The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-04-11
CHE Gnqntrer.
RICHMOND, 18th APRIL.
SPANISH AFFAIRS.

SPANISH AFFAIRS.
The fecret Journals of Conercfs have 1T Iepptb
informed us OF the reGdt of their diicuiIion ::
rs little calculated to crafty our curiof,y.
1T: We are without thofe communication
from the executive depart ment, which led ia
me diicuiion and ihaped its courfe. The
Pref1dent's Mehage,, of the 9th of December.
OF the 18th of January, and the 9th of Fee.
hruary, detailing the fate Of our relations
win Europe, are not printed in the fecre,
Journals; though Mr.. Randolph has moved
for their publication.
2nd: We have loft the whole of the argu.
ments pronounced during their Zee ret conclsye
sra {: We have not even the names of thr
members who offered and feconded the diff
rent proportions. In this refpecf the Journals
OF CongTeis are kept in very different and
mucb !eis advantageous form, than thofc of the
virginia Legislature. On the face OF the latter
Is to be feen the name of every member who
makes or who teconds a motion: but the Jour
nails OF Conerefs generally give us the motion
itieifr without the names of its authors.
Perhaps it would be improper to fprcula.e
upon TINS tuhje6t, until we had at leaft all the
documents fully before US. We are Ignorant
Of the courtt, which our negotiation with
France and Spain has already purified we
Know not whether France has ATTEMPTED to
cheat us ont of part of Loufiana, made o..
yer to us according to the treaty of San Ide
pho"io, by having fecret article annexed
TO 1t Ioreifyine and eircumjfri5ing the boun-
DIARIES of I.ouifzna We know not the terms
OF compro1niie which have been refpeSt;velv
offered and rejected by our own government
and that of Spain whether Mr.. Jefferfon has
''ieo 10 negotiate fettIcmcnt of our differ
ences by an exchange or by a purchaE. of ter
c,.,h;- a b.->
which Spain required. We NUT know thief.
crcu'ntances, however, before we csn pro.
nounce with any kind of juEice upon the ref
peet've proportions laid before Congrefs.-I.e t
usthen reterve forming an opinion definitively
on theie points, until we have all the materials
fot forming correct one. Mean time we
can do little more than advance a few general
reflections upon the courfc OF the proceedings
wt'ch took place or the rneafures which were
adopted.
1t appears from the face of thefe Journals
Inat three different proportions were before
Congreis, in regard TO our difputed bounda-
RES: j he 1T. was the refoIution of the corn
In'ttee to raIic 'uch " a number of troops, NOT
exceeding - as the Prefdent fhall deem fnf.
tcicnt to protect the I5nfbern frontiers Of the
Unitcd states, from Spanih inroad and inr,,,
and to chafiife the fame"
The fecond was, to appropriate dollar.
"towards defraying the expence which NAV he
incurred IN the pHrrbaE of the Spanifh terrific.
RES, lying on the Atlantic ocean and gnlph of
Mexico, and eaitward of the MihiIippi."
he third was, that the mot advantageous
mole OF obtaining thefe territories is nv effect
ing an excbangr that is, by occurring " to Soain
an ample barrier on the fide of Mexico"
The refoluton of the committee is couched
in terms that will admit of fave contributions.
bY the touthern frontier of the II. Sites -
1iu the committee mean the frontier Of the ".
States. As it is aHmaliy fettled that which MIR.
Randolph denomiaated the " good old terrific
| tory of the United States" or did they mean
that " iouthern frontier" which we are f7id 70
have lately acquired between the MifiJiopi.
| and the Perdido? Tbcfe who recoIle6 the
hltory of the Kempers, lately feized in the
M'iiiiiipPi Territory, by 4 Spanh party from
| the touth Of that Hne and who Ar the fame time
recol'eet the frong Indignation, which fell
from Mr.. Randolph, the chairman Of this com.
mittee, when in his fpeech he touched upon
the outrages committed upon our domi.
| cI'e, will perhaps be willing TO adopt the
| hrit contribution. IT would follow from mi,
contribution, that the only ufe Of rafting theft
troops would be TO repel and to revenge out.
RACES hmilar to thofe which were committed
upon The Kempers. To thofe again who re-
collect the indiputable title which we Ceem &c
poiiefs to the territory between the MiniIipp
and the Perdido the long and unfuccefsfu ne
gocidtlon which we may have hitherto fup
ported with Spain on this very point, and m,
advantages which we fhould derive from
the actual poftflion of that territory, in caf
of war with hcr {; the latter contribution ma,
fem by far the mott pleufible. II was on
own opinion when we FRI looked AT the refo
luton. that the 6rit was the contribution in
tended ; and hence it was that we pronounc