The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-09-02

| ly forborue to recommend this pacific mode OF
| a1infmen', but that the whole complexion of
| his meiiage went to enforcing " manly and vi
| gorous meafures" I" From the official com.
| municatoss-from the face of the record, Gays
| Mr.. Randolph to the fecretary of the treafury)
| 1t would appear, that the executive had diff
charged his duty in recommending manly and
vigorous mealures, which he had been Obliged
TO abandon, and compelled by congrefs to pur-
fue an oooodte eourje, when, in fact, congrefs it
fslf had been atting all the while at executive in
| tigaton." The chairman further obfcrved,
&C that he did not underfand this doubLe /et of
opinions and principles. 1.-The afTertion of Mr..
Randolph is mott explicitly and peremptorily
| denied.
| In what part of the official communications
does Mr.. Randolph difcover this uncontrouably
hottie fpirit ofthe executive fpirit, that
at war with any pacific adiufment of our differ
| ences ? fpirit, that would not have deigned
| 10 propofe the purchafe Of the Floridas Re-
fer to the public or the private mefiages of the
prehdent we demand where is this profened
manifestation of hoftilities.
! Decus has with no little ingenuity quoted
| fuch parts only of the public meHtge, as breath
ed &" manly and vigorous" fentncnt. Why
did he not go further? Why not ALTO have
thrown into inverted commas aud italics every
other part which breathed the language of
| peace! The reafon is, that the very next para
graph OF the meTage would have overthrow
| his proud air-buiIt catIes.
! -" In reviewing thefr injuries from fome of
| the belgerent powers, the moderation, the
hrmnefs and the wifdom of the Legislature will
all be called into acton. We ought fiNfo bobe,
that time and more correct Ultimate OF intereit
as well as of character, zvW broauee tbe jufiee
we are bound to expeet"--'sSome of thefe in
iuries may perhaps admit pedeeabie remedy"
Is there here difPlayed no fen.ment of peace !?
No hope of admitting orr differences No
with to attempt it by negotiation Mutt the
man who holds this kind Of language, be necef-
fairly accufed of tnconiiftency, of maintaining
a double /et Of opinions and principles, fhoud he
he at the fame moment inclined towards
pcaceabe purchafe {? Are negotiations for
! peace and preparations for war altogether in
compatible? While we hold out the olive
branch, may we not fbarpen the fword Or
mutt the man, who maintains the corhtency
ot thete two meafurcs, he charged with holding
a contradictory courCe
! . lie. refer to the Geret ,qe0aqe, that
trim ,hant f,nrre of cerrclc.:c.. ~ .::;:,,:-
rity, and what does tbat tell us? Does thai
breathe nothing but the language of military
defiance Is there not a Jingle" hinge, or loop,
TO hang doubt on" of the peaceable dnpo-
iition of the prefdcnt? But analyze take to
| pieces this muoh-agitated, this nluch-abufed
meiiage try II in the fevereit crucibe of cr-
ticltn and Ice OF what materials it is competed.
| The whole of the mellage contains but fve
paragraphs. The 1T. points out the fources of
our differences with Spain, as alto the difpoi-
ton manifeted by her, up to the period of fend-
! ing 9" fpccial mfion:" The 3D. declares the
unfavourable refut of this negotiation, the new
| iteps which Spain had fubfequently taken, aud
the defeniive fyfem which the Prefident bad
determined to purfue, with the constitutional
| means in his hands The 81. touches on the
Daft and iprobabe policyof France: The 4th
for the frf time difclofes the general coucluons
of the Executive thefe facts, & the Iaft para
graph confults congrefs as TO the courje to be
! purfued and demands the neceif'ary ,uean5
| What then is the very pith and contribution of
| this mellage? That the three frlt long para
graphs are mere bi9Ory of the facts, which
have occurred, interpreted with one or two
! hmp'e differences asto the courfe which Spain
might puriue facts, not one of which ihuts out
the idea of Peaceable compromiie and that
in one ihort paragraph alone, does the pref
dent "recommend to their confleration' a
| eoWI. 70 be purified. And what cour.. is that
Does it breathe nothing but manly andivigorous
meatures? Let us refer to the paragraph itfelf
for a satisfactory anfwer. We quote the one
before it, as being neceiiary to the understanding
of the word filch."
| "OT the contrary, we have reafon to believe
that fhe (FraneeJ was difpofrd to effect fet-
| tlement on plan analogous to what our mini
tiers had rropofed, and 70 comprehensive as to
remove as far as poi1ibe the grounds of future
colliiion and controversy on the eaftcrn Us we'll
rs weitern ide of the MifiiIippi.
"Tbe brejent crifs in Europe is f4voraBLs for
brfIfng ./isrb /eftIemenf, and not a moment
RoQd be Iof in aUaiiing oqrfir,fs Of it. Should
it PAS n1impr0Ued, our .ftHatiou qvoniH became
much mare difficult. Formal war is not necelfa-
ry, 1t is not probable that it will follow but
the protection of our citizens, the fpirt and ho-
nor of our country require that force ihould be
interpreted in certain degree. II zvW 5rO6a6,
contribute 10 advauee THE abjef ofbeace.''
| Can any one doubt, that the man who held
this language was the friend of negotiation /,
a negotiation, which in the prcfent criiis in
! Europe mould be Immediately preiTed !,
! But it may be faid that certain degree Of
! force was to be interpreted, and how can this
meafure be reconcilsd to the negotiation for
peace? Of what fpecies, however, was this
forceto be? 1t was no regular army to wage an Of
fenilve war againit Spain becaufe the preiident
expressly obfcrvcs, that (" formal war is not
necefary; it is improbable that it will follow. :"
/ The prelident only appealed to congreGs for
military means " which it belongs to conyreCs
excludyeIy to yield or deny" His own conai-
tutiooal powers were limited He was with
out power to encreafe the regular army by new
enliltneBts. He had not even at that moment the
means to Call out the militia Of the country /: