Virginia Argus

Change of Ministers.--Much has been said of the recent change at Washington in the Department of State.-That Mr. Smith has retired and Mr. Monroe taken his place, is all that we can gather with certainty from whatever has been said on the subject. That Mr. S. retired in consequence of some difference of opinion with the President we think probable; what the difference was we know not, nor is it of much consequence that we should know. Judging from the past, we have no reason to anticipate any thing from the future conduct of Mr. Madison derogatory to the interests of the country, nor do we accuse Mr. Smith of deviating from the path of duty. They might have disagreed on some points important as between the first magistrate and his secretary, and yet neither been adverse to the interest of the nation. That this difference of opinion, (and we are not certain that any such difference was the ground of Mr. S. retiring) did not extend to a want of confidence by the President in Mr. Smith is evident from his offering him the appointment as minister to the court of Petersburg, a situation not less honorable and perhaps more lucrative than that of secretary. We can see no necessity for so much invidious remark on the President's conduct in advance, as has appeared in some papers. Mr. Madison as the able asserter of our rights, as the foe to an intolerant abuse of our religious privileges as the able advocate in the convention which formed our constitution -against granting an unconstitutional charter to a British bank in 1791--against the British treaty, which legalized British invasion on our neutral rights-demands at least our confidence, till his acts shall manifest a departure from the inflexible character he has hitherto sustained. No man, excepting the illustrious Jefferson, stands higher in our estimation, than Mr. Madison, because none has served his country with more pure and disinterested motives, and none certainly has discovered more ability, more integrity, or more patriotism.

N.H. Patriot.