The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-11-28

1dine of 1t by telling it TO our commflioners,
rather than endanger the pof1siIion of the coun-
try itfelf, by keeping it in their own hands I!
But there is another way, in which this event
may operate in favour of purchafe. The
whole force of Spain on this continent n,ould
be directed to the defence of her South Amc-
r'can colonies. She ihculd not divide her for
ces between them and the Fioridas and
thou!d The withdraw them from the latter,
Spain cannot but apprehend that they wosld at
once fall into our hands, in cafe of ho(tilitics
betwccR us.
Suppoic that we are not fortunate enough to
obtain the Floridas, for tevo Million of Dollars.
Shall we therefore declare to the Court of Ma
drid, " Thus far, and no farfber' will we 60 !,
Let it be admitted that the poGefiiou of the
Floridas is enential to the PROPERTY of the
Wcfern and Southern States. 1t is plain
If the Court Of Madrid will not give it in ex-
change for a part of LouGana, that peace
able purchate or Il war are the only expcdient,
for obtaining il. But the Court of Madrid
has already rejected the idea of territorial
adjuftment. What then? We mutt either
buy it or take it by force but not only fbat,
but expoie ourfelves to the riik of long and
calamitous guar with Spain, backed by the al
lied force OF France. Let us count then upon
the expenee of military equipment the lois
of character which we fhould fuitan by feiz-
ing upon a territory, which does not belong
TO us let US calculate too upon the di(tant dan
gers of partial difcontent and infiIrrccton A.
mong the yet UNTITLED French and Spanifh in
habitants of Louiiiana and into the other fcac,
let US cait the quantity of money which would
balance thefe Disadvantages. The true auefi-
on, in fact is. which is the cbsapeR, the E,f9,
the leait bloody, expedent, for acquiring
the Floridas?
Would not this climate place the value
of the Floridas at more than tzvo millions of
dollars ? Would tf1e or even eight millions be
more than equivalent TO the IaUingJ which we
lhou'd make, or the fubftantial adz,aytapes that
we fhould pmcbaf?
| Should we not even have the money iy our
treafury it would be to our interen to borroey
it, or to paw the debt in transferable Rock. II
would be infinitely betterto defer the entire pay
ment of our public debt, by adding to it a new
item, as was done in the cafe of the Louiliana
purchafe, than to abandon the Foridas or ac-
quire them only byw The debt itfelf would
ultimately be paid by the very thing for which
! it was contracted.
| One great objection to 4 Public debtis, that
1t impoies bnrtben upon an innocent boRerity
| Bnt potterity will never murmur at the burthen
of debt, when the gerry fame caufe which i'm
pofes ii has given them the means of relief
When prince commences a war, without any
Object but the qualification of his ambition,
without any end but the expenditure of the
blood and treaiure of his fubiesls his polte-
| rity have cauie 10 murGur at their burthens.
They are taxed to pay for gun powder which
has already evaporated into fmoke; or for the
pcndons of the folders while they are num-
sered with the dead. The debt till continues
to hang upon their fhoulders, without having
rtrntcu rngIe expeuent FOR ITS own redemp-
ton. Are fuch the consequences of creating
debt for the purchafe of vacant and unappro-
priated territory? And will reafonable heir
complain of the burthen of the debt, which
he derives from his father, when the fame
debt has furniihed him with the mott album
dant refources for its own redemption?
Give me hut another world to ftand up
on faid Archimedes " and I will move this
one" The Fcdsralifts OF New-Yort con-
ceive that they have now obtained this much
wiihed-for pivot, and that with their political
Lever they are about to overturn the prefent
administration.
In the Corporation Election of the Ctr of
New-York, the tedrrahR5 have obtained a ma
jorty in. tx out OF the nine wards. To any
party, but to one buried in the profound Gloom
of disappointment, this trRing affair would
have appeared but trihng victory 1t was
not the elevation of federal PreEdenk; of a
federal governor /; of a federal majority in the
Legislature of fate; it was not even the cleo
ton of federal member of Congrefs but
imply the elevation of federal majority in the
Unfortunate Offices of corporation. But OBJ
ierve the vaG exultation which they have deriv-
ed from this uncomfortable triumph. They
make this fuccefs in the city of New-York to
be certain prognotic of the entire revolution
OF the fate, and the revolution of the nate 10
embrace that of the union. Hear, for innancr
the rapturous nrains in which the " Peo,le',
Friend" Of New-York chaunts forth this mon
fplendid Victory
SOL REsURGIT."
The exertions ofthe old champions Of your
rights, and Yonr own good fenie, patrotifm and
virtue, have at length opened to YOU the dawn
of a new and glorious political day 1.-The Sun
OF Federaiiim again RITES in the Faf, difIipatinr
the clouds Of national error which for FIX years
have hung over this land, cheering YOU with
freih hopes, enlivening your moral and politi.
cal horizon, and compelling the Gallo rifFians
and robbers who have been dcpredating upon
your credulitY, and flourifhing their knives
over your devoted throats in the darkness of
that long and difmal night, either to Rand
conieNcd TO broad funfhine, or To hulk in
to their caverns and night-ceers. But little
more yet of firmuels and reflection, and you are
all idfe, rich and poor together fate from the
fpoiations of your official fufome Ritterers.
and from the covert underhanded contempt and