The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-04-25


ed, itwasiad thar thefc were the fecres wifhes Of
the Preiident. To this we anfweved, fha, although
we were drPoied to treat with reipea the opinions
OF the Preident. when officially communicated, We.
eventhsn did conceive ourelves under any OBJ
legation to adopt them. We conGdered ourieves the
Representatives OF free and independent reople who
TENT US here 70 be governed, not by men, but BY
principles; and to yield obedience to nothing but the
convictions Of our own deliberate Judgment That
At the PRECEDENT had any opinion OH this fubiea o.
Their than thofe which he had communicated, thew
ought to form the fubjea Of another confide ntiaI
menage. And that if this fcheme for appropriatny
two millions towards an Object not fpecified, was
his, II was IN direSt contradiction to principle.
which he himlelf had recommended and enforced in
one OF his former melagcs. In his meage to the fe4
veuth Congress, he fays-" In our care too. Of the
public contributions entru.ted our direction il
would bepruder,t to multiply barriers aganit their
diihPstop, by approprating fpeci6c uns, to every
ipeehc purpoe fufcep.ible of definition: by dial
lowing all application of money, varying from the
appropriation in object, tranfcending it in a.
mount BY reducing the underlined field of contin-
gencies, and thereby eircumfcr,bng Discretionary
powers over money; By bringing back TO Jingle
department. all aeeountabies, where the exami-
" nation may be prompt eficacious, and uniform /"
How far tbs bill, appropria;ing two millions Of do.
lars towards an o5jet ipecied and giving at the
fame time discretionary power TO exceed that ap-
preparation, conforms to the excellent and truly re-
publican doctrine contained in the above extraa 7
fhall leave the public to Judge
Amongst other arguments in favor of specification,
mutt not omit the following that if this bu.inrls
was TO be kept iecret, (and rong effort was made
to the very a to conceal it) perifying the Object o
the appropriation, could do poible injury-whillt
would FIX the refpon6bility the PRECEDENT, where
It ought to BET That although had no difpoii,ion
to doubt for moment, the dlpoiton of that officer,
to apply the money in the way intended-yet that
law, aiid not confidence, was and ought forever to
be the rnie in all practicable cafes, under which we
fhould act towards him. The right to make appro-
priatons of money in fecret, alto daied as prac-
tiee calculated TO deftroy one Of the moR efficient
checks, which the people had over their repreIenta-
| tives-But the objection which appeared to us noa
important, and indeed in!uperabe, wasthe apparent
diigrace OF the propofed meafure. For whatever
might be fad, repeeng the policy of acquiring the
rloridas the advantage of which did not DENY
ye. the appropriation of money to buy them, under
exiting ereum1ances, mua, and would be conidered
as in the hghef degree pulllanimous and diigraceu
The true no'ives OF thoe gentlemen who were in IA
vor OF purchaiing the Floridas however pure they
| might be, could not be known Abroad bur would be
inferred from the known facts. Thefe facts mutt in.
evtably produce unfavorable inference, whether
1t was true not and the coneGuence to our country
would be fatal from this concluiion, ALTHOUGH i,
might happen to be fafe, iii fairly deducble
IRON the true motives OF thoie who Imported this
neaure. For had frequently been declared on the
| Hoor OF Congre!s, and none had denied it-that
France had threatened with war, if we came to a
rupture with Spain-that Span was not averfe TO an
accommodation OF our differences, but that France
would not iufer her to make it, unefs money was u
fed as the means of Precipitation: That Franc. had
iatimaed her Willingness interfere upon this condi
ton, and had given alurances, that Spain houd do
what wfhed on thefe teru,s Under tL.Ge cir
| rMnlt anrA dad 81,
were governed by fear Of France or really preferred
purchahng the FnrIdas, exchange of territory.
(Which was the only thing could content to Spain
| 1t money was thus appropriated, il would and mun
be underfood not only by France, bat by the world
as the efs4 of insimidaton-and that the necrfIary
eon!equence OF iuch belief abroad n,uR be tie en-
! tire Frofraton Of our national character Th. dav
AFTER this bill paiIed, which the 18th January
dispatches from mininer at London were FEM IL
US, which had been received before Chrinias Thefe
dPatches feveral members declared suld have chan
ged their VOTE if they had feen them in time-whit
others affirmed that they ferved to coufirm them in
the proprety of theirs.
From the above fatement, j. nuh be evident, what
connection concave tranfaeions (which were all
known to two at leaf of the foreign mnillers here
notwithstanding the injunction of fecrecy,) mad with
our proceedings towards GreatBritain The iulu.s
and the injuries of Spain to be me with money!
apparenty-if not in reality, given 10 France to pur
chafe her mediation. The infults and the in;,ris.
OF Great Britain, by commercial renra,on. esIsu-
lated, as thought ourfelves Unified in believing
(i Mr. Pitt had lived0 produce At lear an aggra-
walton OF thoie infults, and rjuries-f no, war Re
ffr;ctions too, which in their operations at home.
would amount, as we believed, almoh to total "a
crhee of the agricultural, the commercial interens
OF our country. Uniformity and coniileucy of con-
duct towards both nations necelary in order 70
produce any effea upon either, If the coercion of
Great Britain was to be attempted, our cendut4 to-
wards Spain (hould have been firm and decifve. But
admitting that had aied towards Spain as was
right, which can never he induced TO think couil-
teney required az lean fufpenun of our PROCEEDINGS
towards Great Britain, until we could hear the reiut
ST our minifers negotiation with her The fo!e OBJ
Jed OF which negociation was the redrers of thofe
very grievances, of which at prelent complained
have endeavored as eonciiey as pofIible, to give
you an Ineligible account of tranfacions with which
am ure it is both your incnation and your intereR
to be acquainted They luch, as have deiervedly
excited the public attention. than any other pro-
eeedings which have occurred in Congrefs for fome
time. And thought it duty, which owed, both
to you and mylelf, to juafy my conduct upon thefe
occailons as one of minority, whole opinions, and
whole motives had been mon grofsly miireprefented
The courie puraed towards SPAIN confidered, from,
! the circumstances already nated, as one which would
namp indelible dilgrace upon MY country, whe.
Il 81 -. 4