The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1808-01-07 00:00:00, page 4

gentlemen seriously believe that the ta
lents and skill and enterprize of our sea
men, could be confined to gun-boats and
privateers? W lu*n the thousands of,brave
mariners whom war will have deprived
oi subsistence, and condemned to our
harbours, shall heav that the enemy is
ofl their coast, capturing whatever sm^ll
force fall* in their wav, will they be
content with any thing less th?m . power
capable to cope with them ? A power
which our seamen are as capable of
wielding as theirs, and which, though
it may not equal in point of number of
vessels the force of the enemv, yet may
be such as essentially to foil particular
efforts. Sir, our seamen will claim the
vight of being enabled to look the ene
my in the face ; and in three years of
war a navy would be forced upon you
bv a sense ol duty which circumstances
would make impressive. It is true, it
would be a navy of hasty erection, con
stituted of ill-seasoned timber, and less
perfect workmanship. All wdiich disad
vantages, by a foresight of the real situ
ati<; and wants of the country, you
migat now, by using a time of peace,
wholly obviate. 1 know that, to gentle
men irom the south and from the west,
the very name of a navy is odious. It
*s a sea power. It is a power which,
from their local position, they can never
witiu. o. such a power it is natural
for men to be jealous. And if.state in
fluences or local prejudices are to guide
the policy of this nation, I will not de
ny tli .t it is as v. ise as it is natural.—
.Lut ii we are really one nation, and one
people, c 'n there be any thing more un
wise and i npolitic ? Sir, if gentlemen
fr n tin ,, .uiern states would rid them
i; cs 01 >ctr local prejudices, they
* s'e '■ ;t :i navy was a most d ■=i
m' le power i n the purposes of their
• ■» safe . » , -ase ol i v.’..r it would
*>e ne on instrument of commutiica
tir i oetwe the different ports of our
wiu Jy ext d coasts. In our har
Ijo it s it lorn • best and most certain
C1* s de ■; and it serves also as
co j\ 3 to Ou •• oops, which the- exi
51 .cyof var might require to be pass- d
from one evtrern • of the contin.-'U to
the oth r. It would enable the sir og h
oi the north to be bn ' hi, in -he short
est time p >‘sibie, to th. aid d’h'S'n’l .
Instead of being an object of jealousv,
it ought ;o be value : ns a bond of na
tional union. I as1: . n tie men from
the western states, , in ca.s • of w •,
they expect to preserve their communi
cation with the sea and the Atlantic
market, but by means of a naval force ?
With such a force, the Mississippi may
be kept open. Without such an one, it
would be inevitably closed.
But it is said we cannot protect our
commerce all over the world. This ob
jection is to the use of the power, and
not to its nature. Cannot we trust our
selves ? Shall we refuse to get in pre
paration an instrument for our defence,
because it is possible we may abuse it
to our injury/*
But it is urged that the navy of Great
Britain is stronger than any we can pos
siblv bring against it. And is that a
reason we should be wholly defenceless?
Because the armour of our enemy is
impenetrable, is that a reason that we
should engage him quite naked ? But
there are circumstances which would
give any navy we may possess great ad
vantages, even in a contest with thatna- j
tion, so long as it was reserved for har- |
hour and coast defence. Their ships !
would be at a distance from friendly j
ports : ours, at home. Our men would !
engag , not weakened by long voyages,
and lighting in sight of tin irown shores. .
In case of an attack upon’our cities,had
we a naval force, we could always, bv
contiguity to the shore, out number our
I enemy. We could put as great a force
on board as we pleased, and by c >ming
to dose quarters, make victory aim >.v
certain. The time would not allow him .
to enter a> fully into this subject as be
wished, and hereafter intend I. He
had spoken upon the spur <•*' the occa
sion, and had limited hints- f to coun
teract some prepossessions tb h had
seen attempted to be excited.
JLi?cenioer 1 1.
Th * bill appropriating a sum ormo- !
m y tor providing gun-1,o i i, ! i yet !
■v fore the house on its third r .id‘<"<•-, I
was this lav taken ny, ,u.l aft-r n dt -
bate ot three hours, pa sc i—vc. sill;
nays 19.
Mr. I)uvson, frotr, *t. c.o unitt e •*, 1
milit rv and naval t stab’ , , nt '«
a r *port on *.h* j <• it'-or. A A • - 'll cj •, p
the army \ the Uni d d ate--, d-_cl.tr
i i that th ir pvty r C‘»r an i .crease
nav; is reason iblc, and ougnt to In
^ranted.
Ta.-sd ty, D 22.
Air. Crown’- shi -1 ’ off red a resolu
tion udiorizing the Pr sij‘*nt to c..i”.3
a li ie oT t He$rapS to be '"r'aYi.-dt '
on- t -• sen-board, * i 1 such, mh j
part-* oi the vouncry as- he may judge
expedient. Referred to a committee,
of the whole, and made the order for
to- m.orrow.
I NT E L 7. IGENCE.
Expedition again# Tndia.
Cass el, Oct., 19
It is rep rted at haxonv, that
a great expedition is forming,
whole delUn tion is the all-In
dies—and that ranee, huffia,
I in key and Eerfia, are concern
ed in it.
Frankfort, Ocr. 23.
A few days ago a report was
in circulat on, and generally cre
dited, that a plan had been con
certed between France and Kuf
fia, to fend an expedition again't
the Indies, for which purpofc
Pet (la is to furnifh 50 000 ca
mds ; and that the F.ench Am
t affador at the Pcrban court, M.
le Gen Gardanne, who is on his
vv :y, is charged to a.-juld all dif
ferences between Rudiaand Per
il*, and to m ake the neceffiry
p cp. rations lor the expedition,
whi h wmI juin ♦hecomnerie of
the ng dh in the alf-Ind cs.
Phil dll phi a, Dec. 23.
Revol tion n -Spain.
The fallowing article appeared
in tli Pol f cal /<!tgiUer ol aft
evening. P is a t anlladon of a
roval de rec o,1 the S an ih m )
n r h on tii • i fcovery of a pi *.n
to dct: ron him, m wh ch his
o<vn fun, .<n \ a gr ar num '-er of
tlic ran (h nobility, vvere in*,
vo’ved ; n,< have been conligncd
t > prifo i. i he conldernatijn in
wns grea:, a 1 he iflue is
not to be calculrted upon.
M God, who watches over and