The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-03-05
(ConiinneG.)

sIaNA.
(ConiiAneGJ
&c Nor is any alVaHfage TO be obtained"
continues the Norfolk Ledger, % from The adj |
d'tion made to our population: on the contra |
ry,we have acquired 4 diicordant MATS of peo- |
pie, who VIII never be willing to flop at the !
temperate medium of rational liberty; and |
rom their attach nent to their mother country, !
will always become the willing intrumcnt Of /
foreign intrigue" and that hence may, in /,
ione ;neaiure, be conje6tured the cauit ana the
tendency oftheie movements,w Sich We Geealrea-
dy commenced" The Norfolk Lecisei has fure-
~ forgotten that the fream of eingIaiion to n.
Orleans and the located parts of Louiiiana, will
he continually flowing from the u. States that
the oid ieitlers VIII thus Dc gradually - Gem
mixed with another race OF men, .cried in the
principles of our government, and attached to
slnltitutions that every year the political fen
! tinent OF Loui.iana will become more honoce-
nous with our own: that every year will be-
hoid the fpirit of rational ihertv'' gradually
lucceeding to 6. differentiation and anarchy"
and the hereditary love of France giving way to
tiila attachment for the United States. Diicon-
tents have already exined in Louiiiana out
| Congrcts Is willing to aliay their aniniolities
| they are prepared to acquieice III the mott IN
| portant object oftheir remembrance. The Lou
ilianians will foon have an independent Leg;la-
ture and the period is not very remote. when
4 rapid population iha!l entitle them 70 the pri-
vegcs of all Uaited State.
| Even ifihiS ipirt of opPoltion were TO be G.
ternal there is another view of the population
| of Louiiiana which ihoud reconcile to its ac-
| quiftion. Isit not much better that the people
Of this territory ihould become difcontenied CT
tizens of the United Stares, than the zel.ous
coonits ofambitious France Had not Loui-
iiana become ours, it would have become a fief
| OF France: New-Orieans aud the wehe-n banks
Of the Miilihippi would have been imhab ted
| ythe ready initruments Of French ambition
The free navigation OF the Mihippi and the
right of dcpolit on ITS banks would have been
| iu!pended or at Leaf endangered the trade
Aid agriculture of the weitern itatcs would have
treEbied to their centre. Rut why fill ND a
picture, crdnplay policy, which the Norfolk
Editor has iticif pCurtraycd; for v.ry di6creyt
PurPofl. r ~ Ilboured kfcry watch he has
given us o}thc French views Of the graphing am
bition, of their fyftematic attempts TO Interfere
with the internal concerns Of all other fates.
and 20 convert their difordcrs into The innru-
ments OF their own aggrandiftne:.t every trait
which lie throws in of this Drrneditated au,bi
ZION, every ne dlih of his pencil di(Dlays 4
new danger that would have AFFIXED us from
fjch powerful and intriguing neighbours.
The true point of companion is not then be-
tween the peril ofOur prefent connection with
LouiliIna, & the iccurity ofour previous f-psra
tion. But the o5viousGueiti Observation-Disclosures
pie had not better become even the difcontent-
ed oitizers ofthe union, than The ready inftru
rents Of French ambition.
Let thof1 who trace the arqgGtion of Louif J
ana through all It's conftquen2es, never lcf;.
Eight OF his ob.ious Alternative. When calcu (
ating the cof of an " extended protc fion'' for
our new Inhabitants let them recoIlc6f the chain
of forts and the detachments of troops which
we NUT have planted on the Eaitern banks ofthe
river, to have protected its navigation againf
tie ;nhabitant ofthe wefern Bank. From f!ch
dangerous NEIGHBOURS we have been relieved
by the acquiiI,ion Of Inuiiiana and this is no !
trivial adgantage, refult;ng from the meafure. /
" The oxJ Tendance of 6eneft which is to
be found in this whole traufaGfion conlits in a
fomewhat incEeaied fecnrity for the enjoyment
OF our proper right to navigate The Riii fIipp.''
" And yet, adds the paper, were we not emit
tied 10 that iecUrity without previous fubmif
ion to tribnte !" The plain quelfion at once is.
would it have been better to have acquired
LouIiiaaa by negotiation or by war =
And can this quefton RH remain a problem. +
iuiceptibe of doubt? Is there yet an impartial I
politician in this country, who would prefer
dftructive war TO an honorable negotiation
Who would rather encounter all the expences of
an armament, for what time and of what force,
experience only could have determined. than
pay fifteen millions; who would rather ufilrD
the nicer occupancy Of the foil upon precari-
Gus tenure, than acquire an indifputable title
by IN equitable purchaf. WHO would rather
that his country ihould acquire the manner Of 4
precipate, military, fsrocions nation, than that
Che would be di0inguiGhed by her iuvolable re-
fpcSf for other nations, by her love of iutice,
and OF peace Errors of this kind NAV be re-
grttet; out in truth they defeive not refutation.
Let us hDl!h at once thefe curfory ftricturys,
pregnant with inexhaufibIe difTefTion difgra-
ced by errors which having long fiuce expired
underline blow of criticifm, are once more ira
duccd Ike embalmcd mummies todeCeive only
superficial o5fcrvers delivered in ftvle of ii. !
liberal invective, and tecming with niinuations,
which are unworthy of the active, let me add
the active Misunderstanding oftbeir author; this
laboured diquilition is not calculated tomi0ead,
and not entitled TO refntaton. Can there be
an impartial perfon, who will not Immediately
admit the obvious advantages of the acquif-
ton Of Louilian1 who will not at once per-
ceiye that we have gained the undi}urbed ma
vigation of the Mi6ihipp and numberlefs
points Of depolit for our wefern produce; that
we have gained an exteniiye territory Astounding
in productions, which are adapted 70 no other
foil and climate in the union; which may in
part exempt us from our dependence upon the
growth the w. India iilands, aud the reftric-
tiOns ofthcir European proprietaries that we