Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-08-05

| people
Every trile, the words, or pretended words,
| OF any Individual, hostile to Napoleon IS greeduy
caught 1T aud carefully retailed out, by the VII
| tees ~ London. Ifthepress of Paris wers to pur-
sue this mode with regard to our government,
what would il make ofthe plthy precepts and SEN
t,ments, written the walls in and about Lon
don, where any one may easily find words in praise
of Napoleon, but will not say what is to be
| found with regard to others. Why if the walls
| Of Paris were written over in such way as 20
| Napoleon and his government, we should be told
| hourly TO expect 10 hear of his total destruc-
ton.
What reason have we, then, to suppose that he
| IS net liked by the people Of France9 How came
he at Paris What bat the good wishes, the anxi-
GUS desires, OF The people, took INN thther -
| What are we TO be made believe, that he, who
went, not only without an army, but almost with
out companions of any sort, 500 miles through
cities and towns fortified, and,arrived in the ca
Pltal without having seen a single hand rsised
| against him; are we to believe. that he is now
! hated by the people of Fran, q And, are we
| TO believe that Louis, who found not single
| man, TO defend his throne; whose departure
was as quiet as if ne had been traveller, lodged
lii an hotel; who, with all the armies, all the CT
wi authorities all the treasures of the country
at his command could not, though he offered
| immense rewards, obtain the support of any
dozen of persons are we to believe that the
| kilg'
We are told, that the measures of police, which
| have been adopted in France, prove that Napo-
| leon and his government feel themselves in dan
| ger. But, my Lord, let us bear in mind, that,
| during the war against the French republic, the
| nabeas corpus act was suspended III England for
| seven years, and that the king and council I'M
! Prisoned, without trial, for any length of time,
any man whom they thought 1T right to impriSon ;
| and, that, IN Ireland, martial law was in exist
ence at several periods, and for great length OF
tune. YET, did any one ever presume to say,
that the King and MS government were hated by
| Tie nation
! We are told also to look at the French funds,
and to conclude from their price, that the nation
| are disaiiected towards the government. have
! Shewn, have proved, III my last number, that
the French funds are nearly as high in price IS
| ours are. lhave demonstrated this but is there
no other cause for low price of pubic funds in
France besides that ofthe disafection of the peo-
| pie ;! The wonder is, that when a million of men
| are preparing 10 invade France, the funds sell
| for any thing at all. Their being at 90, under
| such circumstances, proves the great confidence
| of the nation. If we were on the point of be ne
actually invaded; if we saw only 100000 men on
board ofboats in Bologne harbor ready to sail for
/ England, and had no defence but land defence,
| what price do you think our funds would be at
| Yet, the French see many hundreds Of thousands
OF men armed against them; they know that they
\ have To depend on their arms for defence; tS.v
! have no sea to protect them they know that
| their country IS liable to be invaded every
| hour: still their funds are nearly at as good a
PRICE as ouSs. Wh't reason, til srsfore, have we
20 coiclldS from the price of the funds that the
| French nation are disaffected towards their gov
| er'lment' But suppose the funds were to expert
| enee IN France great fail. What have we seen
IN England Why we saw the Bank stop Day
ment IN 1877, not upon an actual INVASION by an
| army, but merely upon the report Of an tnvas on
| beng intended, though we had the whole coua
| try armed, and though we bad feet to defend
us of more than 500 ships of war 1t was then
that the bank Obtained an act of parliament to en-
able 1t to refuse to pay its own notes in money!
| From that time 1t has not paid in money, except
IN tritiing degree. Since that, laws have been
passed to make bank notes legal tender, and to
Proh'pit the sale of gulneas. Yet, no one has
| presumed 10 say that the nation hated the king,
and that the people would not fight to defend the
| country against foreign INVASION. WHY, there.
| fore, are we to conclude that the French nation
hate Napoleon, because the French funds are at
a low -prlcei
think st is clear, then, that we have no good
reason To rely for assistance IN war, it war should
be finally resolved on, OH the dislike of the peo-
| pie OF France to their government. We must re-
iy, think, solely upon the force of our arms and
those OF our allies and, ii all the people OF
France are heartily opposed to us, what prospect
have we ofultnate success
On the other hand, how do the people Of Eng
land teS as 70 this expected war There nave
| been petitions, or remOnstranccs against II 10
London, Westminster, Nottingham, and others
are preparing. But, where have we seen a meet
ing TO approve ofthe war; For the war of 1898
there were meetings in abundance Not one in
favor OF this war; 1t is not to be doubted, that
the Noblesse and the Clergy and other persons
Il would call meetings in favor ofwar, ifthe public
| feeling was at all for war. Yet not one such
meeting has been called, except in the town OF
Plymouth, whose address for war is considered
in the same light rs the protestant Fishermen OF
= Newfoundland giving The Pope" as a standing
= toast. The truth is, that from one end of the
country to the other, the feeling Of the people is
Iagainst war There is not one man, or woman
out OF ton, who does not condemn the prcsump.
; ton of making war upon France to compel her Ia
change her Chief Magistrate. The case is so
plain, that all men understand it. They all say,
that we have no business 20 intermedde. The
question admits Of no disguise. For this time
even the craft of the prostitute newspapers can.
not succeed in deceivIng the people. Therefore
you resolve to enter upon this war, you will ind
no voluntary Contributions, you Will find very lit.
tie zeal on the part Of the mass Of the people
and If events should compel you TO make peace
you will find yourselves in such situation as mo
English Ministry we're ever before in. You will
then feel the real effect Of that system fpotics
begun by Pit, which system has been pursued
4 he