Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-06-07

now against us When we entered upon the
late war with France her finances were deranged,
| an immense load ofdebt hung around her neck,
and her armies were in state of dis0rganizftion
Our finances, on the contrary, were in ther vigor,
our debt triiiBg, compared to what it is now and
our naval and itary force in the highest state of
discipline. France has come out of the contest
! renovated; we have retired, ruined in our COM
merce, ruined IN our manufactures, and ruined in
Our finances. The national debt of France has
been swept away. Ours has encreased TO the fear
! tul amount of one thousdad ,uiRio7s! In 1899 it
was only two hundred ard ifty-nine millions. It
IS true our fleets and armies particularly the for
eF, obtained considerable success in the late con-
lest with France But VIII all the force we NAV
be able to bring against her be sufficient to make
anlnpress,on upOn herin her now formidable
condition , What has the late pause in the hos
tile operations on the continent been but breath
| ing period for France--a peried during which her
armies have been enormously INCREASED, BY the
return OF her veteran troops and (what is of still
more consequence to her) during which that as
tornshlng genius, who now directs her AFFAIRS has
not only had leisure 10 countersctthat foul trea-
| son which compelled him 20 abdicate his throne,
but to digest and bring TO maturity plans for the
future glory and security OF that empire 20 which
| he has been called by the spontaneous and unani-
nous voice ofan admiring and grateful people
We were told that he had become corpulent and
inactive in the isle OF Elba that he had given up
| all idea OF again appearing rs public character
| on the theatre of the world, and that he occupied
his leisure hours there by writing history of his
eventful life. Very different indeed, itnow ap-
pears, We're the objects with which his mind WIS
! employed. He felt that he had not vet done
| enough for France. She had claims upon him
which 1t was his imperious duty TO discharge =
The past events of his life might have served To
| point moral adorn a tale - but he wished 20
occupy the more dignied page ofhistory he was
DESTROYS to ensure the suffrages Of posteritv by
deeds rather than by words a vast field for ac-
ton opened before him. There ne has embark ed
his all, his valor his skill, his claims to the hon.
as5eofa great nation there he viii Tefute all the
! caiaInlties which his enemies have heaped upon
/ him, and there for one most ferventlv hone he
will render himself worthy of the high destinv to
which he has been called, by cutivating habits e
peace among his subjects. 1t has been with feel
ings OF sincere regret that have observed an adj
dress OF LOUIS XVIII "to the French army" in
which that unfortunate monarch seems TO have
wished to attach the military TO his interests bv
the tears OF a civil war and foreign INVASION
/" Think (Says hey that ifthe enemy should tri-
umph, civil war would Immediately be kindled
amongst us, and that at the very moment more
| than SO0OOOO foreigners, whose arms could no
longer chain, would rush from every side on our
country" This proclamation appears to have
been printed from the original il, The kings o7v,l
hand" To what low ebb must that SOY ereign,s
atfiars have been reduced, when.he resorted TO
measures OF such description, instead of conf
ding in the loyalty of his people, when he mena-
ced them with the bayonets of 300, 900 foreigners,
instead ofrelying on the justice of his cause, and
on the hdelty OF that nation who, if what he has
all along been telling US is true, were ready to q
man to die for him.
| am afraid, If the allies should really have an
intention to interfere in the settlement of the in
teFnal government OF France, that this address of
Louis has produced hat effect The reception
! which Napoleon has met with, has banished from
my mind all idea of a civil war in that delightful
country but cannot conceal my approximations
! that the anguish of Louis may be regarded bv
| Napoleon, as an invitation again to attempt the
subyersion OF MS power; and thus rekindIe the
| flames OF war IN Europe. see that Louis XVIII
on the 18th inst officially announced to {" the TO-
reign ministers at Paris" that it was his nten-
ton torepaiF to Lille, where he hoped to meet
the members Of the diplomatic body accredited
| at his court" Is it intended at this meeting to
| arrange with the foreign ministers plan for the
| entrance ofthe 100000 foreigners into France
| Have the Bourbons already forgot, that it was
owing to measures Of this description Louis XVI
was dethroned and ultimately lost his life Look
| ing to the past, cannot anticipate a more favor
| able result to this new attempt upon France, if
such an attempt is really in contemplation, than
that which took place, when all Europe combined.
marched its numerous armies into that territory
Tor the ayowed purpose OF regulating its internal
| government. If experience has placed at the
| head Of the allied 70. ces more able comrgndcrs
France has in this respect been at least erluailv
| beneiued-Napoleon himself is more than
| match for any general in Europe; and although
| some OF his marshals have abandoned him, there
are many who continue attached 10 his cause. full
| ly capable oftakng the field with every proba-
bilty Of success. Then consider the spirit with
| which the French soldiers must now be animated
| The enthusiasm with which the return of Ma
| poleon has inspired them. Thsof itself is slifi-
cient to conduct them TO any enterprise into which
he might lead them but when there is added to
| this the " love Of country," the fame which in
| spires every patriot when the territory which
| gave him birth is trodden on BY a foreign foe
when this noble feeling IS mixed up with that
personal affection which the soldiers Of France en-,
| terrain for the man who led them to So many vic
tories, cannot entertain q doubt a ts the tcr4ni-
nation ofthe contest But should tIis country
! notwithstanding all these considerations, still
seek war with France, where arc We to find the
| means oFkeeping in our pay these immense TO.
reign armies, those 100000 foreigners" with
which Lotds the desired menaccd his enemies. and
which it IS necessary We should keep constantly
IN our pay, five seriously intend 20 wage war ,iri
| tive finally overthrow Napoleon Even with the
property tax which the unanimous voice Of the
nation has consigned to its deserved fate, we
found 1t impossible to answer the unceasine de
mands OF the allies without resortng 90 public
| loans the interest Of which imposed new and
| overwhelming taxes not only upon this genera.
1 ton. but oil e.