The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-10-28

ourselves "a the use of the IT, s. And So are
thciIs.--We say, at neither Of these eras has
Nirginia acted IS i'll as the wretched Junto
who rule the dest;r es Of Massachusetts
!. IN 'eS and '99-in those dark days, as we
conceived them TO be, Virginia was in the
Minor'tv-In other words, the People and her
Legislature were in opposition to the plea-
sures Of the Administration. They believed
that the Constitution was deeply violated,
that troops were raising and money exp, ided
without any necessity, and that a war was
wautouly provoking with the Republic
of France. Did she do then as Massachu-
sets is doing now (, Far from it. Our Lecisla-
ture Contenteh themselves with reasoning a.
i-;l'nst the Alien and Sedition Laws and ex-
pressing their sentiments on the state Of the
nation, in terms of respect. But they went no
further. No threats escaped their lips There
was nc talk of Convention no whisper of
resistance to the acts of the government. They
bcheid the law of the land, and they bowed
beiOre it. The Federal tsx-gatherer went
uninterrupted on his way. And it is worthy
OF remark that resistance though not less law
less then than at this moment, might still
have been more harmless for we had no e.
neIny on our coasts. no general threatening in
vasl0n with 10000 troops, no declared epeniy
whose hopes and whose efforts could be in
vigorated by show of resistance But we
to the cause of Truth. We said, She was
great and would prevail. And she did pre-
vli..-NNhy do not the Junto of Massachusetts,
then, do, as VIC did WHY do they not trust 20
the same peaceful weapons of reason and re-
mons.rance 1t surely muse be, because they
despair Of the goodness of their cause-aud it
is therefore that they address themselves Go
our passons.-Thcir menaces, however, will
prove uuavailing. They viii but expose them
60 contempt.
Let us descend to the I'd Point of Comparis-
on.
II. Al his moment, our situation is in some
respects. similar to that Of Massachusetts {;
for orr coasts are invaded, and sre have call
ed out the militia at our own risk and on our
own credit, to defend orr frontiers So far
indeed we are alike. but in two respects our
situation is diferent-we are both foorer and
have smaller interest in this war than the
people of Massachusetts.
!. We are Eoorer, b q ausc we have borne the
brunt of the war, from its commencement
Our bay & our rivers have been put under a
rigorous blockade, our trade cat of, and more
than two crops OF our produce are now pc
I'shing or laying useless on our hands. Mas
s1chusctts on the other hand, has received
many f0Uors from our insidiouS enemy ; her
commerce was for long time very active
one, and the precious metals were drawn from
the southern states into her Golfers.
O. We have Mad, and we now have less
Interest in the war than she hss-because we
had fewer ships and seamen than she had,
md of course fewer wrongs to complain of,
the commencement of the war-iJIt Virginia
true as she has ever been to the rights and
honor of the Union, was friend If the war.
And noqD, when the grounds Of the contest
have been completely changed by the negoci-
atoms ar Client noIv, when our government
has waved its demands ard the enemy has re-
qnircd the most eXcrbitant concessions from
Us, who is the most inttrt sted IN these ccnccs-
sions Virginia or Massachusetts No spe-
cies OF claim is made upon US but as citizens
OF the I. ). We have no road to Weld no
fisheries TO be sacrificed ; no forts to disman-
tie on the lakes. Our boundaries and our Isl
ands are respected by the proposed conditions
or the Treaty OF Client
But though we are fooreY, and are less in
teTesfed in this war than the citizens of Mass
aChusetts though we have had greater ex-
pences to sustain, and fewer resources at our
commend. yet in what respect has Virginia
behaved | C. the Commonwealth Of Massa-
chosetts Ne too have received less assis-
tance from the u. 8. than we had reasons to
expect. We too have been invaded, and ne
too have been sometimes compelled to throw
ourselves upon our own resources but in what
respect, we repeat, have we behaved like the
Commonwealth Of Massachusetts,!
Instead Of threatening to lay our hands
upon the proceeds of the Direct Tax we
0dpanced the Amount of the tax beforehand.
Instead Of violating the social compact By
refusing the militia of the Union to the Gov
eminent of the Union, our Executive has
obeyed every requisitiun with the utmost
possible alacrity. Our citizens have brayed
without nlurmur, the autumn o. Norfolk
or the winter of Ohio While hundreds and
thousands of them, have rushed beyond the
confines OF the Commonwealth, IT, defend the
banner of their country. Has Massachusetts
done as much?
When we thought ourselves neglected by
the General Government, did we threaten
disunion did we talk Of a Convention did
we animate the foreign enemy by on Jsaf-
fection and co'nplaints3 Move have shed
our blood, and spent the last shilling of our
treasury, without complaint or a threat
We have relied on the Justice Of the General
CovcrnHcHt for a reimbursement we RELY
on is energies FOR our future protection
Here might we stop but justice to an in
Jured State cotnpels us to add few words
further.-The people Of Massachusetts SlouN
know something OF the sacrifices which zoe
have made in the present contest.
They ought to be informed that nearly the
whole Of our militia (from 80 to 100000 have
served their tour during the war--and that
few weeks ago, we had at least SO,0Oe men
in the field
AZ tb;e rnotpent vvc hove f-ov,, r .. -oor