The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1807-12-31 00:00:00, page 3

faith, refused indemnity for spoliations
committed on our commerce, actually in
vaded our territory by an armed force,
and her minister countenanced in insul
ting our government and country.
II we turn to France we shall find she
has, under the curtain, pricked up Spain
to commit unwarrantable aggressions, &
her privateersmen have now and then
sung Te Deum on board some of our
most valuable merchant ships, and con
demned them.
It we turn to G. Britain, we shall find
her return of national justice and friend
ship is by attacking one of our armed
vessels, and shedding the blood of our
countrymen. I will not dwell on this
subject olthe frigate Chesapeake, so well
known—I cannnot speak or reflect on
the subject without indignation. She has
almost ruined our commerce in the Me
diterranean sea; she has captured our ves
sels bound to Antwerp, in French Flan
ders, and to the ports in Holland, France
and Spain; she has blockaded our har
bo u s, pressed our seamen, violated our
territory, added injury and aggression,
wounded the pride and feelings of the
American people, and endeavoured to
degrade and injure, in the eyes of the
world, our national honour and charac
ter.
The policy of trusting to national jus
tice, at the outset, might be proper. It
v as ol importance to have time to gain
strength wUi h this nation just begins to
feel ; that policy ought now to be at an
end ; it prov s theoretical and visionary,
it has long since been necessary to pur
sue measures of general defenc •. N ei
ther would l trust too much to gun
boats; they are us f'il aux-iliari s, and I
wdl vote lor an inert ise ol their num
bers. 1 hey are good in tin ir place, and
so are proclamations when you have e
nergy and lorce to to < p 1 an observ
ance* I am lor trusting no longer to
pioclamations ; they art! a c<#nd ictor ol
disgrace to the nation. 1 h ■ answer
of the commander of the sloop of war
Driver, while lying in our harbour at
Charleston, was insolent and contemp
tuotr • A he answer ol the commander
ol tile insignificant fleet YET lying in
Lynhaven Bay, was,that they would bat
ter down the town of N ,rfolk. You al
ways will and must expect to be insult
ed, unless you pursue the policy of ge
neral defence. I hope to see our coast
lined with forts and battc.-vie3 at suitable
and prop r places, and our harbours fill -
<d with frigates and gun boats, with
some block ships: and were it not e
steemed heresy by some, I would say a
few 74 gun ships. Such is my opinion
of the necessity and utility of some hea
vier ships, that I feel it my duty, as a
faithful representative, to express it.—
Our situation is critical, and our foreign
relations are gloomy. The affairs of
the nation require serious and grave de
liberation, and all our wisdom, but a
bove all, unanimity. Away, therefore,
with wretched party spirit, and party
violence. I do not.mean to be under
stood as giving an opinion, that war will
be inevitable: I only wish to be pre
pared for it.
It is a correct maxim, that nations
will pursue that course which is most
for their interest ; and would the men
now in power in the British nation look
forward for years to come, they woul 1
say their interest was peace with the U.
States of America. But it is to be re
collected, that those men in power cal
culate on the termination of that power
forever on the death of the present king,
which they believe from the infirmity of
his age will soon happen : they, there
fore, calculate for the moment.
To congress the nation turn their
eyes, justly expecting we will attord
them protection, upon which they place
their hope for public security, which
will give confidence and vigour to the
nation. Our rank and station will be
decided among the powers of Europe,
by the vote we give this day. I.et us
bt hold this nation, at this alarming cri
sis, looking boldly the nations of the
earth in the face, by appropriating libe
ral means for a spirited and permanent
plan of defence. The propriety and ne
cessity of adopting measures for fortifi
cation, appear to me to lie universally
allowed, not only among the European
powers, but is the sense of this nation,
as far as I can judge. 1'he legislature
of the state of New-York, by their reso
lutions now on your table, have invited
and requested the attention of congress
to this important subject, and immedi
ate steps ought to be taken to make am
ple provision for that purpose. The
community in general are alive to the
subject; the people of this country art
jealous of their rights, and arc disposed
to maintain them. The svstem of per
manent fortifications ought, from its na
ture, to he the greatest care of the go
vt rnment. It is a system upon which
rests the security of national defence.—
Xu civse of w ar, the situation of the na-j
tion must be calamitous indeed, For-.tKe *
want of fortifications. The history of
all civilized nations will prove that for
tifications were, and still are, part of
their valuable system of defence ; and
that they have and do keep fortified,
their most important cities and towns.
This system has been uniformly prac
tised and encouraged by the most brave^ -1
powerful and experienced nations. Let
us therefore resort to that experience
and observation, and lay aside useless
theory. At both of the sessions of the
last congress, the subject of fortifications
was urged for consideration, and voted
down. Are we willing to take upon
ourselves the hazard of the calamitous
consequences that must happen to the
nation, and stand responsible to our con
stituents and posterity, by a repetition
of the same vote ? I am not. If we
take a view of the relative situation of
the European powers, their strength,
their resources, their objects and pros
pects, we shall pay a due regard to self
defence, and shall be in a state of prepa
ration for events.
Mr. Smilie observed, that other means
of defence were necessary as well as for
tifications ; that in case of war a large
army must be maintained, and one mil
lion five hundred thousand dollars was
more than could be spared for fortifica
tions. He said, if we have a war, it
will be necessary to act offensively in
one quarter, and it would be improper
to leave ourselves without a sufficient
sum for that purpose. He was willing
to apply money for fortifications ; but he
thought it necessary to reserve some
part of our treasure for carrying on war
in other quarters than in our ports.
Mr. Gardinier said, the cities were
the sources Irom which all our revenue
flowed directly into the national treasu
ry, and that they ought for that, if no
other reason, to be the first objects of
our care. They were of all parts of the
Union the most vulnerable ; they were
the hens that laid the golden eggs, and
oughtto be therefore cherished and pro
tected with the utmost solicitude. He
hoped and trusted that no unnecessary
delay would take place. The people of
your cities, said he, are anxiously await
ing your decision. Their fortunes and
their lives m.»y at some period, and pTo»
bably not a distant one, depend on the
magnitude of the appropriation you aro
about to make. Whether the present
negotiations eventuate in war, or ift
peace, their rights and your duty are the*