Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-07-20

sentiments, and to establish which, in Ger
many and in Fraace he has made so matiy
sacrifice. When am well informed of all
this; wheni find that the Emperor Alex-
ander has made arrangements in his own
empire for the introductiol of universal free.
dom, shall then, but not ill then. subscribe
to the opinion, which has now become so &c
neral. that France is about to receive, at,the
hands of her insadcrs and conquerors, a
ConstuuIon the best calculated of any o.
Their TO secure public and private happime IS, ,
Much as has been. and j. still said, about
the extraordinary patriotism of the Allied
oovereigns OF their regard for the rights OF
the people /; and of their determination to
subsert the thrones of all despots confess
do not feel ny self disposed to place impli-
Cit reliance in these novel professions. do
not mean tosay that any of these Sovereigns
have. protested an attachment 20 liberty in
). slisa they are not sinccre. What doubt
Is. that they have az all uttered the many
fine patriotic sentiments which have been
ascriDed to them.
At one period of the French revolution we
find Lsuis XYI.in a speech which he read 10
the National Assembly, declaring that for
ten ears previous, he had desired that the
Provincial Assemblies I" should be elected
by the free suffrages of their fellow citizens
~ ia AJAX saN1e- optCStl ilC WAS uidQC 10 say,
-" Continue .hea your labours, without a
ny passion but the love of your country iet
the welfare of the people, and the security of
civil liberty be the first objects of your at
tensiou." Now it is well known, that this
speech OF the unfortunate Louis, was written
by his minister Necker who, it is more
TRAN probable did not consult his master a.
bout one word Of it, and merely 2nt in his
mouth language which was called for, at
the moment, by the peculiar circumstances
in which the King was placsd. That hi,
personal safety, and the rights Of the throne,
were not the secondary objecEs with Louis
himself, and the welfare OF the pxople. and
the security of civil siSerty the FIRST, is suffi-
ciently clear from tue events which followed
shortly after he had been advised to utter
these sentiments. At least we End the
Frepch people accusing him of in,incerity,
and leading him TO the scaffoid, because, as
they asserted, u he had betrayed the l.5er-
ties, Of tie people which he had not only
promised, but had sworn To protect" We
Es.sinot, therefore, he too careful in our dis
examination ef tie language as to liberty. q
the rights OF the people, said to have been
used by the Allied Soyersigns.--They may
be. and trust they are, The sincere friends o..
fry edom; but it, from mistaking what they
say On this subject, we should De too for,
ward in ascribing 70 the Emperor alexander,
80 any one OF them, vjcss aud nsrntinns
which never had a pace In their minds, we
would be doing these Sovereigns an Injustice,
shonld we afterwards blame them for not
CARR Ing these supposed views and inten-
tiosls imto effect. (, would certainly be the
safest way not to believe too much on this
head; TO wait the Course OF events; aud to
suspeId our opinion IS 20 popular feeling in
France, until it shall seem meet to thc Al
lies to Withdraw tier immense legions fen,
that country The people will then have
room 70 breathe, to link, perhaps 60 SPEAK
aaa to%claap=re notes tDgeshef; they viii
,hen. with The sword TO longer suspended
eyer ttisir heads and the 6ayonet removed
iioep their .ilFos.tss uave no apprehension of
persona. .aaa6ei, winch. 1t times, has sur
prisiag eject in deicrnIing public opinion !;
they will then be able TO examine, with cools
ness and deiiberaitn. the merits OF that
wonderful effort OF human genius" the
British Constitution, WHICH they are told, is
alone capable ct giving q real Security and
o! insuriag "public add private happiness %
They vii! be able, on this examination, to
contrast it with The Code .Naaoleon under
which they have lived so long andif. after
such examination and Comparison, they
should come to the resolution OF giving the
formera fair trial, they may, at the end OF
a few years, be able to say which of them
deserves the preference--whether the mli-
,ary government OF Napoleon, ~ which the
national vanity has been so much flattergd,
and the Empire so greatly extended OF
the commercial and peaceable reign Of a Lou.
is, wish circumscribed territory. Un.il
some such occurrences take place an
some such ELECTS as these are produced, 1
| do not see how the Constitution about to be
! estaOs!r d III Fra0ce, can b.: said To be the
| rstitnt N Of the people; unless, indeed, he
/, Seuate, under the direction of their Inperi-
| al Majesties, the Sovereign of Prussia and
| Gle Crown Prince OF Sws den, wbu has at iass
| made his appearance a, Paris, Rive orders.
| as5enaparte did when he assumed the pilr
! pie, 10 take >Re voice of tDe French people
respecting thu proposed alterations. This
! III ,rJlh, wot.id be recognising .;he sovc.
reisny Of the people /" ana giving prscti
cal proof. tliat the allied powers were in
I sincerity asmuc!i devoted TO the Cause of
! the people as they are represented to be-
! bat sals is all event which am afssid. is
! rot 10 be looked for at present. -
! Even What in other circumstances. might
be held worthy of inlitation--the example of
apOeon---mu5i, in this ms ance, prove IA
% the measure, even surprising it had
in contemplation ; for i. is not tue least
Glnen. feature in Gals cOuBterrevoIution,
be provisional government, "a was
hen Louis XVI. was dethroned. has
X the destruction of every thiig tn at
endcacy to keep alive IN the public
recollectort OF what France had
" been. The republicans. or jaco-
ney we're afterwards called, ex
e IL