Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-09-20


| lac iay-Iti is here that man actually eiiOys all
! lhe proud immunties OF his nature, ans rises
from that dust TO which tyranny had CONSIGNED
nm, in The attitude and image of his sovereign.
n Judge and h s God'-lt shere, that look
ing through the vista OF time the grand politi-
cal millennium is seen by Grncy's eve, fast ap-
preaching, when all nature shall be united in
enc vast republic WHEN the wolf shall dwell
with the lamb, the tiger with the kid, and when
ali mankind shall repose rs brethren under the
empowering laurel
How pleasing, how sublme-is snch Il contem-
platon could we rise with the subject, our I'M
agination would carry us to the Elvsian fields,
where all our troubles would be at sn end, where
pain is never felt-But we feel we are tied down
10 the varied scenes oflfe, and that soon the fer.
tile PLAINS of our happy land may again be con-
verted into camps, and all the blessings we now
enjoy, be destroyed by the clash of arms
Let US open the pages of History, and We will
md that our fears are neither wild nos chimeri-
cal-other countries h>ve been free and happy
Let'us read the. account of The different nations
who have enjoyed the {" high boon of liberty" and
where now are they to be found Where shall we
look for the brave and hardy Lacedemoneans, the
warlike Arbenians; in word, all the petty re-
publics CT Greece !-Where shall we find Rome
the seat of learning, arts and arms-once the
proud mistress of the world, and whose inhabi-
tants adj only TO say 81 am n Roman citizen
and it was a shield against the tvrant's blow. and
an honor TO the man who announced the place of
ms nativity They are all gone they merely ex-
iSt III shadow, or ia the musty records ofancent
authors every spark of liberty has been crushed
among them, every thing Ike national character
has been DESTROYED.
Having looked in vain for the ancient republics,
and nos being able TO find YES ire of that glory
that national feeling, that uncomfortable patriot
Ism, wIich we have been so zen taught at school
to admire and advised to initiate; we turned and
asked where are all the monuments of art the
trophies OF victory, and the sacred temples which
once adorned Greece and Roine' Where are the
consecrated tombs which contain the ashes of all
Their sages, patriots, heroes and statesmen alas
they lie buried in one promscuous ruin the soil
where once the beautiful tree of liberty 5lossomed
and expanded its branches is now desart and
1iie me country where once genius, freedom and
science hourished, is now the abode of the Inlide
and Slave'i and why is it so ; because the people
have been cruelty deceived, deluded and enslaved,
by artful men-because trey have been split into
Sec's and parties, and led 20 zvar against them
seiUesi because they forged their own chains and
rivetted the irons about their oqUn necks, and It
was rom par ty spiT4f, it was from religious in
tolerance, that so many evils have befallen man
kind :
Avoid then, felow-citizens, the baneful inau-
ence ct party SPIRIT, you would the embrace of
the viper, or tie jaws of death--if YOU dets st
slave ltyou value liberty, if you love your
country, Danish from your bosoms every thing.
ike rancorous party feeling cease TO look upon
your honest neighbour with iaundiced eye, be-
cause 1t so happens that he does not think ofec!Sels
IKE you IN every thng--alwavs remember that
The same object viii make different impressions
upon different mndS--ard reflect, too, that upon
any one point, where we honestly differ N opinion,
zss al may be sgTolg, and al the same time each
OF uS may think to ourselves &c am right" How
* ;,,.l,u al, nj
and narshiy to censure The opinions of others,
Wien tney do not agree with Now Is it
not evident that every wise and good man would
wish SO to cond 90 himself in this life, that IN
the next ne, might inset with the appreciation of
ms God Yet how many modes ofworship do we
observe even in edmond and shall dare
10 upbraid my friend because he is a member of
this or that Church in preference to the one to
winch belong? No, never" charity hopeth
all things" and every liberal mind viii be dis
posed to think Crowded that we are equally SIN
core and piOus men) that our hopes for heaven
~ seat are equally good, and that our prayers are
equally acceptable 10 the Deity. Gracious God
II his be not the case, if there he only one correct
mode OF worship, If only particular form be
received at the throne of Divine Grace, how
hopeless is the condition of a large portion of
mankind But my heart burns with unspeaka-
bieJoy at the thought that eUeTy prayer when is
oferedup with cOntrition and pure intention
rs heard IN the mansions of peace and treasure up
IN the hePpy abode ofAngels L believe in the
language of an eloquent and pious orator of the
society OF FrieudssetsE in Heaven there is no
Quaker, no Methodist, no Pre,byt erian.-In Hea-
ven there is no distinction Here | feel disposed
TO go on and con jure.the Christians of every diff
ferent persuasion TO live in meelness and love
and to throw aside the narrow prejudices which
too often cause mistr;st and dislike between
different Churches and which sometimes arrays
the witeaganst the husband, and the child against
ITS parent-and all too in the name of the most
High but here must stOp-I feel my incompe-
tency and know the great importance of the sub
lect-I shall therefore leave it to some of our en-
lighted and virtuous ministers.
Returning then 10 our subject, and leaving the
history ola people who have so long ceased to
nearer TO our own times and take rapid survey
ofthe present condition of Europe 1t is sad
enough indeed. God forbid that our lot should
ever be so miserable as the happiest country in
he Eastean hemisphere--iof my own part j had
rather be AZ American peasant, free virtuous,
happy and contented, surrounded by my innocent
family smiling in peace and plenty, han 10 be
clOathed with all the spiendor of royalty and en-
r.ched with all the wealth of " Legitimate SJver-
egns Look among the people Of Europe,
how sad, how forlon is their condition, how
miserabiy poor are large portion Of the inbab.
tants IN the city Of London alone, there are up
wards of thirty thousand mend,cants and that |
country has fora long time been free, from the !
ravages Of the merciless, nhuman invader--if |
such be the distresSes ofthe poor Of London |
what must be the wretched condition Of the peo- |