The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-05-13

| called loudly for fome efficient meafures on the
! part OF the government-for taking againn
| SPAN, 1t not hottie, at leaf defenhve poi.
ture and will undertake to fay that nothing
which has occurred la fecret tended to iucul.
cate the propriety of different COURT; nor
could there be any thing, fot the one meflgc
! 10 quickly followed the other, rs not to allow
tune Tor any intervening circumstances. What
followed? y report of 4 committee Rating the
aggreihons OF this power to I've of a mot afro
c'ous n 'ture ! not recon nendiug a war 10 check
the riIing growth and PROPERTY of the country,
but recommending that a certain number of
troops thould be RATED at the difcretioa OF the
PRECEDENT Of the U. S. TO repel the infuts that
might be offered, and to cha1ife thofe who Of
tered them. This meafure appeared to be pro-
per in itielf, and 1t appeared likewiie to be re-
commended by the tenor of the meliage. II
appeared to be the more necehary, rs we had
information Of the collecting of a confederate
force IN the provinces of Spain and At Penfico-
Ia. For theie reaf,ns it appeared TO me delira-
BILE that fuch a force ihou!d be RATED as the Pre-
hdent might deem necehary.- This was not
Creating Handing army-The number Of
troops to be RATED to be left entirely to his
direction. The refolutloa propofed is as fol-
lows:
Re/oiOed, That futh number Of troops not
ex ceding as the
PRECEDENT of the u s. flsll deem fuficient to
protect the fouthern frontiers of the u. S. from
Spa'ih inroad and ilfult, and to chaftife the
fame, be Immediately RATED.
It has been ailed2ed that the militia would
have been competent 20 defend the frontier.
Bat this could not prevail on me to abandon the
uleature, as could not think it proper that the
militia, even IT competent, ihou!d be forced
out into 20 unhealthy frryice. The rclulution
& embraced no other idea but that the itauding
force in that quarter fhould be strengthened. !
coaH!erei this iafe and proper, to make pro-
vihon for afes which might arife. could not
believe that thc militia would be competent to
defend the country. They are too remotely
titnated, and the country too fckly and the
only juit calculation was that they would have
found their graves there. 1t was not contend
ed that large army was necrf'uv: but that it
would he reGuiiite, in cafe the Spiniih troops
Mould bc hyperion to ours, to ralIe few re-
crlits.
Ihsie are the reafnns that induced ne 10 vote
for the ret@iuton. had others. We were in
formed Of the neceliity of having additional land
batteries, ot putting our ports aad harhors in a
Rate Of defence, and Of budius an additional
number of gun boats. If thefe meafurcs were
carried into effett, thought, as militia would
not he Competent to theie Objects, it would be
reGuhte to have All addition made to onr
troops. Under all theic circunit anccs was in
yAvor Of empowering the PRECEDENT to raife
mail nunhe. of troops. But while | was in
favor OF this meafn'e, / was as trongly oppof-
ed, AZ aa? Gan ~ this door, 20 any thing like
large BANDING army, ] vii! never content to
iuch a meafure wIthort an urgent neceGity for
it.
l was oppoied to the nj -si;!re adopted by the
Ronfe on many grounds. II appeared by the
report OF the iecretary Of the ,reainry hst there
was not in the treafury more than iuroIu- mil
hon of dollars. ] coufderrd it impropl., when
we were threatened from every quarter, t. "a,
A magic hand on the two millions appropriated,
to anticipate the receipts OF revenue by million
OF dollars, aud thus draio the treafury when mo-
ney might ioon be wanted for the mclt urgent
purpoics.
was oppofed to it or other ground. It did
not appear for what purpoie it was 10 be appli-
ed /: is true, | heard one gentleman fay il was
in correspondence with the fecret wiiiles of the
Prtiident, hnt could pay no regard to that de-
clara!ion. We had before US no communities
ton, either public or private, which declared
that 1t was either with Spain or France that the
negotiation was O be carried on. Nor had we
any reaion for entertaining the idea that the two
millions, whether they are gone or not, would
make one farthing difference. Ii was neceiTary
for me, voting on this occdhon, 10 fee the ne
GETTY and propriety of the meafure. We had
UGH LO'h J" tHC hShtSc OF lHc ITSHiCUt that
the negotiation with Spain had cone to an iTus.
and that that iliue was not favorable. But we
lad received an intimation that Spain was dif.
poGsd to adiut her differences with us refpest-
ing boundaries. We had, on the contrary, DIFF
terent information. Neither had we any in,i-
nation that the contemplated negoci1'ion
would be agreeable to Spain, or to the Preiiieat
of the U. S. Was it then proper for the Hour.
or myfeIfto vote for approPriating 80 ~ "ops
OF dollars for the Lord knows what, when il
neither appeared from any commua- aGon from
the PRECEDENT, OF from any other official fource,
10 he Jehrahle. IF VIC D al rod fuch an intima
ton from tbe PreGd.nt, vh5t fecurity was there
that the uesoc On would have been made
and am inclined - believe that | lhouId have
beer oppo':d n is having been entered upon.
What gave rife C. the fra purchaGe? The right
&C depodt hipulated by treaty to us had been
refuicd. 1t is we'll known that comfortable
number of vefIes came down the MfiGipDi.
which from their pecoliar c1uRructio1 could
not reach the Ocean-sud thence refited the
necefity of place of dcpse The refur4I of
that right tirft gave rife to the iIsa IF pur-
chae. We got poletion of JeR-Dneans and
of the river, and found onrfeye5 sifo DoT.Gsd
Of "trip Of land on the other lide Of 30, at raw
ing thought we had purchafed Wee nri4--