Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-11-01
FoR THa yInerSIA ANGUS.
THE GEMS O Il. No. 1.

me presumption OF the generality OF Editors of
newspapers, VINO not .lnly undertake To SWAY the
respective parties to which they have attached
themselves, and dictate 10 the American people
but become very meldlesome with the affairs
and the conduct of all the world. Should the
world, however, take these woud-be dctators
to DE really the organs of the public sentiment.
i may tend to bring upon our innocent people
the enmity of nations with whom we have been
most friendly.
Foreign nations would Judge from our news
papers, that we are all Anglican or anti-Anpli-
lean; Gallican or anti-Gallican; Bourbonites or
BonaPartists and that we are any thing and eve
Try thing, except Americans. If all the writings
which have been published to indicate and extol.
Tor to defame and abuse Bonaparte and the French.
lcould be collected into one mass it would proba.
bly,, require large warehouse to contain them.
read all the papers; and have long seen that
the most of those who conduct them, are, them
selves, mislead by the gTossest preiudces and
want of candor Yet, thus blinded, they under
take to lead us whithcrsoever they will AS most
lot us view things through such deceptious me-
dunn, it is not surprizing to me, that so few of
us see things as they really are, and that such
difference of opinion should pervade all ranks
IL IS natural enough, then, that the American
people should make reality of the fiction of the
fable OF three different mems having seen Ca
mellon at three different times, and dsputng a.
bout its color. 1t is said of this animal. that II
can change its color at pleasure. Each man hav-
ing seen it at different time, saw it of differ
ent color. One asserted il to be red, another
lgreen; the third that it was white and they had
nearly come to blows, when fourth person in
!tsrPosed, and explained to these deluded men,
the cause which produced such difference in
lopinion.
Having as much confidence in nv own opinion
and judgment about political matters, as have
m any OF our political teachers, Twill, with their
PERMISSION, do what conceive to be justice to
Napoleon, and to the French In doing this.
shall present them to the public view, in differ.
ent light from any in which l have seen them
Ipourtraysd by their friends, or by their foes
and as some writer's have been making compare
sons between General Washington and the French
lchleitain, Twill conclude by contrasting the A.
merican Saviour, with the French DESTROYER of
his country and of liberty
Nothing surely, can be more deplorable to an
enlightened and liberal mind, than the dark cloud
OF PreJudise which hinders men from seeing
thelr errors and inconsistencies Of conduct, and
winch prompts them to point out their vague
noeons as the most proper to be embraced by
otherS. Those who justified, and PRAYED for sue
cess to France, ID, subduing all the world; who
coula not tse Tor the subugation of the repu6ics
toI Holland, Switzerland, Venice, Genoa, the
Hanse Towns; who could MT feel farItaly, Ma
pies, Germany, Austria, Prussia, Sweden and Rus
Sia whose prayers and benedictions accompanied
Napoleon when he went in the garb of fir enishp.
and like thief, to rob the brave Spaniards OF
their independence, have their sensibilites highly
fexcited, that hereditary monarchs, the natural
ehemes OF free governments, did rot resfore those
republics Which 1t was Tiglt in Bopaparts 10
sn6Uerf. They now condole with the French. and
abuse their former subjected vassals for infiict-
ING upon their former masters, the evils which
the latter had once imposed upon them On DE
ouer hand' when the neiGhboring nations who
had conspred to subvert the liberties of France
tyand impose on her outcast set of rulers, wor
thiess nobility, and all devouring priesthood ;
when these nations weye added to the iominons
OF France, or reduced to vassalaee, in that nm
Just war of aggression upon her rights, those
VINO on that occasion sympathized so much with
tnese powers for the IN. stortumes which their in
justice had brought upon themselves, have no
laympathy for France now when she has been con-
quered and ruined IN war for independence and
ssf defence.
Every philanthropic being must lament the
excuses OF the French revolution Like most
other nations, the French passed from the ex-
IRENE OF oppression to the extreme of licentious-
ness From this extreme, they returned AGAIN
TO more absolute despotism Some have as
crlbed this revolution to that of America: some
trenchnen of the first talents and information
assert, with great probability of truth that the
| british government, in order to be reyenTed On
France for the assistance she had given Amer.
ca, formented the disco1tents, encouraged the
orleans faction, and organized the first germs
"mch. by greater expansion than was Intended
and AIDED by eminent men of republican princI.
lpies, taxing anew direction in favor of ,niyer.
sal Liberty gave alarm to the prime mover. as
wen as to The oiher neighboring legitimate ru-
lers. But experience has proven that men sr.
often disappointed when, in planning changes, or
promoting disturbances, they promise them
lseNes, thus far will they go & no farther For my
Iowh part am much irclined TO believe that the
igreat eventwas brot about, partly by the example
Of Amer ca, partly by the writings of enlighten-
ca sfrenchmen, and chiefly by England herself I;
though she did not intend to carry the Joke so
iar. That England should have sought revenge
\ oy sowing dissentions IN France that she should
have AIMED, by any sort ofmeans to weaken the
lPower OF France, when she herself had lust lost
the fsirest jewel in her crown, and accumulated
her debt TO so great an amount, was natural e.
nough for legitimate government, and conlor.na-
bic to English practice. JUDGED there is reason
TO believe that the British government has excit.
Ell Inobs and instructions IN their own dominic
ons, tor the noble purpose of bringing opposition
INTO dsrepute, and of Strengthening the hands OF
government. For every unsuccessful attempt ON
the part OF people TO obtain Justice, never fails
4 10 ryet their chains faster, and fix tyranny more
frn in lis power.
Every thing Hew, has the greatest difficulties
| 70 Withstand at its cOmmenc enent, when strue-
ging tor an eSfa6kshed existence Whilst tho
french were thus struggling within themselves
Tor TIC Establishment Of civil liberty, they were
assailed on all sides, and convulsed within before
'helr ss8ss bad time TO instruct the emahcipated