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

ideas; nor has there, we believe, beer
any expression of opinion on this poin
by those who have the pubic affairs in
Their hands. Blu. if the clear receipt.
from these sources should only pay the
Interest Of the debt incurred, calculating
as we are authorized to do from. our ex.
Perience in other Quarters, that they
would double in period of seven years,
!. It will De found that the whole new debt
incurred WILL without costing the U. s.
one dollar, be discharged in period Of
about fourteen years.
Compare this result with the effects OF
Tie proposition for raising additional
troops. We have seen a circular letter
written by friend of this measure, [Mr.
Garnett,1 which states that Il was con.
templated to raise four thousand additi-
onai troops. These could not have cost
less than an annual sum Of million of
dollars; while it is but too probable from
the remote position they would have &C.
cupied, and the nature of the climate, the
expense would have greatly exceeded
TINS amount. In the one case, then, we
should have sustained positive loss, re.
curing probsbly the imposition OF new
taxes or involving the retarded ex,in-
guishment of the national debt: while in
the other, fa,lering prospect is held
out OF acquiring alter few years, new
fund OF wealth, free from all mortgage or
incumbrance.
Wiling TO contemplate the proposition
ior raising additional troops in its most
favorable light, we have considered il a.
measure not only Aicant 10 be. but
which actually would have been, sfrictiy
defenaipe. Had different issue ensued,
which is but tao probable, the expense
would have been vastly increased.
! IL. Among the charges brought, agains,
The E'@cuiive, that which eliminates
them with having withheld an important
document until the bill making AN APP
preparation To- the purchase of the FIori.
das had passed * was out of the power of
the House OF Representatives, il entitled
To so,ne notice. II is to be regretted that
On this point we can at bes, nIean but
lifapeifect Information, as The document
Iailuded TO stiil remains confidential.
This document is letter from, Mr.. Mon.
roe to the secretary ofstate. lis said that
IT'S contents might have changed the vote
OF the House. But by whom is this said Z
ny those who either opposed the appro.
priation, or who voted for the raising ad
ditlonsl troops Has il been admitted by
a single member who voted for the for.
mer and against the latter measure /! On
the contrary several members of this de
scr'Pti'n unequivocaliy deny that il could
nave mad apy Sach effect. They have
gene Further, & even said that j, coufirm.
cd Their convictions Of the soundness of
the, measure adopted. Who then are to
be considered the best Judges on this
! point, and are the most to be relied on
those who are Competent TO decide from
their own convictionsj which must be, re.
lauvrly TO their own conSu6t, unerrinp !:
or these who undertake to pronoupte on
the frooa1ie coDvici'ons Of others, in do.
ing which they slmost necessarily blend
their own feelings with those Of others.
| Futther---Had this document any ec.
ieei on The Senate? Did il produce dif-
ferent vote IN that b. oh of The lerislo.
ture from that wh.ch obtained in the
House On the contrary, the bill pas.
sed by considerable majority. We
have here, then, another strong prest,rnp.
ton that the contents OF it would not Iiay.
had the ef=ct ascribed to them.
This presumption is still further cor.
roborated by an assurance we have re.
ceIved, on which we place the most i'm
plicit reliance, that the Senate obtained a
copy OF the dispatches, which have been
alIedged to be thus important, and that al.
though they lay Oh their table during the
whole period Of the discussion that ensu.
ed on the bill making an appropriation of
TWO millions, they were considered SO
little relevant to our affairs with Spain.
that they were scarcely, liza, all, noticed.
Further--Wht did the President, if he
dreaded the Effects of this letter. com.
municsie 1t at ALI Had he dreaded lis
impression on the House OF Representa-.
lives, he could not the less have dreaded
its effects Oh the Senate; and IL he had
dresmt that the non .communicalion Of il
al an earlier period would have Justly ez
posed hlm TO the reproach of Intentional.
Iy Withholding it, surely the Same impure
motive that led him to this would have
suggested the policy of keeping out of
view the means OF inevitable detection.
Whence did this documen,
GOMEZ From Mr.. Monroe, resident in