The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-02-11

lthemieivee. He proceeds then to dcnrccat,
the establishment of "f;ich navy as the great
er nations of Europe potiefs. II will I've enough
" we enable ourfelves to prevent iniu;,s from
tho!e nations of Europe which are we ak on the
lea, becaufe circumstances exift, which render
even the ftronger ones weak as to us. Provi.
dence has placed their richef and moit defence
LET'S pohefons at our door; has Obliged their
mott precious commerce to pats as it were in
review before u.s." He declares that ga GaaN
part only OF their naval force will ever Be riEqued
a'rnis the Atlantic; and it will fuffice tn make
ourieives equal to what they may deia15. Even
J"aH,r force than they may defaeb will be
rendered equal or hyperion by the ouicknefs
win which any check may be repaired with us,
%hiie their loles will he irIeparabe till too late.
II 6''nH na1'ai farce then is Efficient far rs, and
a .I1aH one is neeeDay. W5at ibis Aorid he, /
S''H NOT undertake to Jay. l will only fay it
mould by no means be 70 great as we are able
10 make IT." Take then the whole of this paf-
.aee with MIR. Doddridee's Interpretation of it,
together, and what does it make. That
fma naval force is neceflary and fuficient
for us; that it fhould BY no means be 70 great as
we are able to make it; and that it would be
,,rong enough, were it even fmaIler than thofe
meets which the queaker nations of Europe hold
ing pohefions in our neighbourhood can de-
tach; and that this detachment would be a
/'70HPar only of their naval force. Is then the
navy as 1t ut pretent ftahds, inferior to this hy-
Pothet'tal force? Was Mr.. Jeferfon guilty
OF inconiitency when in confequence of
law pahed during the LAT adminiRyation, he
'educed TO Its prefent hZe, navy, collee I'd nm
der all the unfounded approximations of war,
and ordered to be reduced by that very adm-
nitration which had collected it, Let II even
be granted, that Mr.. Jeherfon has reduced the
navy OF the u. S. below that meafure of force,
winch IN 7sl he thought proper to be eftablii,-
ca; ooes 1t therefore argue any want of wiciom,
u he mas changed his opinions? Nun he 'sc de-
barred from the ufual privileges of experience
II by meoaGfsny Gays accelerated writer,
ana inc remark applies with peculiar force to
the Preent cafe) we undertand, that he does
not believe what he once believed, and that
nus conduet is regulated by different principles,
TINS I'M is icarcely an argument of prejent Art,G
we may affirm that inconfiftency, in the ienlc
mere explained, is glorious, infead of being
ma netul. Who is it that is likely, through
ohakeiPear's feven ages of man, to think al
iiave OF idlenefs. The active and independent
mind, the genuine lover of and enquirer after
truth. will! inevitably pats through certain re-
voiutions of opinion" Let it be once more
recollected by the reader that for Mr.. bod :.
cridgeto prove that the PreGdent is not wife
according to his definition of wifIon, he
ought to have proved that the Prelident has
not made any use of any of thofe truths, of
which he has ns1v a luminous perception, and
not OF thote which he formerly had. Either
therefore 1T was ridiculous for him to refer to
few patiages in the Notes on Virginia, or he
Is bound to allert that any man is unwife for
changing his perceptions.
IL would be unnecef1ary to purfue the OH
1ectlOnS mi MIR
all their detail. Not one of them is new. and
all have been frequently refuted. His alluG.
on TO the war of Tripoli would require length
OF detail, upon which VIC are unwilling to
iPend our thoughts and our time and his
itatement OF the cafe of Calender is too evil
IDENTITY drawn with the pencil of federal par.
tilan TO need any refutation. His comments
upon the frmnsEJ of Mr.. Jefferfon are a, leaf
a negative proof, that the attacks upon Mr.. r
for his conduct during the revolutionary WIZ
are now difcredited even by the federsIifs
themielves for 70 wide field of fatire ard 4.
huie could fcarcely have efcaped mind Ike
Mr.. Doddridge's, preffed as it was for wa 1T 81
satisfactory evidence, if he had not himfelf per.
celvea tue fru'tieine1s and danger of reviving
| theie topics of difcuffien.
His objections to thepreamble TO theGe re E,Iu.
tions are almoft unworthy of comment. Ee
denies to the Virginia Legislature the right OF
expreihng their opinion on fuch fubie6fs, though
that opinion is founded upon inconteftible do
cuments, or other information not to be dic
puted. He quetions the right ofthe u. S-afrs
to the province of w. Florida, though autho.
| rites 10 numerous and respectable have been
adduced to eitabliih it. He prides hmfelfrpDn
having brought his opponents into this diem
ma, from which he thinks they may in vain at
tempt to eicaPe: Our gun-hoats are eithe,
not equal to the defence of our harl,cur's
mouths, or they have not been ordered 70 de.
fend them; if the frft be true, the folly Of e.
rectlng them appears to be demonstrated j;
the latter, then the Prefident's f,mneG is rem.
dered IN fome degree queftionable." Mr.. bod.
dr'dge feems not to have perceived, that the
gun-boats may not be equal to the defence OF
cur harbours, not becaufe they are incon,pe.
tent to that purpofe from their contribution
but from the deficiency of their numbers. They
would probably be equal, if there was enousl
of them.
MONEY BILLS.
The sth fection the contribution of Viroini, de-
cares that all laws fhan originate in the Houre q