Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-07-29
TO THE EARL OF LIVERPOOL.
On .he Napel Force q @e U. s,ate, Of .fmer

On the .NaDci Force cfRe U. States Of .fmeriea.
Mr Lonn-From the beginning, and before the
beginning OF the late war with America, l thought
il my duty to warn YOU, thst one OF the conse-
quences of this war would be the creating of a !
great naval force in that country. I endeavored
10 describe TO YOU the immense means OF America
for such a purpose. Her fine rivers, bays, and
harbors; her excellent ship builders her hemp,
iron, pitch and timber, all OF her own produce,
and, above all, her matchless seamen. Of the
truth of this account you and yo,r colleagues
must, by this time, be pretty we'll convinced but
] cannot help quoting, and addressing to you a
paragraph from the Times newspaper of the 10th
instant, in the following words " Extract of a
letter from Philadelphia, dated the 18th March
Congress have at length determined to have 4
navy; a bill has passed the Legislature appoint
ing a navy beard. Commodores Hull, cambridge
and Rodgers, it is expected, viii be appointed
admirals, and put in commission. A very pow
erful force, under the command Of com. Balm
bridge, is now fitting out for Algiers; it will
Consist of two new ~ gun ships, 5 frgates, ard
10 sloops of war. III am not mistaken, the Al
gerines will rue the day when they provoked the
vengeance of our tars. The Guerrero, under the
command of Morgan, saiied from this port yes
terday for New-York, where she Is TO be joined
by the Constellation and Java fr.gates, from the
Chesapeake, and Tie United States and Macedo-
a;an, from Long Island sound-thcse frigates,
with six sloops of war, form the first division
against Aigiers; and it is said that 1000 of
Browns rifle veterans will go with the squadron
Tn whole nation is decided for a navy the
Pennsylvania, az gun ship, Will be launched at
This place in the north Of May. Large quanti-
ties 0! timber are daily brought down the Della
ware and Schuylkil for ship-building. 1t is no
more extraordinary than true, with what dispatch
they build ships of war in this country. The
Psneock, OF 18 guns, was built at New-York in
g working days! The Hdsp twas built at Ports
Mouth, NJ. H. in twenty days! The Superior,
commodore Chauncey's Gag ship, Of 81 guns, on
AXE Ontario, took up only thirty days from the
laying other keel until she had all her guns on
board, and was ready for a cruize. 1t is said
Congress intend to have the frames of the Lake
squadron removed TO the AIantic."-Eo what
does your lordship think Of thisl 10 you think
that it indicates any thing OF that desire, of
which you were pleased TO speak some time ago,
On the part of the American people to put them
selves under the protection of his majesty's gov
s-nEaentl Or, do you begin to think with me,
that it indicates the speedy appearance ofan Anne
Yican feet Of 90 ships of the line and as many fri.
gates on the ocean, Really, my lord, this is of
tr greater consequence to US, and 10 the world,
than the erecting of Hanover and Holland into
kingdoms. The Irregular government" of Al
giefs viii now find, I dare say, that it must change
rs course; but the American navy will not be
employed solely against this very irregular gov
%"D oAt@ ~ Ahhot iAeAS - w - III
me world. It must act a great part. Four years
vii swell II to a considerable re. Before the
end Of that time, five have war with France, |
predict, that We shall see an American fleet of
great force and carrying its /" bits o fatriped bunt-
ing across the Atlantic.
It s for you, my lord, who are statesman and
. prime minister, and for your br,ght colleague /
VINO has rec ently returned from Vienna it is Il I
you anonot ToT me, TO say, precisely, what VIII
ce the consequences of this very important change
n the naval power of the word; but, AS it is a
Yankee subject, I Will venture 10 guess, that the
friendship of J0Hdthor viii soon begin to be court
Cd by every nation who has either ships or COM
inerce; and that, even already, some of them
have their eyes upon alliances to be formed with
him, IN order 20 DEPRIVE us of the power OF ex
erci5lnF 4 rnastership on the high seas. At pre-
sent The main use thatI would make of the above
information is, to urg il on you as a reason for
remaining at peace with France. do not want
people IN that-couatry will think of the threaten
ed war N Europe. I know they VIII not have
patience TO read one single article in the Times
newspaper without throwing it down and CRYING !
out for more ships to be built and manned. The
var ended IN 4 way 10 provoke ard at the same /!
time to encourage them. The past, the future,
S~esentnent, glory every thing viii concur IN IA
Dorng WISHES FOX a new contest and, though
hey build ships very quiehlyhn peace, they would
DO It more quickly in war.
Some win say, that, seeing this danger, we
ought, wIthoatdelsy, 10 fall upon Napoleon, and
70 destroy him, conquer France, and burn or cap
sure al her feet before the Americans have time
N build = large feet. Yes, if you could be sure
OF dong al this in the course Of this summer
But, ifyou should fail. Failure is possible. We
way, indeed, do all that is wished; but, we may
&c obliged to come to a peace without doing any |
part OF 1t nay, we may, as in the war of 1793,
draw the French armies out OF France to over
rpa our Allies. Louis le Desire ascribes The for
per successes of Napoleon to Providence, VIII |
permitted him, for a while, to make con1uests.
But, as Providence has permitted him to come |
back to France, and even to put out the Bour:
bons, why may net Providence permit him, in
case france IS attacked, first 10 defend her, and
then TO sally forth in pursuit other assailantsl
If this should be the case, / think we may rely
upon seeing the American admlrals in our seas
and therefore, this should come in IS an item in |
cur estimates of the consequences of war, ifnow
made against France. With a stout American
Sect at sea, our West India colonies, and the
Azores, belonging TO our ally, Portugal, would
be m any thing but a satisfactory state. In short,
it would require fifty ships of the line and fifty
frigates 10 defend them all. The slave trade
would soon be At an end, and the whole face of
the naval and commercial world would be chang.
cd. The heetS Of France would revive. Exam.
PIE, emulation, have powerful effects. Ibeg you
20 think well, and in time, Of these things. /