Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-04-29

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Indulgence of the House till ne as briefly as |
possible delivered his sentiments on those |
PARTICULAR points 70 which his attention had |
'een called, as we'll as such others as might |
occur to him as likely to give any Informal
ton 10 the IL use. The hon. gentleman had
asSed'his opinion on one point, viz. whether
It the revocation of The orders in council had
oeen known IN America before tie deciara-
tlnn OF war. such knowledge would not have
prevented that declaration This. he said.
wss point on which he could not venture
to give decided opinion. 1t was cer,a,n,
that in all his communications with Mr.. Mon-
roe. and the American government. prea,
stress was laid on the orders i'm council. aud
he always looked on them as the grievance
OF which not only the government. but the
american people, complained most heavily.
AT the same time there were various repo,.ts
IN circulation, of other matters of com piaint.
and contests were carried on between the Sc
Verai parties with great warmth. The war
party, he believed, had taken great pains 10
keep alive and fernent every subject of d is
Pute winch had for many years incidentall,
arisen between the two countries. He
thought the government were not sufficiently
masters OF their own conduct; nor did nc
oeheVe they could havo prevailed on Con
sress, last year, TO haze acted otherwise
man they did. There were two parties in
america that were very warm against this
country One of them had been in favor %
the French revolution from it's commence
nent, and were inclined towards the inte-
rests OF France the other was what j. called
tine Aui-Angli Al party, Who were YER
active III bringing about the war with this
country.
hir Whtbread said, the House were much
ophged to the hon. gentle man who had given
mem an account OF matters which no one else
could have DONE For his own part, il was .
great consolation 10 him to hear from tn. hon
gentle nan, that Mr. Madison and Mr.. Monroe
were not, as they had been represented by mi
hist.rs, al French, but that both OF them seem
ga disposed to conciliate. One part Of the hon
gefueman's speech he wished had been omit
ted, VIZ where he spoke of those who had
warmly taken part against tho proceedings OF
tnis government, rs nothing vas more common
IMAM Tor men IN public assemblies to be mis-.
understood and misrepresented He and those
WIN "hom ne had long acted, had often been
thus misrepresented.
lie adverted 20 the declaration of the primo
regent, dated the 21st of April, 1912, in which
II was said that nothing but the unconditional
repeai OF the French DEGREES should ever pro.
cure the repeal of the orders IN council. 1t
was from that moment, in his opinion. that tho
american government Diet, rmined on war (; vet
NE was OF opinion, that after all the insults
they received Chear hear hear ifthe ;.
peal of the orders in council had reached the m
before the declaration OF war, that war would
nave been prevented; and ifthe noble lord had
accede d TO the peal when first pressed to it
ny his hon. friend Mr. Brougham,) the intima-
ton would have arrived in time for that desirr
able purpose. Hethought there would be con-
siderable difficulty in adjusting the article as
TO the impressing the searhen; but still he
hoped it might ne effected by negotiation.
lie Ian ented, that with she navy of Great Bri.
tain against that of America, which consisted
OF only four frigates and few sleeps, two of
our finest irigates were now in ;heir possessi.
on, captured by only two of heirs thi. was
reverse which English officers and sailors had
not before been used to; and from such can
temp,ibl navy as that Of America had always
been held, no one could suppose such an event
could have taken place.
Mr.. w Smith said, that upon the subject of
impr -ssment, MIR. Monroe had personally ex-
pressed to rim his sense of the Importance of
that question. He would ask what G Britain
would say, if any foreign power maintained
right to search her ships for subjects, and
surely government who could submit to such
a right was not fit to exist as such.