Virginia Argus

Cheetham, in his life of Thomas Paine, has gone out of the biographical track to mislead emigrants in America, and also to prevent emigration. But his own personal history is a sufficient refutation of his falsehoods. He was a poor man some years ago; and now he is a rich printer. He enjoys all kinds of liberty too in his actions; as a proof of which we need only refer to the manner in which he exercises the liberty of the press. It is really surprising that a man with any brains at all should write a book that proves how little he values truth.

There is not a country on the globe where emigrants have so many advantages as they enjoy in the United States; and, in proportion to their numbers they occupy more posts of honor and profit than the natives. We think that no distinction whatever ought to prevail; and that citizens of honesty and talents ought to be always preferred, no matter where they were born. Besides, the objection in itself is almost a nullity; for the children born here of emigrants, being natives, the term foreigners is lost after the first generation.

Cheetham must think other people are as stupid as himself when he publishes such trash, and calls it biography.

His book, however, will go to England and do him credit there; for that is a country where men in power give premiums for profligacy. He may soon follow himself, as his performance is nothing more than an advertisement that he is to be sold to the highest bidder. His statue of gold he will probably dispense with, and take the amount in guineas. He has cunning enough to know that a public monument of any kind would be a mark of infamy; but he can pocket the coin and pass among strangers for an honest man.

The Devil that Cheetham would sell himself to any party for a gross sum in hand: but, in this country, he is not a saleable commodity. He is so enveloped in an atmosphere of corruption that it is enough to dissolve any party that should take him by the hand.

MONTGOMERY.