Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-03-08
Mr.. PRESInENT.

Mr.. PRESIDENT:
OUR fathers fought and bed for us
they achieved our iudependence Assaiicd
by foes withent and traitors within their
struggle was great, hut they ,riu,nphed.
Our trials and dstresses AID the barbarit;es
OF the enemy, are s,i'l fresh in the recal-
lection &C many. Peace car-e--rut II brour',t
us no safety. We were without govern
ment--distracted and torn by ciscord
With extreme concern and parental solicit
tude, the patriots of the revolution effected
the adootion of the CONSTITUTE n, and liberty
.uas SAFE he advocates Of This cnnstitu.
ton, in Massachusetts, were hspny under
it, so long as their political friends had the
management Of the government. They rail-
lied rornd it. were determined 20 defend it,
and affected to become its exclusive guard,
ans. Al was right +; the constitution was
perfect and It's Administrators infallible,
while these Daragcns ofHwisdom we Q IN nan
These disinterested patriots, in cfice, sa7v
that the country was prosperous, and fcLt
that the peonle of the United States were
the most happy people on earth.
But, saws the gentleman from Suffolk,
my SarrentI another king arose who knew
not Joseph Mr., Jefferson was made Pre-
sldent--Aii Is reversed--the sun of prospe.
ri'Y is instantly obscured by coud--the
administration IS base. the consultation in.
toiere bic, and the people, ga many headed
m0nNter." Notwithstanding the prosperity
OF he nation duriHg Mr.. Jeffersnn's admin
Istrati'n was unparalleled, and our commerce
Increased beyond the expectation Of the most
visionary theoriat. still all was wrong The
administration were attacked-No energy,
no spirit, no national hnnor--Insipid, pnsil,
luminous rulers, who could not be '' kicked
into war; Despis"d and trampled upon
by all the powers of Europe, and vet dare
not resent! Such was ,hen the language of
the present meek, consistent I" friends of
Pace" After the most unprecedented at
tennis to drive these ralers from the gov.
ernment, after com assing sea and land to
make proselytcs, and being discounted in
every attempt, we find these same men
wishing TO undermine the constitution, under
the pretext Of anendmeuts.
An unauthorized and unconstitutional as.
sembaSe OF individuals at Hartford, have
proposed string Of alterations, and we are
to adopt them without any substantial rea-
son offered, except that these very wise men
recommended them. We are told, sir, with
great composure, that it is enough that men
OF such sdom have proposed them for
adootion-And the gentleman from Essex
I'M. White asks, DO the minority of this
Sesafe expect that wisdom will die with
them No sir--Nor do we apprehend that
IL will expire with he members OF the Harris
ford Conventional it should, it would have
few mourners. You would not mourn, be-
cause you would expect to be the heirs, and
qUe should NOT, because we have no relation
ship with tie deceased.
But, sir, if gentlemen will pardon US we
will venture to question the great wisdom Of
adopting any of these amendments at this
time. Wehave called upon gentlemen, not
only to shew these amendments reasonable,
but to shew, "a they ought, that they were
indispensable. How have they succeeded9
What evils have grown out of the constitua
ton, which these alterations would have
preventeds One gentleman IMr. Thorn
dixie tells us very gravely, that the war
would not have been declared had it not
been for the slave rehrc8eRfaion! And he
taxes our gravity while he attempts to prove
il in this way-He 8f0tes, but does not prove,
that MIR. Jefferson was chosen by this slave
Representa- ion. He then proceeds Had
not MIR. ] been chosen, he would not have
been re chosen asd had ne not been re.
chosen, MIR. Madison would not have been
chosen, and so there would have been no
war Wonderful. Wonderful would ask
the hon gentleman, fin his wisdom he can
te,. what would have been the effect had not
MIR. Jefferson been choaenP Mr.. Adams, TO
~ nui " "Nh'tt hdFE DNFu NiiG IISslQenL-
And this same Mr. Adams is esteemed by
that gentleman and his friends, ten times
worse than Jefferson. What vile things he
would have done, God only knows.
We are told too that this war wonld net
have happened, had it not been for the ia
City OF admitting new States into the Union.
No proof of this. What had Louisiana 70
do with declaring war Louisiana, sir, is
expendng her property and blood to pre-
serve the rights and honor Of the country
But find hat while there 8 prospect
ct NewsOrleans being coHguered, your par
ty had changed their tone, and admitted its
vast importance Co the Union Yes sir.
gentlemen who have property at New Or.
leans. can very patrotically, wish for its de
febce--And, ] an gricyed and mortified 70
find, that the best blood Of the Western
country is to be split to defend the property
Of Northern merchants, while these very
merchants are throwing every stumbling
block in the way Of prosecuting tie war,
abusing these baCk -fyos dsmrn, and denonn
cling New Orleans as a cure to the nation
But we sbo,Jd have had no commercial
restrictions nor war. had il required the
concurrence Oftw0~thirds Of both houses Of
Congress. Readily admitted. Should these
alterations succeed. we shall have no war
with England. Her influence in this coun
trY IS such, that nothing but a miracle could
produce a war with her, should these all,
terations prevail No, sir--No aggressions,
however anproyUked or outrageous, would