The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-04-18

n'eans or other, already been divued, and therefore
1t ought to be formally publiihed. And perhaps a
with to countera9 the unfounded fuggefons that the
majority were afraid and ahamed have the people
know what they had been doing in fecret, was not
without IFS influence. AT any rate fuiicient num-
Der OF the friends of he propoed purchafe joined in
the vote to give majority. And the journal is now
before the public. What effe9 its publication may
have upon the negotiation and what will be the final
Hue ct the meaiure mu be left be decided by the
event. In the time, it is confidently believed
an intelligent public, notwithstanding any efforts to
miilead them, will be Eatisied, that the Object of
this pacific policy is highly beneficial and important.
Let us now reverfe the medal.
Extra7 cfa letter TO the Editor, from q member
Of Congress.
II. of r. HbrH IL, 1906.
You will ohferve, in the National Intelligent
Ger OF this day, &c eommunication' on the fnb-
ieet of the Iecret proceedings Of Congre6"-
i''d by the editor of that paper, to have been
written by a member of this Houfe. Many of
theie itatements are extremely uncandid, for@e
a3(oiqfely faJf. There was no intention exprefr-
ed, or Otis helieved) entertained by any per.
ion on this floor of invading the poiIefiions of
Spain, of acting offenIiveIy againf her. In the
cafe ofthe obtrueted navigation of the MifliiIip-
pI, three years ago, negotiation had not been
tried; the mifconduct ofthe Spanih officer at
N. Orleans, was then defined and expref1ed
toy this government to be unauthorized by the
court of Madrid.--Rere it was avowed the fair
experiment of negotiation had been tried and
diigracefully failed; every propoiition for ac-
commodation being infolently reieSted-Spain
was collecting troops at the Havannah and pour
ing them into Penfacola flle was ALTO aGem-
bling forces on the eafern frontier of New
Mexico. (The fecretary of wars letter to the
cor \ Tha ho.+ So
called Spain ia the defence of her own w. In
dian poi4efiions forbade the weakening of the
Havannah, and effe6tually fopped all offenlive
operations on her part.
The conduct which France might find her
felf compelled to take in confeuuence of her
compacts' with Spain, was not the ouenion
under confederation. 1t was that France was
the inftgator and flmentcr of the mitchell. that
The threw every difficulty in the way of terri
toriai adjuftment OF differences between the u.
States and Spain, mode of accommodation
mutually advantageous and convenient to the
parties, in order to compel them into ,,onied
accommodation, fnitabe TO neither, for her
etpecia benefit. 1t is well underfood that the
money was for her.
Thefe ftatemens will hereafter he fully flb-
ftantiated.-Let not falle glofs and coloring he
given to national proceedings. Let not the
prefs, which ihouId furniih the daily bread of
free governments, vend only poifons for their
Geltrudion.
This letter, tho pthy, is uncommonlv preg-
nant with information, and fpeakng as it does
from official documents, it is entitled to the
mott refpectful confederation. 1t contains fome
facts which are not yet generally known
That negotiation has already been tried by our
government:
That this negotiation had dlSracetaYy failed
That it had embraced different bropoffious for
accommodation
And that every one had been infolently rejected.
1t does not appear II ON the words Of this let
ter, whether our own executive had it)slf come
forward with the propofition TO purchaie the
Floridas, or whether this propoition had CONC
originally from Spain. Nor does it appear, at
yvbat time this propolition by whatfoever natl
on hrf made, whether by Spain or the United
States, was communicated to Congrefs whe-
Their before or after the report ofthe fecret con-
mittee was made. From Mir. Randolph's
rpeech on the 5th of April, it would feem that
no fuch idea was advanced in the Preiident',
nefage of the 9Th of December, and that of
rourie the report of the fecret committee was
made up, without any official means of decid-
ing whether iuch proportion for accommoda-
lion would be attended with fucceis. 1t is Rill
too a fecret, ut zvbat time France made that
h'Nat w l'll'ltC WHICH W.T.. Gay alluded
to on the 5th of April, on zy5at location it was
made, and in zVbat manner it was intended. TO
bring about a monied accommodation for the fpe
cial benefit of France. But from this letter too
it appears
That the money qVaJ intended for her:
And that Spain was collecting troops at the
HayaDnah, and on the Rafern Frontier of
New Mexico, either to accelerate the period
of this moGed accommodation by holding
out the fhew of hoitilitv, or to prevent our
own troops from occupying the contened
territory.
The battle of Trafalgar difFipated this riling
form. So fays at leait the writer fthis letter.
With theie imperfect explanations, we may
reduce our relations with Spain to very finn
pie cafe
Spain and France are two nations, who oggbf
to he, but are not, independent of each other.
The hhory of Europe, for the Iah FIX wears,
proves that Spain is fcarcely more than the
vaflaI of France. 1t was owing to this domi
neerng influence, that Bonaparte obtained
bouiiana for a petty indemnity in the North
of Italy. 1t is owing to this, that Spain has
been impreiled into the two lait wars of France.
without Jingle Object in view that her flps
have been beaten at Trafalgar and her Peruvian
creatures diilipated. 1t is owing to this, that
the cabinet of Madrid has bten literally trauf-
fSrrPd N Daric ter i,f, -.