Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-08-09

OF the public debt, and of sums borrowed
leaving the amount of loans contracted on
account OF the extraordinary expenses of
the war, to be repaid upon the return of
peace, & the re>establishment Of commerce.
Without this provision, the public creditor
would have no adequate assurance Tor the
punctual payment of the interest of the debt
| and, OF course, the rate of interest would be
| encreased-The pledges of the nation might
| be forfeited and its character deeply affec.
| ted. In guarding against these evils, the
Legislature has been obliged To have recourse
to pecuriary impositions.
lfever taxes comparatively moderate, &
| expenditures such AS these, were warran-
ted by any object, or could, in any state of
things, Claim the support Of those who we're
to bear them, they, upon the present occa
sion, will be cheerfully sustained by a free
| and enlightened people, who know and are
determined to maintain their rights, and,
with whom, no price would be an equive
lent for any loss of national character. AS
| to my immediate constituents, feel a
| confidence which imparts the highest gra-
| tifcation. that every contribution, whether
personal or pecuniary, that is necessary to
| the successful progress and honorable ter
/ miuation OF the war. will be borne with the
| utmost alacrity. It war like the present,
waged, as it literally is. for fersonGL liberty
on the ocean, for the right of passing undis
turbed on the high>way of nations" and
| for the privilege of disposing, in a lawful
manner, OF the products of our soil and la
| Dor ;-if, in a word, a war, waged for the
preservation of the unalienable attributes of
national sovereignty, shall not be supported
by the only people on earth who in fact ex-
ercise the right of self government. then pa
| triotism is mere name, and political lber
ty an idle phantom! Then, indeed, shall
expire the worlds best hope! And the only
remaining fabric of practical representative
democracy SHALL mouldcr into ruins!
FeiLoSo CT izenS-I am conscious, that you
are animated by other sentiments-I am SEN
sble that by you the magnitude of the OBJ
Jccts involved in the present contest are
fully appreciated. You would conceive no
perils too formidable to encounter, no sac
rifces too great TO be made, in order that,
under approving Heaven, we may transfer,
without deterioration, to our children, the
rich inheritance which has descended to US,
consecrated by the blood Of our ancestors.
But am incautiously yielding TO the as.-
cendancy of my feelings. / have been car
ried away by the high interest of the subject.
Il will return.
i have yet, fellows citizens, TO call your
attention to topic, which from its nature,
has excited universal concern.
The deeply inter esting incidents-the con-
tlnuaiiy varying fortunes of war-will never
tail to produce the most anxious solicitude. In
the progress that in which we are engaged,
we have sometimes Witnessed The celebration
OF the mo- brilliant triumphs & sometimes
we have had bitterly to lament the most sad
disasters. Oar operations on land, altho'
often successful, have, nevertheless, been
marked by singular fatalities--Our soliliery
have, indeed, most amply display cd the high
est suscep!ibiities--The officers, generally,
have attained military skill with CELEBRITY.
The common soldier is brave, docile, and
capable OF enduring the greatest hardships.
Yet, with superior numbers and abundant
supplies, our armie.-not from being beaten
in fair and equal combat, (on the contrary
tits believed III every case Of that sort, they
have conquered) but, from some other eau
ses, have, IN several instances, failed in their
enterprises.
10 comment on this subject, is extremely
painful to me. For what consider it my
duty tosay, / trust shall be excused, by
the frequent occurrence of the question
what are the causes of these failures. Do
they exist in the conduct of the Executive
department Do they exist in the compo
sition and detective equipment of the forces
employedf Or are they to be found in the
Encouragement, the unskiIfulness, the te-
merity, or the treachery of the commanders
under whom they have occurredi
In discussing this very delicate, but inter-
estinS suhJect--one which. if not correctly
understood, may unhappily tend to damp
the military ardor of the country, and lead
to consequences ever to be deprecated-I
unequivocally disclaim any the remotest, in.
tention to derogate in the slightest degree
from the worth aud merits Of the officers
4 the army. would not, under any cir
| cnmstances, do injustice to- any one of them
but 1t is fact perfectly notorious to those
Sho are any way acquainted withlhe history
1t The several expeditions which have been
undertaken since the commencement of the
var, that the commanding Generals. in eyerv
| instance of.Jailnre or defeat, have had win
| IN thcfr confToni, Or uEdSr their command.
| SHHctenf means 30 have avoided such mil
| IRE or faf, and TO have accumulated me
| enteThfize ia pjeyv.-This may be Consider
ed as strong assertion.--It is, notyithstand.
iag true.
Beginning with the most disgrateful of the
disasters, we will take unpleasant and un
| gracious as is the task concise view OF
| them all.
| That HuLLs surrender couM have been
| avoided by him, AVID the enemy driven "a
way and discounted by the f1rce under his
command, no honest and unprecedented man
| will deny THAT those forces vert we'll sup
piled with every necessary, has been amply
ate ted by eye witnesses of the first respec
abilty-- ] have myself heard declarations to
that effect from so,,re, 1857, - ..,,...:--.