Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-05-22
VIRGINIA ARGUS.
nichmond. Nm D. 1916.
TYE .3BRE me PR8DT

| Among sever,l pamphlets which an old Friend
~ oblging correspondent in France has latelv
transmitted 10 us, is L'y7u5assad. de Poloene en-
1919, by the famous Able De Pradt. Nume
mus extracts from this singular work had already
reached us. through the medium Of English and
| american Prints /; but the ensemble was un.
| known to us. We are far, very far from acqui
e'cing in the opinions of the an hor respecting
lie formidable coalition which has overwhem-
ell France. 4" Virtue, he SAYS, has formed the
cement of y at unexpected union, so long called
,or IL would have moudered away a hundred
times, had It been erected merely on polticsl
basis Too many precedents justify this con.
lecture but it was founded il. generosity, in
magnanlmity, in benevolent solicitude for the
welfare of mankind. Royalty has shewn itself
what it ought ever to be, the guardian of huma-
iity. The blood ofnations has been shed IL is
true, hut it has been shed in the cause of JUS
tice, of morality, and TOR the preservation of the
human species. When thus shed for the re-
1emption of man, IT'S eftusion has hem mertori-
torious and holy This sacred war will prevent
4 thousand other Hencefnr'h, the TEN
pie OF Janus viii never be opened for wre;ched
political interests Justice ard morality alone
Ii guard IT'S awful gates aud consoltd
orld, breathing after ITS prolonged calamties,
and no longer fearing return of them, will
| erect TO the princes who have ensured the tri-
| amph of virtuous and noble policy, a monu
| Tnent at the foot of which machiavelism, bound
n adsmantine chains, shall waste its impotent
rlge."-So far as the Allied Princes promoted
| the liheral ion of their countries, there may
be some truth in Ill ths-Their conduct, in re-
gard to France, af.er victory, spoils this elo
quent panegyrc, evidently calculated for the
nerd an of enthraled Europe
| 1t IS not, then. AS the panegyrst of Kings that
we value The Able De Pradt We like some
parts ofhis book, because they place us, as ii
we're, i'll an unceremonlous teie tete, with man
| who has long bee the terror of Europe, and the
| wonder of the " ole world--because they a.
veuge. m some nea ,ure, The injury done torrance
| ~ shat man and his sycophants .-Bonapar'e is
amenable to the tribunal, not of the Allies, but
Vt Treat nation who sc present misiortunes and
| iisgrace he has Caused To his hands the admi.
| niStration OF France was en'rusted-She was
! rhen powerful in means Of every k nd-abu dant
il resources of every descrption--I.ock back on
her glory, on her vast influence, on her abil "
not only 10 enjoy herself peace and happiness,
but to confer those blessings On MANY of the ~
tior sof Europe u. napar'e was made Emperor
| his rage for the creScendo, Of power his rest.
less ambition, his invncible obs macy, ruined
l very thing France is PROSTATE, humbied po-
ut callv dependent.-Her once triumphant bark
: completely wrecked ; and the rash, inconside
ra'e. unfeelmg pilot who has brought it TO this
4 sad catastrophe, has abandoned it, without con
Germ for the fate of the crew-it was enough for
HIM TO escape in a gid shallnp He now appear.
:ay and contentel on he rock where the polio,
If England has confined him.-As to those who
utter establishing Republic, at the expeHce o
| he best blood Of lie French nation, all at once
demolished the work of their own hands, to erec
OH $ runs the Imperial elice, we are .rlaC
o see them sconrged by the archbishop of Ma
mes Those men 1--WE speak, in Particular, O
The national representation at that time) hac
- ,-lNr u aal
IF pr 'tecung the lives, properties, and ibertie.
Fthelr cons'itueD S. Instead ofso doing, the,
ecame the betrayers of high trust, they solo
nelr own brethren to Napoleon, whose sycn
'hants, whose freedmen, they seemed to be
So-not the universal execration Of mankind
ut the ntamv 10 winch the impartial historic
1age gives hateful Immortality can infict ade
qua c pun ishTnent on those modern Sejai =.
Guild Napoleon have ascended to the very ape,
n despotism; could he have wantonlv lramplet
Ipon the rights aud liberties of the French-con
'erted his own infalib'lity and superiority iptt
aXiomS-lnsulted and provoked the rest of Flu
rope-spurned all advice and remonstrance-ex
ended the rod of more than or entail deSpotsn
over both his subjects and other na,ions-pro
Scrioed ldeology and education-n fine, rashI,
capped, Ike Phaeton, into the car Of the Sun
nd, like Phaeton, conflagrated the worId-ifin
viduals had been found possessing sufficient
'rtue and selfdignity to arrest his pre.umptu
us ambition at the very thresh Id! Certainl,
not. -Calgula made his horse Consul -
\ Pope whose name we do not nov remember
created his monkey Cardinal--The grand La
ina distributes to his votares, as precious relics
he West secretlons OF his person-Whence such
follies, such arrogance, such contempt of tn,
human character '-SureY from The seryility o
mankind themselves.-We are told bv the vene
able author of the Notes on Virginia that, du
ny the Revolution, an attempt was twice made
here TO establish Dictator. That Gentleman
ascrloes the scheme o want Of judgment rather
than to putridty e heart Be IL so But haf
he plan succeeded, had not Archibald Carey
like another Brutus, displayed an energy which
inted with the efforts of other sound republi
cans, prevented the government from passing
into the hands of single individual, armed Will
every power, legislative, civil, iud cial, and mil.
tsry-who tell what the consequences nigh
nave been' The cup of authority resembles tina
~ Crce' 1T transforms men into brutes Their,
IS no safety for nations but in frequent recur
renee to first principles --in the retention IL
III their own hands of as much self-government a.
81 Possible--in ceaseless jealousy and watchfulnes
In short terms of offce-n elections often re
novated, in order to prevent that mischief which
lnfathiul servants OF the people may occasional
u W mediate But we perceive that we have fa
| digrrssed from our point of departure and fallei
upon triie topics. These topics, however. are s.
very important that they cannot be too often in
: culcated-and, as 10 the work in question, we ar
J compelled 10 postpone the Extracts from Il ,whlc
! we had proposed 10 lay before our Readers. w
eserye them for a subsequent paper. They ar
fraught with too much interest TO be altogethe
: omitted.
0J' III The 4th. page, for Hght read LIGHT.
" We COPY The Joiio0i1g from tie .NorJok lie
| RET The zyJtoLe ebeoLs E. ,,.oyc