The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-07-26

o. breaking off the relations of peace. relying
upon force where reaion is 1T no avail, and " ap-
pea.;ng to the iuGice of Heaven for re,lrers.''
when We are no longer able to find it upoa
earth
Jnfae. ihould the lstefi g reports from Spain
be correct. are we. not even row reduced 10
this melancholy dilemma We demanded the
extenlion of our boundaries To the backs OF
the Psrdido river; Spain wiihes to cor6ne us
to the MifiiiiPpi. We called upon Spain TO
fat'sfv the Legitimate Claims Of our merchants
tor the ipoliations made upon their trade dur.
ing the lait war: We appealed TO her ;ufi;ce
for the ratification of the convention of Ary,n
1902. But Spain rcfuies to comply with all
our reqmll,ons. In this embarrailing ft.,.e OF
affairs, therefore, what other dilemma feenns TO
be offered 10 our election, than the furrender
of our claims or tie fupport OF them by or
arms Should fuch be the que(tion can there
be patriot in this country who can demand
a Jingle moment for 1elil,eration
should We iurrendcr our preteu6ons without
"a ftruggle, wev voluntarily provoke the coutemp-
tuous crticiims of foreign nations. During the
war of the revolution our heroic achievements
entitled MS to the character of an enteip,iiir 2
q ub!hrink'ng energy; are we prepared to dii-
grace thofe preteniions bv tif,race ful f,rren-
der Of our claims Our national frength now
prowefs of foreign nations; fhall we defend
from this elevated grouad ihall we prove that
though frong IN numbers, we are deficient in
fpirit Shall we expoie ourfeives to the con-
/: tume!ious Injuries and Daring enDroachinenis
of foreign countries, by affirming the appear.
. ar1ce of imbeciliiy and cowa,dice. Even if
thefe general advantages EouiL not be Efficient
TO route ms into exertion, iilali we be infenGble
to the important objects, whichswe have brought
into jeopardy? The claims or our merchants
are entitled 10 urgent confederation But what
then ihail we lay AS to the exteniion Of from
tier from the Miiii!iippi to the Perdido? To
thofe, who have read Mr.. Nicholfon's report
during the felton, of 1902 on the policy of ac-
curing the FlCridas, il would be fupe,fiuous TO
deveiope the advantages of iIch an acQuiiition /;
an acGu!iition, which would iecure TO the people
otthe welt thecScluliye navigation ofthe Mobile
& TO the inhabitants of the iirroun,ling country
the profits Of that "coniide,ahle coating trade. -
which according TO the official documents IS
now carried on, from Penftcola, Mobile, and
the creeks and rivers falling into, and in the
neghbourhood of Lake Pontchartrain, from
whence New-OrleanS is principally fupplied
with i'iip timber, charcoal, lint, pitch, and tar,
and partly with cattle, and the places before
named are fupplied with articles OF fo,epn
growth, and produce in the fame way from r..
Orleans" Shall we furrender all thefe aivanl A.
ges, by facr1hcing our legitimate claims to the
pleafure of the court of NJ ldrid ? But nal we,
II may hc replied, take an ungenerous ADVANTAGE
of the embarraliments of Spain, s, at a n,oo,s,,,
when fhe is involved in war with Great Brt.,n.
when her reiources are employed in ..lftf.rcnt
direction, iha!l We make an incurGor. upon de.
tenceefs frontier Would i. tbln be better
to Po,tpone the dcqWsiti.,n of or rights, & in
tne ipirlt OF romantic chiva!ry TO wait, until
Nn,. a
land and recruited her ttreng;h Should d..
tiny Rave determined to deprive Spain of this
little Hip Ct territory, would it be found no.
':cy, would 1t even be genuine humanity, for
the United States to multiply the dsiolations
OF war by allowing iufficent leiiiIre TO Spain TO
! multiply her preparations
But itould it DC found TO be the intrr.f of
our country to re!ort to military movements for
the alirrtion of our rights, let lbs confne our
exertIons within the circle of our demands.
/ War, Gays Martens) is tina. fate, in which
men confanfly exerciie acts ofindct,r.ninate vi
0ience againft each other" Let us not then
enter into zrnr. Let us net ifIue letters of
Marqne or Reprifals, until the operations of
SPAN mail compel us to retaliate. We viii
not extend our ravages over the colonies of
Span hut we vii, collect fuch an army only
as rs fufhcient to accomplish the object of orr
puriiIit. We will take poiIc'fion of the f. part
OF Lou'ilana, which wchave already denlandedin
VAN. Perhaps too correct policy nay impofe
upon US the additional neceiiity of croiIing the
Perdido, and feiZing upon PenfacoIa as a fecnritv
Tor paying the exDences of our equipment and
The demands of our merchants.
But we cannot vet renuuiih our homes .hs.
theieremark ks arefcarce!ymorefu THE oc-
CATION which caaed them forth. That our Ia,
ten accounts may be authentic, we ihall not
pretend to deny; but that like many otherreports
OF the day, they may have srifen from fome fc-
ton improperly created, or fome fact eafly milf.
underltood, we may fill prefiime to hope.
Should they however prove correct; Elould it
appear at laft that every expedient of diploma
tic Kill has in vain been exhauned by our mi
nfters, and that Spain is determined never to
comply with our rsquiitiohs or TO compel us
to fee then b. force, then the preceding remarks
VIII not be altogether uieleis eitherin drawing H.
nveitisat'on of TIE people to this frIbief, or in
exciting their national indignation and f1irit.
Iheie queftions viii however previouly occur
Has the PRECEDENT the power at this criiis of the
traDiaction to direct force to take ponefIion Of
the Spaniih forts to the w. of the Petdido ,
Would it be polite to fummon Congrt IS imme-
dately to- his aid [? or to prolong the fuhie s,
iii the regular period of it's fellion
2 Vide Norfolk Head
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