concealed, however, that, in general. the a
lacrity OF the men in an army depends on the
officers; and 10 is not at all improbable that
in the affair of Queens Town the refusal
OF the militia to march was the consequence
of inCapacity or cowardice in those who
commanded them. We hope there were
none of the Connecticut RehugnantS among
them, who were restrained from crossing
the river by the consideration that they could
not be obliged to go, as the country was not
invaded because that would argue a de-
I basement of human nature, an example of
which we did not suppose could bein practice
found in America; that's to say cold blood
ed calculation of legal obligations, at the mo-
mcnt when, within eye-shot, hundreds of our
gallant countrymen were contending brave
ly with the adversary. The feelings of any
man thus situated, thus arguing, and thus
restrained, are not to be envied by any hui
man being.
Notwithstanding the conduct Of Connec-
ticut in relation to the war, we assert, and
we can demonstrate it, that that state has
more public patronage, from very high Off
ces under the general government to very
low ones, in proportion to her population,
than any other state of the Union. This
may seem very strange to those who have
imagined Virginia appropriated every thing
to herself.
We observe that the New-York Colum
bian would be quite humorous if it were not
angry, at our having slightly hyickcd its
friend the contractor. We beg Capt. Holt
and his f1rochein ami not TO he alarmed for
the interest of the latter at ad-Quarters.
We have no disposition, and we are sure
the administration have none, to play Ne
roic part, by torturing fies.
GEN. HULL remains at his seat in New
ton, Massachusetts