The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-10-28

eSiuivaient toi the Ripulated price. Mr.. j. RAN
dolph, notwithstanding all his late imprefIions
againit the administration, repeatedly declared,
on the floor OF Congrefs, at the aft Sefiion, that
the Deita of New Orleans alone was amply
worth the price of the whole; a declaration,
which was generally acknowledged to be ftrief-
Iiyjnf, and which vii! readily be aHented to by
every political calculator, who takes, as the
balls OF his calculation, the eftabliihei fact,
that the revenue collected at that Jingle cuftom
houie already amounts TO three hundred thou
land dollars year, the annual iuterea of five
millions, one this! of the whole purchafe
money. The ihcreafe Of this public income
will be proportiohate to The increaie of impor-
tations for the fupply of the inhabitants of all
the immenfe and yet unpeopied regions border
ing on the Miihliippi and it's tributary ffrea,ns.
But although thus highly beneficial, the Loui-
mana treaty was attended with fome embarrafi,
ments. From want of geographical certain-
| ty, the boundaries were hot well defined. Be-
ldes controversy, on the wefcrn Eide ofth
| river, respecting the line of divifion between
Iouiiiana and Mexico, there is, on the eaaern
iide, the interfering claim above deicribed, which
.the ground of this objection The validity
OF our title to Louifana tfelf is not difputed.
The diipute reipe6ts it's extent alone. On that
point there IS fome doubt; and our government
have forborne to take poi1efiion of the contro
verted tract. In this fate of things an offer to
Purchaie, tor an equitable price to be mutually
agreed on, the Spanifh territories, eatward of
the MriilfPpi, indefinitely, without previous
| aicettainment OF the true line of partition,
could not operate AS furrcRder of any claim
on our part, or prejudice our pretcnlions, in
Gale OF a rejection of our propofal. BY an ac-
cePtance or the offer, the point in difpute would
oe waved with mutual content, and without
any diihonourable conceflion on either fi,le.
/ nrNr~ r. - L
patioie with true national honor, than A refer
ence of the qrefion to commif1ioners as in the
Gale or the difputed eaGern boundary of the u.
,. which, under our Britilh treaty of 1894, was
iuomltted TO board of commiffioners, who
awarded TO q. Is. the territory between the
TWO rivers respectively claimed as the true ST.
Srox. The fame ground of objection in reali-
~ eSiited in the Louihana cafe The object
OF that appropriation, as defined in the report
| ora committee, and adopted by the houie, WAS,
| TO enable the executive TO commence, with
| more enect, negotiation with the French and
SpanIih governments, relative to the purchafe
from them ofthe illand of New Orleans and the
provinces of EAT and Wet Florida. Florida.
which was one of the objects of that appropria
| .'on, could not then be acquired, but New Or
leans was, together with the whole province of
Louiiiana, OF which it was part. Such an ac-
| quif1tlon, lot New-Orlcaps, rs was contemplat
ed and efected,) including all territorial rights,
neceiiar1ly comprehended, among Others, the
night OF Depollt, which we claimed by virtue of
| former treaty, but which was withhoIden
from us. The objettor did not, on that ac-
count, then view an offer to purchafe New Or.
irans, as a compromtment of the national hon
or or iurrender of our pretenlions TO the in.
terrupted right of depoiit. On that occaGon
think he Judged correctly; and in both cafes.
Congreis rightly conhdered the ooje stinn ra.her
as a punctllio, than fold reaion apainft the
meaiure.
| An objection Fillmore punGtous, if poiIible.
was, that it might give offence to G.. B. as vio
lation ofneutrality. But, it is not eafy for me
to conceive how payment of money TO one
begerent, for the fair pure haze of land forour
own uie, could interfere with our neutral obi
CATION, any more than to pay money for exit
ing debts, or the purchafe of merchandise.
which has never been confidered, in theory or
practice, incoDiiNent with A neutral character.
The fcrupulous decy of the obietfor, on the
fcore OF neutrality, was cxercifed only towards
one of the belligerents. notwithstanding his
exertons TO convince the Houfe that our paving
money to France or Spain for bona fide our
chaie OF territory would violate our neutral du-
ty, he appeared willing 10 make important ia
crlfces OF the rights of our feamen and COM
merce to G.. B. becaufe ihe was ftruggling for
her exiftencc and fighting the BATTLES of the
world. On that ide he difcoyered no fuch de-
lcate fcruples about neutrality.
But, laid the fame obje6tor, if Great-Britan
Mould not confidcr it breach of our neutrali-
ty, " it mutt inipire her with contempt for a.
ny attitude of reifance which we may aiTume
towards herr" for flie would view it, as he
did, puallanimous and dfgraceful Thinking
from national honor and defence. The mea.
iure propofed, as a fubRitutc, was contained
in the following refoution, reported by com.
mttee, OF which Mr.. ]. Randolph was chair
man.
"Relofvtd, that fuch number of troops mot
exceeding as the PRECEDENT of the Uni
ted States fhal deem fufficient to broteg the
iouthern frontiers of the United States from
SPaniih inroad and iniuit, and to ebaRie the
fame, be Immediately rafed.''
OF this proportion MIR. r. was the mover
and principal supporter. The refolution not
being adopted by the Houfe, the blank was ne
yer filed so that the number of the new troops,
If majority had been in favor of rafting them,
was not determined. Five thonfand was men.
toned, but it was not formally difcuGed or
moved, and whether that, or larger or
imalIer number, would have been the limit, 10
| uncertain. The purpofes for which this addi-
tional army was to be RATED, were the brotee.
ton Of the frontiers from inroad and infult, and
the eb1RDet1ent of the fame The former was
only defenlive; the latter appeared to the op
pofers of the refolution to imply fomething
more than mere defSaee. To ebaRie the Spa
niards for inroad aHd infult, was thought 10
import o9e7ifve operations. Although ftIch an
intention VyaR difcl med h,, Oh. r.;