Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-01-18

1.-THE honor and Offices of State. No REGARD WAS
had for any mans condition, nor could any wealth
procure honors for him who was found de fici-
ent in those qualifications on which the great
ness OF the republic was founded. But when,
Ss the great apostle OF iber,y( AlgerEon Sidney
says, ,peaitk, no matter how obtained, made e.
very possessor oft, honorable, and all pernici
Gus or criminal practices were overlooked in
the offender. if attended with success. brof ,
and inonaity, then Jugurtha could have bought
the Commonwealth f.; the Scipios and Ca.os v.ers
murdered Or exilvd and Cicero, FIRST called
bdter P9fiie, had his head taken from his
shou ders to be exposed as show i'm the very
rostrum from which, aud TO tliesa me people for
whose liberty and happiness, the streams of his
eioqucnce had so often flowed. When YOU ex>
pectcd TO lind a Washington in Wilkinson -
and Patrick Henry in the advocates fthe enc.
mes cause, IN the advocates of disunion and
lorcibie opposition to the law, such expectati-
ems could not but be disappointed. The great
galaxy OF talents and virtue, which in the DAYS
of '76, was pronounced in Europe to be the
most enlightened body of men on the carti.
was not an accidental production of nature
When the public calamity, which we;se pulling
down upon our heads, shall have taught us thr.
wisdom o! our fathers. folly and party spirit
must skulh from office and command ;and then.
Us told YOU three years ago, " America. tho'
iyinis IN the Gust and ashes, wien her shacLied
SS'liuo VIC iOuSGu' 70 DufSt Its letters. and
her energies ca!!stt into &C ,on will collect tore
Their her statcmen, heroes and patriots who will
rttrieVe tic affairs o. the nation and rival the
glorious actions of their isthers''
Lcgislnors-h great responsibility lies ON
you. You must By wise and energetic inca.
sures. save the country, thS reins OF whose dies
tiny you guide or by a contrary course. betrav
The trust rcPosed IN yon. Let men be no longer
preferred Tor ill-gotten lucre, family come ions
IaFty ESICerat,t,uS hut
retired merit, which in too many cases. has
Withdrawn IN disgust and despair from the
hustle IN which the best and worthiest we're
! trCddcn down. You have genius, talents mud
! patriotism III the state. Even pi.tus himself
would md Ii his interest not to overlook
those who possess them. Virginia has aIrea,sv
;:-oduc cd you a Scott and "A Gaines. besides
respectable list c! nava! heroes She has more
| OF such characters, covered with the mantle of
| retirement, who had no opportunity to show
what they are. Great men caunul act as such
nor prove themselves, Il they be overlooked. or
! assigned TO move in the loves, sphere, from
which nothing but chance effort can rais,
them. Suffer rot Your retired worthless To he
flowers born 10 blush unseen, and waste heir
! sweetness on the desert air."
7 ;old my country several years aro tina, to,-
ents are neither hereditary in families, MOI, .r.
they an appendage OF wealth: that one man Is
as likely as another to have been hors with TAI
ents and that it was owing moro 10 wan, NJ
oP: ortunity and circumstances than to poverty
o; genus, that iew meiI were able TO ,iis
tingutsh themselves w'r''s; on the CONTRARY
We oiten saw men, "a plenty now At no great
distance !rom, yea, without merit or TALENTS
brought into Iui!c notice by extreneous cir.
Gun stances, and figuring fnr foolirr) in situa-
iIons above 81 CIR CAPACITIES whilst their supes
rIOrs live aud dc unCbsCrved and unt nown-
There ere some militia officers whom respect
for their principles AMI worth but many are
extremely ifnoran' and uuprovided by natule
with tho stamina for public utility. When |
sec E!en who can scarcely read or write.
groom, shoe maker, Hebrew gambler.
quacl "a tinker or prdlar invested with h.,l
commands, how ever mich may respect those
persons vi en- confined within the linits Which
nature Ere sccihed them, but which FOLLY has
orerisapsd when see the honor and safety
OF he incsnt dominion guarded by such cent?.
ne's. i excitcs contempt FOR the one and an
pTehersion Tor the other. II reminds ne Of
Gays iahie OF 'he beer in the boat Let me
tell them tina. the 'isst storm will prove to them
lhcir uufitnc's To manage the helm and if
they haA met with times 10 t,y The souls If men,
they would ERE this, hsvc found a retroprade
ROUTE the pursuits for which they are better
calculated whilst their surericrr, acting in An
inferior capacity, (hecausc they did not care
Tor militia commission in time of reace,)
lIEht nave uOu W t1e footsteps Ot our GiStin-
guisled American heroes, and fought their
way to everlasting fame. Here arair. some
wiSeacre viii say, don't tell the guardians of
the state that tears have got hold of the helms
OF the boats FOR those dekiLate animals have
very nice feelings They should then Ecel shame
Tor exposing themselves to ridcule and the
boats TO damage, by accepting the situation of
pilot and then acting bear Hke 10 those re-
spectacle citizens who were the passenpers.-
feel too much tor the public good and safety
OF the Commonwealth, TO fortCar 10 urobe her
danger to the bottom, for fear of touching the
feelings OF those who will not feel therls, I've,
incapable oil conducting our defenders to victo
ry. Alter you shall have raised force efficient
ss to numbers and quality of the troups. your
army must be commanded by such men as
irown. Scott and Gaines and they must be
ably supported by good Off GERS, or sucl, men
az are capable Of making such. Without brave
AM skil'tul officers, any force zUoniI be ineG.
Client. granny will not do. We have had
experience enough 10 prove that. Witness
granny Hull, wilkinson, and the rest Of our
granny commanders. Witness also the honor
ana glory acquired for themselves and their
country by cur Eisgarian heroes those of
Piaitsburg, the river Thames, and those of the
south of the lakes and fthe ocean General
Brown found The army in poor condition. He
soon made II respectable by dissmissinr every
oihcer whose COW rdice, ignorance or unwer
thlness rendered him UNFIT to bold a command
in his army whilst lie justly appreciated the
conFenial spirits Of brave, and honorable goi,ls