Virginia Argus

We observe, by the New-York prints that the tender sensibilities of the federalists have at last been excited—by the murder committed by their good friends the British. A federal meeting was held, in consequence, where sundry resolutions were passed, condemning the atrocious act.

Can any one explain this ebullition of federal feeling? Can any one tell, why Oliver Wolcott and other federalists who for years palliated the insults and robbery committed by the British, should now be foremost in resolving that such robbery and outrage ought no longer to be suffered? Can any one tell, why federalists, who under John Adams patiently suffered and winked at the murder, whipping and impressment of American seamen, should now call for prompt and vigorous measures to prevent the like in future.

To assist the reader to give an answer—we will just mention, that an election is now pending in New-York, at which federalism is about to try its strength for the first time since 1800. That the federal party is determined to try its strength in the union, on the very first opportunity. That a shew of patriotism is now made to gull the unsuspecting.

Let no man suppose that the N. York federal resolutions breathe the pure spirit of patriotism—they are an electioneering trick—if there had been no election, the murder of Pierce would never have been thus censured, it would have been passed over as the more ignominious murder of Jonathan Robbins was under John Adams.

Let no man suppose that the murder of Pierce has excited actual and true abhorrence of the British in the breasts of the federalists—in all their resolutions, they do not once censure the British administration or the British policy, the whole are directed against the government of this country as if it had perpetrated the outrageous act.

Let no man imagine that these resolutions are any thing more than the mere ignis fatuus of federalism—they are of the family of the Ocean massacre, the Burr and Taylor plots, with which the American people were amused or insulted eight years ago.

Let no man suppose that federalism, which has ever been in league with Britain, is now convinced of its errors—instead of casting the blood of Pierce to the account of his murderers, see federal artifice employed to lay it to the charge of the administration of America—but this artifice will defeat itself, no republicans will ever believe that the federalists have become true patriots, or that the republicans who ever called for the chastisement of the British, have now become their advocates.

Yet such are the means, the despicable means, that federalists employ to carry their election—they hold out the idea that, it is altogether owing to the conduct of the administration that our citizens are murdered and our property taken, altho' under federalism both were practised by the British—and let the federalists of N. Y. Oliver Wolcott, Rufus King and others remember this fact:

The federalists in congress did not vote for any of the strong measures proposed to be taken against the British.