Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-05-03

ieagued with the cruel oppres,or OF the world /
he saw the growing offspring of Britain confe.
dersted with the avowed enemy of all national |
libcrty-he viewed tho country Boosting more |
than any other of its blessings, political and c
vii, and impartng them with more than liberal
hand to all who approached it, in union with
the plunderer ct independent states, and the
despoilcr of Spain and Portugal. What was
the prospect which opened to the mind and eff
forts OF America No less splendid and glori
Gus than beneficial and useful, it was also with
IN her grasp. But the moment had escaped
her, and it was impossible for her to retrieve
her losses, and recover her honor and dignity
For his own part, with all the feelings OF regret
and sorrow which he avowed for the mistaken
line OF conduct pursued by America, he should
have lent any possible aid to maintain her neu-
| traliiy, and preserve her in the possession other
rights. lie should not have asked her to Join
Engianl against France but had such an alter
| native presented itself, what ought to have been
| her conduct Which was her better interest,
| to unite with England or Francel Atough
the question might be easily ANSWERED, he still
entertained so sincere respectf0r her neutra-
| lity, that he would not have pushed her to the
! alternative. Her commercials tlvantages ought
not, IN such choice, to have compelled the .or-
| ton which she made. 1t could not happen,
| that country, as 1t was this evening represent.
cd, with $500 miles of assailable coast with on.
" frigates, with 1000 men, and with two mil.
lions and an halt in its treasury, should be able
to maintain war with Great Britain; yet so it
had occurred. that not single mile of the $500
miles otassailable coast had'been annoyed, and
| not asingle frigate ofthe force had been taken.
Hear, hear!) He lamented that no event of
the Kind had taken place and he lamcnted it
| the more sincerely, because he was convinced
| that vigor and promptitude IN the prosecution
| ut hostilities, were the best means of putting an
a.. -
establishment OF Great Britain he had no fault
to find but he would tell the house that he
had FAULT to find with the distribution and
employment of lille had to express his sur
prize and concern that the pen was held by the
hand OF the Admiral which ought to have
launched the thunder.
| Mr.. Canning felt himself called upon to de-
clare with all the candour which was due to
a question OF such magnitude, that the noble
lord had his.unqualified support in his vindi-
cation of the'real and indisputable rights of
Great Britain; although he was at the same
time free to confess, that inseveral points very
material to the consideration of the subject,
he differed mdst essentially from the noble
| lord. The hon agentleman had expressed his
opinion that our differences with America were
reduced to single point shnd he hoped by the
division OF that single point, the impressment
| from on board of American vessels, to produce
uS HeaiiS Oh COnClliatlOn ana mat adjustment.
| For his own part, he could not discover any
satisfactory grounds for believing that the diff
! ferences arising from the impressinent from
| on board of Anne rican vessels could be so ca
| silly adjusted. Wehad been, and we were still
told, that British subjects having become sea-
men OF America, ought TO be protected Such
was the opinon maintained : and he would add,
that 1t America should adopt and promulgate
such an act much might be saved of the CON
| trOycrSN that topuCnur a
be a clear and certain lire of conduct to be traA
ced out tor the decisions and operations of
| TINS country. He should not hesitate to main
tam, that the rights of native allegiance, not
outstanding any contrary regulations and pro-
vision in foreign land could not be destroyed
They were, IN truth, indestructible, and par
! amount TO any provision which ingenuity
might set up in manifest Hostility to them
| What had been left on our part undone TO con-.
ci!iate America i-What We're, he would put it
| to the house. the measures which had not been
resorted to for the purpose of subduing anti
pathics, calming the intemperance of passion,
and reconcilng two,cuuntries, designed by ma
ture, by habit, bymanners, and by interest, TO
enter in and cultivate mutual relations of
friendship and Affection But whetherth right
claimed by us. and objected to by America,
were dcfensible or not, il was undeniable that
we had established tidy long series Of avow
ed and repeated acts, by oar recognised prac.
ticc, by the l:sy OF nations, and by the uncqui
vocal possession and maintenance of the right
Here he would ask what view the propositions
advanced, for quieting the Question relative 10
the imPressment of seamen By America II was
| proposed that we Should abandon the right.
by trusting to and reposingfull confidence in
| the acts oil America herself What would be
the natural the certain consequence of grant
ing the implicit confidence thus required
Let the right once be given up, how could it
| be resumed Having once abandoned it, by
what means could it be restored 1t would.
indeed, cost us but little to refnquish it, but
what would 1T not cost to.replace us in its pos
| session II we were, as it liad been proposed.
| to yield IT in the very outset of negotiation.
| trusting to the impartiaIity and candour of the
| American government, what would be our fate ?
| He would state the question in different. and,
| IN fact, IN an opposite way as applying to A
merica and he would suppose and in the SUP
position lie was borneron by what had happen-
ed, that the suggestion of tribunal for deci-
ding on citizenship had been made by us to
| America--what must have been the conse-
quence What propose to America against
the impressment Of her natural subjects from
on board English vessels, to leave the point TO
be settled by an act to be provided BY our.
selves aud it would necessarily be trei ted by
the legislature and people of America as an
insult to common sense.
Was IL not uadenablc, that Admiral Warren vas
lying at Halifax in the mouth of October when
Commodore Rodgers sailed from Boston with his
squadron Why not Admiral Warren off 3os.
ton, even negotiation his only object, rather
than in the harbor OF Halifax The fact was that
he was Oft Boston the 9th of SeDfember and d,,