Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-12-02


being hanged there, as the law would have
them to be, why not confide them to the
paternal care Of Mr.. President Madison /!
Birds of afeather should flock together
BY the bye, an infamous libel on this
country has lately been published in Anne
RIGA, and Mr.. .Hatiison's friends gave him
the honor of its composition. 1t was pro-
badly committed to the press rs soon as he
heard OF Bonaparte's having reached the
| Thuilleries bu; it will serve to shew the
sentiments of its author, and to mark him
out FOR our avoidance. ~
The word avoidance' was used mere.
ly because hostility would have let the wri-
ter's motive peep out little too soon.--
But, here is the President ofthe United
States, with whom we are at peace, called
a" scoundrel'' in an English public print,
issued in the metropolis of tile kingdom,
while the minister OF that country is resi-
denthere, and is negotiating, as it is said,
treaty of commerce with America. He
IS directly put upon level with men, who,
as this writer asserts, are &C scoundrels
tnas deserve to be hanged" And yet
these same writers have the impudence.
and that, too, in the very same paragraph,
to complain OFFS an infamous libel, - pub
lIshed in America, against whom Why,
againstss this counfry.' -
This 8. LIBEL" as they call it, is publ
cation, which appeared in America, in
March last, bearing date the 10th of Fe-
bruary. It's entitled &c An exposition of
the courses and character of the late war
with Great Britain" 1t traces the war to
its causes !; it describes the conduct of the
two parties during the war and, from first
to last, it appeals to official documents for
the truth of its assertions. So far from be-
ing an &c Infamous libel,' it contains not
one single rude expression. The style of
ut is digniied, the language all mildness
and moderation. To be sure, it does con-
tain great numbers Of most shocking facts !;
but, so far from its being an attack sc on
this country,"it invariably avoids every
thing disrespectful to the people of every
part of the kingdom. As to its being
g committed to the press as soon as Mr..
Madison heard of Bonaparte's having
reached the Thuilleries,' - this must be a
wilful falsehood for this writer knows,
that it was published in America in March,
and he also knows, that the news of Ma
poleon's having landed at Cannes did not
reach London till the middle of that same
month of March and that the news of his
having arrived at the ThuiIleries did not
reach America till the beginning of May.
This Erpositionis apublication of great
Importance. 1t IS not only the most inter-
esting publication that / ever read, but it
contains the most useful matter. 1t has
not left the work of history to. the time
when it can be of no use. 1t has done the
thing at once, and, without any account of
battles, which some one else may give, il
has put the causes and conduct of the war
upon safe record, and has placed this re-
cord in the hands of every man, woman,
and child in America, who now, at this mo-
ment, know for certainty what a glum,
gloating despotism would have kept from
their knowledge, leaving their posterity tn
guess at it amidst the contradictory asserti-
ons of party orvepal scribes.
Such publication, lift bear hard upon
our country, or IFS government, should be
answered not abused. The hero Of the
Times newspaper, who is perfect fireea-
ter of the quill, should assail it from his
magazine offacts and arguments. To call
Mr.. President Madison scoundrel that
deserves to be hanged, Is no answer to
such publication. The. Exposition is
now republished in England. have CO.
Ply of the pamphlet before me. : And why
do not you answer it 20 some one may say.
l wish, with all my heart, my ability were
equal to the task. But, have before, and
1 now again, offer to any one, who will ar
swer it, the columns of the Register,
through which to convey such answer, as
once offered them to the Botley Parson, as
vehicle for an answer, if he chose to
write one, to Paine's Age of Reason
Strange to tell the Botley Parson abused
me for this offer, though he agreed with
the Attorney General, that the work was
calculated to produce the eternal damna-
ton of the souls of those who read it, and
though it was notorious that large edition
or two of the work had been sold, and, of
course read. hope, that shall not meet
with like treatment on the present occa-
sion. There are, as I said before, all the
Ministers, all the Priyy Councillors, about
q thousand Nobemen and Gentlemen of
the two Houses of Parliament, about fifteen
thousand Bishops, Deans, Arch Deacons,
and other Clergymen Of the Established
Church, about twelve thousand officers of
The Army, about ten thousand officers Of
the Navy, besides a civil list that costs bet
ter Than million sterlinga year, and all
Tie innumerable secretaries, commission
ers. cie.ks simeon rat,l acquen n nj renaioo