Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-07-12


ner 'nen, forced her to strike her colors, &
impressed several seaneu from on board.
Yes, Fellow Citizeas. the flag OF these Uni
tel S,a,es. which never knew disgrace be-
-fore, and which has seen nothing bot glory
since, descended, sunk, became PROSTATE,
within the Limits of this insu.lcd country, M
on deck wet aGd stained with the blood
VI our murdered country 'nen. do not inen-
ton this outrage, as cowartl,y as i, was Sa
wage, as cause Of war. Tee British min
isSry disavowetl The act. snd rc nasc ac-
ceptsd the repsra,ion, such Is Il was, which
thc'r pride perpitted them to MAKE. L. is
only stated 10 81 " the insoeuI aud hostile
spirit vi that nation towards Us. But,
THANKS be tn God, this disnonor hes been vi
ped away 'se nation has been avenged:
the flag OF ti.s unitcd States ha, waved ia
triumph over tae naval standard OF Britain:
and honored, for ever honored, DC the men.
who have bestowed this giury snl happi-
ness, on their country.
There was yet more Of misery, and more
OF humiliation III store far the people of A
meric~. Encouraged by our patience and
stisi more by cue divisions, and stimulated
at once by rapsci,y ard by pride, Great
britain, III November, 1907, issued her or
dersln Council, mterdictiug all neutral trade
with France and her deseHdcncies. THIS
gave The finishing stroke To Amos, alleour
commerce except With herself. l. was the
death blow 20 neutrai rights. 1t WAS the
open unqualified assertion in the face of tn
werld ct thst principle rhch has esen so
adroltl1 developed, that Great Brit4n is
anenorissd TO ma nt9lnlts navai superiority
against hel enesly, st the expeuCe nor only
oil that enemy, but OF neutrals. A princi
pic more iawiess and more oppressive was
IaI hU lv- IS
or the rirate OF the Mediterranean fhis,
however, is the real principle on when G.
Britain has acted, and Oh which, rcSt assur
ed she will conlinue To act as l1ng herty-
rAnny shSii be endured. Her naval suDre
macy, bottumsd on Commercial monopoly,
~ the object of her wartnest atft ctinn,; its
mspay Sraiihrs herstrongest pt,sAiuas, her
PRIDE and hes avarice anu il viii be che.
rished, not on,y at the eX,sencc other enc
my. but Of all the neutrals of the world.
a single fact. will exhibit these orders in
the't geaaDe c0lors, aud show the source
from which they sprung. After Il. Britain
NAG Issued her imperial decree command
! ing the nations of the Earth, 10 abstain from
trading vita her emmy, siie herself, nei.iiit
md sordidlv carried on with tina; enemy, the
very trade, III which neutrais were forbid
den To engage
| peaied Dut why were they rsvea. ed}
Was II because Great Britain had at length
become SENSIBLE OF the injustice wi,icn we
had suffered athey hands No! Did she,
of1-r 10 iDdeniy us for the uiiiions of which
We had been robbed ? No! Was il then
because Face was believed by her to
|, have repealed her Berlin & Milan decrees?
II No suchis not the fact. The reveal vas
q produced by the Cla,nors of the British pcl
Il nc, who felt the interruption of the Ane>
rican trade To be a aa,ionai CALAMITY.
Il ne exSuse that has been offered for the
Z outrage lDihCted BY these orders is al insuIs
lns, as the outrage Itself was exces.ive.-
lney were bottomed, it was SAID, on the
prncipls Of re aiiaslon. The people of A
merIca, submitted, said the British orators,
to the oppression OF the French DEGREES
We viii refaGiI.e by depressing them win
our orders is council Such is the reason
ing OF power, stimulated by avaricc and by
Jealousy!
10 complete the degradation of this coun-
try, the British claim the right of impress
| Ing Their scamen from American Ships On
| the high seas. This aleGged right they
have long Continued to exercise, and in the
| pursnis Of 1t, have taken Thousands of our
| native born citizens, and by chains & stripes
! forced them to serve on board their navy.
! TO light their batties--to assist before the
| wsr IN plundering their own defenceless
| countITmen, and since, in combating a
| gansi Gag in defence of which they would
| be proud to lay down their lives.
! 10 shake off this yoke, is now the princi-
| pal obJect ot the present war an object
! which must be obtained. The Government
of America can never lose sight of il. It
cannot be so base and abject. To sanction
| by treaty, claim which brands this nation
with shame and infamy, would be treason
! against humanity--a cowafdly and sacri
Ieslous surrender of that equal station a.
pong the powers Of the Earth, to which the
| great men, whose merit has brought us this
day together declared, that " Nature az d
Natures God entitled US"
| 1t IS not my intention to enter into the dis
/ cussion of this subject. Enough, and more
! than enough has been said 20 show the fall
lacy Of the principle on which the claim IS
made to rest, and the duty Oh our part to
resist It's practical operation, even If that
| principle we're true. Ny object now is mere
! ~ to state fact, which will show. more COM
| Pieteiy, than any thing yet stated the degra
| ded Condition to which as a nation we have
been reduced. Great Britain has never once
designed TO Complain to- the government OF
| TIE United States of any violation Of her
1 80 W Jus SUipioJ utEuI Oi NDOSS WHOLE
She calls her seaucn. Her miaistry knew,
that British seafneD az well as other British
! subjects, left their native land, in search OF
| freedom, or Of bread, and found them in a
meTica- They knew, that the forUer wbea
~ our ports, have been employed in our ships
| Yet they neUer condescended to complain.
They never stated to our Executive, that
their seamen mere thus employed, thar they
! had right to their service, that they claim