Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-06-29

riendshlp OF The majority, 1t they have any, x all
bodies Of men feel the divine emotion. is as
pure as that of the honorable gentleman or of
the party with whom it 10 his prid. to act
It has the true quality of an pure Affection
like the WV to the ruined tower Il ctin,ss more
closely 10 its object 4. X totters In the bl.st Of
adversity. r am, nor Tn he ,,nderstccd :. al !.
hitting that any such attachment Z xists. or ever
did exist, to the cause Of France nor do con,
slider il necessary To sicnv fbe Influence she "A
said to have in our councils. That charge the
enemies of France do not bel;eve--the. charge
which IL contemnod bv .liSt the ~ s,ectabie
statesmen in Great Britain. which Is confined to
the groundiings of the British parliament and to
portion Of the minority in this country IN not
sufficiently respectable to teou;re serious refi,
tation. II IA singular that the enemies Of the
United States think more fayorabiy Of the AM
partially OF the admin,.trstion than IN polti
cak opp5uents.
ears,e b;.ss<.n praunds wtiri, have been occiipi
on ali other questions relative to the war
The injustice of tho coutest ia :ts commence
smcnt>stko injustice Of continuing il after the
repeal Of the orders in council--the impracti-
scability of efFecfing the objects for which it is
carried on. ThSt there was sufficient cause of
war against Great Britain, I have ot.yct heard
denied. In this assembly at least, Il presume
there cannot be found snindividuAl whose un-
pcrYerL6Qs whose
heart is so perfectly corrupt, as to believe that
Great Britain has done US no essential injury.
But while sufficient cause OF war is said to have
existed while great injuries are admitted TO
hare been committed and were daily acculn,i.
lating, the war is still affirmed to have been
relatively unjust. Ask for the evidence of this
relative injustice, and the answer you receive is
torrent of defamation against the Corsican
usurper, the violator of the honor and integrity
a.. =
ties of England. aud YOUR attention is invited to
the insults and aggres sions Of France. There
are in this community singular politicians, who
conceive the injuries and insults of France ard
England, like the equal quantities in the caIcu-
lation of Algebrsic fractions, as of TO other use
than to extnguish each other. Fer my part
do not understand this political Algebra. -----I
rejoice that do not. On this subject, igno
rance is virtue and and knowledge crime Twill
not detansyou BY any attempt to shew the va
rance IN magnitude of the injuries received
from the two nations. I will not enquire which
oil the two commenced the systematic violation
OF the rights of our neutral commerce. 1t is
perfectly Indifferent how the account stands on
this question Admitting them to be equal in
time and in degree of enormity, the agrees
sions of one power are no justification
OF the encroachmsnts of thc other---in-
deed. every st;enip; on the part of our
government, IN their correspondence with the
ministers of the two baligerents, to discuss
these questions, was degrading only to be ex'
cased from the purity of its motive. the love oil
pehce A more rt.sired and spectcus argument
Is usrd 10 prove this relative injustice. drawn
from the nature OF the contest in which Eng
'andwas engsgedi she Is representedas fighting
for her existence; aud any icjqriea iucidental
to the measures adopted by her in the prosecu,
ton OF this cause ought to have been borne
without repning BY neutrals whom she did not
intend to niure have yet to lie arm the d ,ffei.
encr bstwe-D British and FIR, nch smbiti. n.--l
have moi yet seen, & the history o. latter times
does not sbew the evidence Of ,he justice of the
ca'ise otfGreat BritAhi. The simple statemen,
eli the dispute between the rival powers ia, thai
France, not satisfied with stretching her gian,
arms over the continent of Europe, desired &c
psrtake VI the dominion of the ocean. Britain
| riding triumphant on the tnountain wave, wished
to Iusli her power and Influence to the centre o.
the continent. In the desire of lawless power
I in the perfect disregard OF the morality of tho
means by which these ends were to be accom-.
pushed, q feather will Turn the balance between
them The means of effectinE their object.
were easily found France having no power or
the ocean, was contending for the liberty of the
seas. England destitute OF continental infu
ence, was contending for the liberty of the con
tinent. 10 the prosecution ofthsir darling pre-
Ject, France covered the continent until theil
march Was stopped by the barrier OF Russiar
steel Engianc, by hernayal superiority has re-
duced all the valuable colonial possessions o.
| the continental powers, and is now in the quie,
enjoyment oil the bloodless eonquests, In tbs
increase OF the means ofsustsining the contest
England had far exceeded France at the com.
mencement Of the first CAMPAIGN against Rus,
STA. The inferast of IN. yTr,;t.I