Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-03-02

Il
i some vi tn mmor powers who had joinet
the league. have rendered liberal peace Z,
the :. emperor Of the French, (sse the Giro
uicte"] without the Concert OF Great Bri
tain aud that, instead OF suffering her die
,ation. they have acted for themselves, to
curtail. but not destroy, the power of Ma
poeon, that having prescribed bounds to
the domination of France. OH the land, their
| next great business mayb to give treedom
to the seas, the tavorite object Of tn Chief
OF the consederacy. 1t is true, lord Castle
reagh said, IN parliament, that the allied
princeshad acted in concert with the Brit
ish government /; but we are not bound to be
l'eve every thing his lordship SAYS, being sat-
ished that tho British agents were not par
ties to the declaration published at Frank
tort, Dec. l.. The first intimatiop they re
ceived that a peace was contemplated, was
by bonaparte's speech, in which he said che
had agreed to the preliminaries." What.
has lord Castlereagh acknowledged Napole-
on Bonaparte as emperor eff the French p
has he raised !" the usurper" to the impe'
rial dignity has he made " legitimate
prince and one Of the Lords annotated
out OF "a revolutionary cut tliroats" The
story does not tell we'll and we cannot give
credit to it. The British cabinet had never
news reached them. Ifthey refused TO ac-
cede 10 the propositions ofthe allies accep-
ted ny France) their late friends might be .
come enemies !; if they acceied. many valu-
able colonies, with rich commerce. must be
given up to France, Holland and Spain. If
Bonaparte be compelled to relinquish his
cenquests like requisition will be made
of Great Britain. An honest principle APP
plies equally to all parties II was this that
hurried lord Castlefsagh to the continent
and he will resort to. every species of in
trigae and corruption to divert the allies
from their peaceful purpose. We think he
will fail. For If the (" magnanimous Alex.
ander'' did not consult him. before he pied
ged himself to the world, as to the course he
would pursue it is hardly to be expected
lie will retract what he has done, at the
suggestion of the underling. And, as to Aus
tria. though she may have wished the pow
er OF Napoleon iessened, it is impossibleto
believe she would have it destroy ed, as is
Great BrItain's darling design, that she may
hold hecolonies, and monopolize their trade.
The great probability is there will be
peace on the contiaent, the French empire"
being lett. perhaps. the most powerful in
Europe-Eng.and will not come into the
measure-the commerce Of the allies will
revite-questions Of " neutral right" will be
adopting measures to regain the freedom of
the seas from those who have usurped it,
Something like this appears TO be the pros.
pect in England. ii we may. form an opinion
By what we see in the ministerial papers
For ourselves, Judging of things as presented.
we heartily rejoice of the defeats of Napoe-
| on; Tor 1t does not appear that the allies
will become the tools of British domination
at sea. more thanrthe supporters of Bona
parties power on the land. eo
III the emperor e'a Russia is, indeed, that
great and good nnan that all the. English told
| us he was land as myself have believed :.
| for he is the onlyssovereign prince alat j ever
| spoke of with respect -how much isit to
the credit of the government of the United
| States that he has so decidedly approved all
| our proceedings s-that We has twice inter
| Tered to reduce our enemy TO sense of JUS
| tice. or at least g candid discussion of ex-
listing differences There is nothing, per
haps, that is Calculated to place the conduct
OF our government on higher ground in the
estimation of Europe, than the facts connec.
| ted with the business of the Russian media
| ton.
| In the multitude of difficulties that present
themselves to the British cabinet, pressing
4 upon ii from all sides, 1t il believed the very
| liberal terms on which we are wiling to
make peace may be accepted as kind of
protection from the higher demands that the
| repose Of the world will never he secured
until the maritime power of orr enemy is
greatly reduced. In the apprehension that
| this may be attempted the British printers
have already began to abuse " Alexander
| the delivercr," and the Russian consul at
\ Boston has rebuked them for il.