Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-11-02
VIRGINIA ARGUS.
RI CIR NJ O ND:
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9. 1919.

la the United States men who, IN reality, ne
yer look beyond the spirit cfharsy. With
them nothing seems OF a n0fipUai character.
Whatsoever occurs excites IN their minds no
other enquiries than such as these: "Wil
not this affect Mr. Madsnn's election l"--
docs that nor pr,mote the success of Mr..
DE Witt Clinton :" Here this description
Of people stop. The couhtry, in their esti-
nation, is nothing. All they cnnsidcris, avho
shall govern
When Gen. Hall surrendered at Detroit,
great hofres ware entertained by the oppo-
sition. They calculated that the people had
no distinct notion Of things, and that the com
inunity was altogether governed by the III
hucNCe CT prosperous or untoward events
Hence they countenanced Hull, and although
there was not single officer or private in
his army that spoke in his favor, he was, in
the federal prints, pourtrayed as a General
at once illuminated and sacrificed. Their
object was to get up farce before the natl
on: They wished to nit Hull against the adj
mn'straticn, and by creating wraugle,
throw the whole Government into a ridicu-
ious attitude. In relation TO Gen. Hull, how
ever, the public sentiment has settled down
at the true point. In any other service than
that N the United States he would have been
shot for the surrender of his army. He owes
1t to the Mid genius of our political institute
ems that he still survives his honor.
The same game that was played with re-
Spect to Hull, is, by some gazettes, attempt
ed TO be exhibited in the case of Gen. Van
Rensselaer,. Although that gallant officer is
decided federalist, although there is not
the least doubt but what he undertook the
expedition against Queenstown without any
order to that effect from the President or
War Department, yet, as the result has
been unfortunate, the whole affair is attri-
buted to want of caiacity in the present ru-
lers of the nation. We do, indeed, feel tru-
ly indignant at this behaviour i'm our adver-
saries; not because the administration is in
iured by it, for, in truth the administration is
not injured; but because it tends to degrade
the United States in the eyes of foreign pow
ers; because it shews want of manly feel
ing-a little, narrow, selfish, contemplate
disposition, which, for The sake Of office,
wouldchill everynobie pulsation i'll the hearts
of Americans.
Like others of the human family, we con-
slider war as terrible evil. But when it i.
necessary or inevitable, it must be endured
II is in vain, whilst war is raging, to lament
the effuson of blood, in as much as the effl-
sion of blood is inseparable from war. We
share, to be sure, 10 common with every
friend OF humanity, the poignant grief of in
tiividuals, who lament their friends that fall
in battle; and we eXu!t with those, who, hav.
ing acquitted themselves well, live to enjoy
their renown. But these sensations of sad
ness aud of joy are not to weigh in the gene
raj scale of contest. We are TO look at the
effect OF the Conflicts that take place, and tC
observe how far the effect operates to the
attainment OF the great objects of the var
Ii is not always the party that makes mos
prisoners, or that remains master of the
field, that reaps the best fruits of the fight.
Reflections of this sort have led us to view
the Battle of Queens Town in a light some
what different from that in which many per.
sons viewit. and particularly the leading fc
deralists We do not choose to deuounct
the conduct of Gen. Van Rensselaer, as rash
unauthorized by the government, and there
by save the reputation of the administration
We disdain such frivolous shifts and quirks
rs the probable consequence of the Battle
as TO its Influence on Ihe enemy, that w,
contemplate There can be no question a
TO the Generals moffUc: 1t was, most Ger
sainly, good one: And whether he was de
Ceived by false intelligence of the position
or turce OF our adversary, and thus failed o.
ventured an assault on the Heights of Queens
Town al random, we do not hesitate to as
sert the opinion, on mature reflection, that
iOlCtSuNC W tiiO w al x CFttI 4LLH- llC dCLlOl
will produce the most salutary effects.
If. the first place, we look back at Hull
surrender, survey the shame which it pro
duced in every qparterof the Union, and con
slider how much it was calculated to damn
the ardor of our own citizens, how much t
raise the hopes Of the enemy, it must be ad
mitted that some daring achievement, som
military undertaking that had seasoning
even of indiscIcticn in it, was essential to re
store theAmercan mind to confidence, and L
shatter the sanguine spirits of our antago
nists The Battle of Queen Town precise
ly corresponds to this idea.
In the next place, this violent and intrep
assault on the British lines in the vicinity G
Niagara, will necessarily draw their attenti
on that way. They will march from NAL
den and from Montreal more troops t
strengthen their posts from Newark TO For
ERIC, and thus, on the one hand, weaken thoi
defeuces in the neighborhond of Detroit, S
as to leave an opening for Gen. Harrison
and lessen their effective force at Montreal
so as to give Gen. Dearborn better chanc
OF success in that quarter. The British wi
not dare 10 leave rhefr Niagara frontier ex
posed after the sample OF American courag
furnished at Queen's-Town.
the desperation Of that conflict on on
part, will also strike terror into the hearts {
the Canadian militia. They will no longe
regard us in the light Of vaporng braggadc
clos ; nor will it be so easy matter to brin
them into action against us, by representa-
our officers as Gen. Hulls, and our troops a
pusillanimous. We risk nothing in sayn
that the next news received in London fror
Canada will induce the English ministry
dhnk Of the United States with more re
spccr. The Heights of Queens Town wi
be as memorable AS Bunker's Hill and al
though we have been unsuccessful in tn