Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-06-25
LETTER OF mr. 2. NJ -RANDoLpH.
(coHcLUDED J

"S e"SS Hdu reaCncu TINS point,
when the executive OF the United States
determined TO proceed no farther, blu, TO
lay the matter before the legislature.
In the mean time the conduct of the
Spanish officers who Ioi,ered an unwar
rantable time at New Orleans, under the
pretex, OF private affairs, became in,ole
rably insoient and injurious to the inte-
rests oil the United States. The people
oil the territory were assured by them
that Spain meant TO revive her claim to
The whole country, and that she would
certainly, II 1t was not quietly restored TO
her, employ all her own power and the
auxiliary force of France to wrest it from
the hands of the American government.
he accommodation of the minds Of the
French and Spanish inhabitants to the A.
merican political and judicial system,
was thus obs dcted. The partizans of
France and Spain among them, were en-
Outraged in their views, and embroidered
IN their designs. The hopes of those who
had enjoyed lucrative privileges under
the Spanish government were revived.
An idea, strange and inadmisSibIe, as it
involved a ruinous departure from prima-
ry federa;ve principles, was early sug.
gested by their malcvolcnt ingenuity
That the agreement by which Louisiana
was coded had been violated and annuled
on thepart Of the United States inasmuch
as it required the immediate admission OF
the whole coded country into The federal
union, " one sovereign co-staie, which adj
mission had been refused by Congress
A pretension involving the'absurd conse-
quence of a state equal in territory otwen-
ty others. and using language different
from all the rest: apparently embracing
besides the AagitioGs scheme of engros-
sing 10 the state government the whole
unappropriated lands of the territory pur.
c, NIased, and their robbing the United
State, of the fund destined to discharge
the debt assumed. Discomfort, clamors,
disrespea tor American authorities,
breaches of ,hc peace, quickly followed.
Al length aegre s,sions oil lawless parties
took place upon th,, territories of the Omit
ed States, within tn boundary establish.
ed by the treaty wi:LN Spain oil t195, OF
in the parts which we,re reiinqui&hed by
her upon the evacuation oi Nrw-Orieanss
AT last it became necessary 70 command
the departure olihe Spanish otncers from
the American territory, and o. ~ders were
accordinglyissuedio that efie9 by ,Nhe exc
cutive Of the u. S. some time durin. tue
last summer. Those orders were re..Sc'
family and tardily obeyed, and still farthe,'
troublesome and irritating circumstances
have since arisen from the i'll hunor pro
duced by them. All these unpleasant oc-
cuFrences might wsh some justice be at
tributed 10 the nin,Icai policy of Spaio,
and each served TO swell the account of
grievances, and 10 increase the indignant
on against her. In addition heavy duties
were exaeted at Mobile from American
vessels on their passage out & in, to Fort
Stoddert, and the settlements on the
Tombigbee. Even the military stores Of
the y. States, for the supply of the gar
risons in that quarter, were made subject
60 this exaelton.
The asperity of these circumstances
was in some degree, softened Immediate
Iy before the meeting of Congress, by a
voluntary offer on the part OF Spain to
assume payment of the Spanish spoliati.
ons, if the United States would agree to
relinquish all claim for those committed
by French subjects within her jurisdicti-
on. Some mitigation too proceeded from
a spontaneous order TO her cruizers TO
respe6 cur flag wherever it might be met,
and TO her courts, to observe scrupulous-
Iy that principle of the treaty between the
TWO nations, which protects from seizure
the property of enemies Oil board the
ships of either.
In this state the legislature found The
relations Of the United States with Spain.
The plan recommended by the selet,
committee Of the House OF Representa-
tives, TO which was referred that part oil
the message of the President, was sim.
ply the augmentation of the army, in or
der to enable the Executive, to repei and
to cbasiize the aggressions OF Spain. Ii
was afterwards acknowledged that an adj.
dilIon OF four thousand men was conlem
plated. The supporters of this proposti.
on considered the aggressions which
had been committed ~ more serious
light than The House in general was dis
posed 10 do. The majority looked on
them rather as instances Of riotcus con
du6l--incideot to an approaching or re-
cent change of jurisdiction, than as aelu-
81 hostiliies, OF eysn as serious national
-. Il l.. r.