Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-05-16

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mere opinion, and that this opinion Dor
] as much, if not more, on British ,ha
Spanish relations (!
T.. We violate no confidence when we eX
{ press the belief, derived from what w
have heard, that these dispatche. con
tanned no facts relative to Spain not be
lore known to the legislature.
That they contained opinions, who's,
business, however undisputed when the,
were expressed, had, from materia
change,ofcircumstances, become extreme
ly doubtful.
That they were considered as so IRE.
ievant to the pending discussions as tc
have rendered the propriety of,heir com.
munication to Congress extremely ques-
I tionabIe.
And that it is owing 10 these crcum.
stances alone that they were not cornmu
nicated at an earlier period.
But why, it will be ENDURED, were
they, although received in December, not
communicated before the 18th Of Janua.
ry, the day subsequent to the passage of
the bill making an appropriation. for the
purchase oflhe Floridas In the House OF
Representatives. For this plain and sa
tfsfacfory reason. The papers relative
to Spain were communicated in the frs,
instance, and when they had been acted
upon, and not before, the President sub
mitttsd ID the House of Representatives
the papers relative to Great Britain. of
which humber quere n. Sc celebrated dir
patches, written by our minister, not at
Madrid, but al London, on our differences
with the British government, and onIy
incidentally noticing our affairs with
Spain.
Let these circumstances be duly weigh
ed: connect with them the unbleln shed
integrity of the President of the Uni. ed
States, and the secretary of stale; The
Jolly OF surrepu,iously Withholding from
one branch of The legislature (untI they
had decidsd)a paper, which was given to
the other at the commencement of their
discussions, and the certainty of the de.
lection and exposure of any UNWORTHY
conduct by The Senate and we have no
hesitation 70 declare our firm belief thai
the condsct Of the Executive in this in
stance has been strictly correct.
/ LII. II has been said that the money
appropriated for he purchase of Spanish
territory is intended for France, and Il.
has been insinuated, if not affirmed, tina,
France has made such demand, or that
we have made proposition to her to This
effect thereby passing BY the righful
owner, & nnjustly giving money 10 Franc
Tor the property Of Spain. Such subser
yiency to what have been denominated the
base views ofPrance isrepresen,ed as con-
elusive evidence Of the disposition of the
government To crouch to the power OF
France, howsoeTer il may be e4er,ed In vi.
ola,ion of moral principle.
How such an allegation or insinurtioi
came to be made is 10 us matter of ex.
treme Advertisements. On point SO seri-
Gus we have thought il our duty to seek
Tor the best information within bur reach.
And on this information we do no, hest.
tate 10 pledge ourselves in saying---fhaf
no monty has Deem directly or indirse .iv de-
aanded by France of tie United SAFES !.
fhat none has been offered or is no7v in,end.
cd 70 be cfered, 10 France ,--fhaf no other
intention has eacisfed. or any measures bern
taken By fhe Erecufiue If ME United Stare.
cfcefff fer me Purchase fran Stain of her
hossessto'1s edse Of me AAss;Ssisnf land
maj the only iHserhosifion, which can be
ez1icctrd from France, ntKsf roasisf in I'M.
COOP OFFICES she may tender, yesuttioe
from her general relative sfIpaaon Win me
mo countries, from her Peculiar ronneen
o'ts BY freafy win SYiain, and from her
having been ire harry from whom sve MIR
chased Lomaana.
That this is the fair and honest bath
trodden by the government Of the United
States, appears indeed from those cir.
cumstances which have already been dis
closed 10 the public.
II we examine the Journal of the Sc.
cret proceedings OF the House of Repre.
sentatiyes we shall find that Tie two
resolutions passed, and presented to the
President as indicative of its views, ex.
pressly recognise, one Of them, &c the
purchase OF the Spanish territories, lying
on the Atlantic ocean and eulph or
Mexico, and eastward of the Mississip.
pr'--and the other " the exchange Of
territory between the United States and
Spaln"--as the most advantageous
mode OF settlement of existing differ.
ences between the United States and
the court of Madrid" And so circum.
speet were the House of Representa-
ffvac. ~ Ike .~o.rs ,t. r. n