Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-05-14

| found ready 10 withdiaw that wei placed cona-
dencr from tie head of department who has been
denounced in ibis baele. 1t VIII aPPssr too
/ who have taken fnra{nres calculated 10 ohufD
tho peace O: the union, and 10 Preeace az alarm
OF danger fer ehien there is no fouadstion. 1
leIemnly win that net emily the insazge OF rhs
preGaent, but every document, ard every word
uttered in ferret might be made known 70 the
people, I with il, becsafe l think II wonia not
then be practicable to impofe on The nation ty a
eoofing si7ea to shofc proceedings, unauthorized
by the fs6s that so:k place.
| will state TO the house while an up,
Il that voted against increasing the army,
because believed thar no emergency ex-
listed to require il. 1 saw no call Tor II,
either in the information contained IN tHe
public message, or In The other cenmuni'
cations made TO this house In the public
message we were told that congress would,
in the course a the session, be enabled 70.
determine whether il would brnrcessary
to increase our land force, by the events
which would probably take place. no
events had taken place when The measure
10 question was before che house that chang
ed the former state Of things. L was also
nv opinion that we ought cot, oa every
trivial occasion, 70 Increase CUR present
military establishments, and abandon the.
ground we had taken, OF reducing the
number of our regular forces: acting on
the principle ttat standing Armies are Dan
geroiis to- liberty, aad arc the most fatal
scourge in The haads OF 40 asuFPsr or a
desper. On this grouad | have been al
ways opposed to them, and ever shall be
unless an extraordinary emergency should
render it Indispensable TO resors TO shrai'
ivas of opinion that even on az emergsc-
cy the militia were, in the hrst 'nsispee, to
De rcssrted to, nat:only asthe constitution.
al, but as the most Competent and safe de.
fence that we could provide. ! knew OF
no reason why we should think them nas
competent, as We have always heretofore
found them TO be so. For these reasons,
amongst others, was opposed to an IN.
creass of the army. was alss induced
10 be Of this opinion from the Documents
on your table, from which II did not appear
to- me that Spain had aay serious iotent'on
TO commit hostllities against the u. States
or tia. her government or commanding
officers had authorised any, IN the terr.tofy
Of which we aauFtaEea possession. nr
Inconvenience with regard 10 our uadehn
ed limits, and the embaTrssssachts attend.
ing the passage Of cur commerce down
the Mobile, together with the necessity
OF having those other differences existing
between us and Spain amicably adjusted,
induced me TO vote for the principal Raea.
sure adopted by this house with closed
doors. / voted, air; for the appropriation
Of two millions of dollars, 30 au!horise
the executive to negotiate with SPAN tor
the purchase of the Fioyldas. In doing SO
I Gie. NOT authorize the government 20
.brlbc France, to ccerce Spain into this
measure, nor do4 believe that there is the
least ground for any such allegasioa with
regard TO any member Of this house. No,
sir, our object was 10 obtain fair purchase
of the Fioridas. We. believed II lnlpsrt.
antfo acquire .thea,, because the atqalsl-l
ton would connect our disjeietsd territory
would give us the command qt aa ez.
sensive sea coast, including the outlets Of
many large rivera and some good ha!bers,
and free us from The Inconvenlences 70
which we were exposed 10y neghbors whe|
were likeyte become more and more tr0u.
blesome. 10 the vote gave consenpiz;.
ed the measure so~be carried into eject en-
ly IN a just and legal manner, BY lair Par
chase. know no other way IN which
territory can BE- acquired, consistent with
common righa aoa principle. twas init.
mated, it. is true. TO Us, that /, would DC
easy to take possession Of this country by
force, and that it would be always 10 oar
power 60 take it, whenever We should wash
to become the owners of it ;.aut-for one,
disclaim ali. disposition to wrsst thar eoun-