Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-12-05
Pesi:aieat;s Message.


! D,1rni1e TO civs re zghole ofkle PRESI-
DENTS MESSAGE, 81 hu6ish on al
! street Of thoSe horts. Svhtch ahhedr 70 be
| IRE most interesting TIE Message en-
tire sTN be Sivea in or mers.
The DELAYS which have taken place in
cur negotiations with the British govern
ment. appear to have proceeded from eau
ses which do not forbid the expectation that
during the course of the session MAJ be
enabled to lay before YOU their final issue.
| What will be that Of the negotiations for
| settling our differences with Spain, no
thing which had taken place at tie date of
the last dispatches, enables me 20 prcncurce.
| A proposition has been lately made by
cur commander in chief, to assume the Sa-
| hine river as q tcmporary line of separate
on between the troops ofthe two nations un-
! til the issue of cur negotiations shall be
known this has, been referred by the Spa
rish commandant to his superior, and in
! the mean time he has wirh,lrlwn his force
to the Western side Of the Sabine river
Having received Information that in "a
mother part of the u. s. a great number of
private indivisls were combining together,
! crnling and organi ling themselves contrary
IN law, to carry on military expedition
| against the territories OF Spain, Thought
it necessary by proclamation as well as by
| special orders, to take measures for pre-
venting and suppressing this enterprise,
| for Selling the vessels. arms and other
means provided orit, and for arrcsting and
! bringing 20 Justice its authors ana abettors
II was due TO that good filth which ought
ever To be the rule OF action, in public as
well as in private transactions ; it was due
! to good order and regular government that,
while the public force was acting strictly ON
the defensive, and merely to protect cur
| citizens from aggression. the criminal at
! tempts Of private individuals to decide for
their sountrv. the question ofpeace or war,
! by commencing active and unauthorized
hostiltics, should be promptly and eEicaci-
ousiy suppressed.
Whether it viii be necessary to enlarge
| orr REGULAR force, viii depend on the result
Of our negotiations win spain. Bur as IL
is uncertain whenthat result will be known,
the provisional measures requisite for tia
( and 20 meet any pressure, intervening in
/ that quarter, will be a subject for your ear
! ly consideration.
| Il, country whose constitution is der,-
we'd from the viii OF The people, directly ex-
pressed by their free suli'eges, where the
principal executive funcc .onarics ana those
OF The legislature are renewed by them ~
/ short periods, where under Tie character
/ Of jurors, they exercise n person, the grcs,-
I test portion q the jndici try powers. where
! the laws are consequently so formed and
> administered rs TO bear with equal weight
I and favor on all, restr ininSno man III the
pursuits ofhonest industry, and securing TO
ever, one the property which that acquires,
il would not be su posed thai any SAFE, rtls
caud he needed rg inst RESURRECTION OF en-
tcrprizc on the public peace OF authority.
The laws however, aware that ihcsc should
not be trusred 70 moral rescra nrs Only,
have wisely provided punishment iOr these
| crimes when committed. But would II not
pc Saiutary 10 give aisn the me ms of pre-
venting their commission Where an en-
tcrprize is meditated by private indIvidu-
ais against foreign nation, iii ainity wlta
the u. ). powers ofprevention to a certain
extent, are given by the laws Would they
not be as reasonable and useful where the
enterprise preparing is against the u. S !
While adverting tothis branch the law, it
lis proper to observe that Ill enterprises me-
d tAtcd against foreign nations, the ordinary
process of binding 70 the observance o. the
peace and good behavior, could it be ex-
tended To acts 20 be done out fthe iurisd C.
ton OF the u. ). wou q be ef!ectual IN some
cases, where the offender is able to Keep
ont of sight every indication of his pur-
pose, which con Z draw on him the exer-
else of the pnwers nov given ~ law.
The states of the coast of Barbary seem
generally disposed at present to respect cur
peace and friendship. With Tuls alone
some uncertainty remains. Persuaded taat
it is our interest to maintain our peace with
them on equal terms, CT not at all, pro-
pose to send in due time a reinforcement
into the Mediterranean unless previous
information shall shew it to be unneccssa-
ry.
The receipts at the treasury during tho
year ending on the 30,h day of September
last, have amounted TO near fifteen milf
oas of dollars, which have enabled us after
nice ting the current demands, to pay two
millions seven hundred thousand dollars Of
the American claims, IL part Of the price
of Louisiana; to pay Of the funded debt
upw ards Of three millions Of principal and
nearly four Of interest, ard in add ion to
reimburse in the course Of The present
month, near two millions of FIVE and an
haE per cent. stock. These payments and
reimburSements o the funded debt, with
those whichhad been made in the fourycars
and On half preceding. will at the close OF
the prescntycar have eXtinguished upwards
o. twenty three millions of principai.
The duties composing the Mediterranean
fund viii cease by law at the end of the
!