Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-05-13
TUE S d II r, mar Is, 1906.

foreign power shall hereafter be of such
nature as to justify retaliation, VIC stailhaye
our hands the means of resorting to it, in
! OF infieiing fatal vengeance. Should
the property of our citizens be attacked
oy violence, our hardy yeomen, enured to
.oi ana danger, will, al moments warn.
ing, repulsc the assailants. Can the go
yernpent of Spain say the same thing
Is not every possession she holds vulne.
lraoie, and are not the seeds of dissolution
sowed IN all her institutions! Let us then
patiently, though confidently wait for e..
[ vents and not rcsort to extreme measures
III necessity not less than justice shall
demand them. BY pursuing this course
we shall follow the advice, so empha,i.
caliy given us in the memorable REPORT
oil 1908. In the language Of that report
we may say, 'sThe great question, sc.
| See 10: forGg'raah in end. coixmn.l
Events OF subsequent occurrence have
iniiy justified the opinions expressed in
I'VE foregoing report, by proving tina, so
long as this country shall he held by
| foreign government, The free'passage OF
me streams that empty themselves into
the guilt VIII be obstrueted, rs lis sense OF
interest however mistaken, shall dictate.
There Is one consideration whcb demon
strates the business of the opinion of the
committee that this country, at least SO
tar as,respects the free navigation Of its
greal streams, must be ours either By
purchase or force. Such will be the vast
| mass oil interest at stake, and dependent
on Their Tree passage, when the populal-
on OF the western country shall have
reached bu, small stage Of that cxlensi.
on TO which it is rapidly progressing, that
no power possessed by The government Of
The y. .. or by any foreign nation, can
restrain the people from availing them
selves ct what they will deem, their ma
'nrai rights and hence, if the enjoy
! ment OF these cannot be acquired by a.
nncable arrangements, they will inev,a.
bly, DC got by the exertion Of physical
| power.
!, is the province of wise government,
10 toresee events sDch as these, end TO a..
vert evils instead OF waiting for their ar
rival.
II was on The basis of this report, and
the resolution iterecommeaded, that the
purchase Of Louisiana was made.
This measure has passed the ordeal of
| investigation, and has been sanctioned bv
a vast majority Of the nation. IF il was
correct, can measure then right be no7p
wrong for tho the negotiation tina, ensu,
Cd issued 10 the purchase of Louisiana,
he whole tenor of the report shows that
! Inc real o6}ees was the purchase Of the Flo
Tidas.
Let US very conciseIy compare the cir
tcumstances attending the appropriation
in 1903, and those attending The apnro.
praiion III 1906, TO determine whether
they are or are not sufficiently alike TO
justify the conclusion that if the frs, an
ProPrintion was correct, so likewise is the
! last.
In 1909 an undisputed right, a rich,
actually possessed, was violated under Cir.
cunistanees of peculiar ageraya,icn. An
important right was taken from us, which
we actually enjoyed. This was, there.
lore, an act of perfeG hostility, and we
should have 5sen justified, 20 far as re,a.
led TO Spain, in applying force 10 force.
| hut true TO ourselves, and paying less re-
gard TO the usages Of the other ns,ions
than 10 our own interests, we determined
| to negociaie-----ior what? For the pur.
c''S"S VI VIC iotiuHSJ ana Iie7U Cried1IS.
We then considered it no violation of ma.
tionai honor, though undoubied right to
deposit was violated, to negotiate for
remedying This evil in connection 7vitf the
containing another IMPORTANT acquisition.
just so in the present instance. Spain
bad invaded our territorial riphts-bad
kept possession Of what we deemed oye.
had violated wha; she acknoSuledeed to h.
0nr'. For the redressing these evils, for
the ascertaining disputed boundaries, for
the amlcabIe adjustment of differences.
we say to Spain, we offer you certain
sum OF money for the undisturbsd eniov.
I ment OF what we consider ourselves ,yo5t.
lJtIy entitled 10, in CONNECTION Nth onoIbs,.
inlfiorfa"f acquisition. Agree 10 bounda-
| W to the north, and cede TO us The Flor.
das, not merely West Florida, already in
dispute between us, but both the Fiori.
das' and we will pay you proper price
for them. fON
90 tar the cases run parallel. In both
we ask to be secured in an invaded righ,.
and negotiate for the acquisition of rew
rights, on the payment of a stipulated
sum OF money.
Other differences, il is true, exist at