The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-04-11

was n"intrntion at all In Congreis to make zr1r.
We have changed this opinion. however, fnce
we have examined the fubjett with more at
sention and the true fpirit of the refolu,ion
CT the committee appears to have been to re-
commend that the government of the u. S.
ihouid take poTeiiion of all the country to the
w. ofthe Persiido river.
1t It was intended by this refolution. merely
TO provide for the rating OF freG3 troops To de-
fend our ejGS6kiIbed frontier, the proprietv of
the meainre can only be determined by aicer.
timing thete preliminary que!tions: t
is the Handing force of the u. S. efficiently
large TO turnifh the necefiary detachment for
that frontier
Is the Soa1if', force TO tb. foutb OF our eC.
tahlithed line fluff GENTLY large to make any
very ferrous imprefIion upon our fouthern in
hahitants
is there any ferrous dan,er of a rupture be-
tween our country and Spain; and if there is
not, are the Spaniih inhabitants 70 boflilely
diipoted towards us as ina period of peace to-
threaten repetition of the fame outrages which
they committed upon the Kempers.
Were 'heie quefions truly anfweretl, we
Prefumc that they would lead to a rejection of
the reiouion according to the fcnie in which
y rs here rmployed.--But If it were the intcn
ton of the refortion, as we think il was. to
eea6ii6 the limits of Louiiiaua according to
sh- treaty OF San Hdephonio, he propricty of
the meafure becomes fill more difficult to bc
decided. 49,.
Would not the expulfon of the Spaniards
from the diiputed territory be junly conlidered
as tuificient ground OF aDar |? Is it not by
Tar more reafonable ground than non-inpor-
tatiou att could poiibly be to G Britain
+ C1ght are to go into a war, when it may cut
mort the fources of our revenue, impede the
redemption Of our public debt, and bring oar
inf,
And when Spain, fhort time ince, denied
to us the right of depoft at New Orleans, did
not the republicans contend that a friendly me-
gociation ought in all cafes TO precede war,
we tried negotiation then and we found it fuc-
ceistn'. Why deviate 1osv from policy, which
u 10 ftrongiy recommended by our love for
peace and our experience of its falutary ten
dency! Why ihould thofe nozv ltaui forth
the friends of force, who were then the adyo.
Gates of negotiation
Does not negotiation in this cafe promife the
mott tittering refults May we not obtain,
not merely the territory in difpute, but the
whole Of Florida, 70 necefFary to the fecurity of
our prefent frontier againh Spanifl, and Indian
outrage, and 70 valuable from the rivers which
run with 1t (; may not this he obtained bv an
exchange ofterritory And if not by exchange,
by giving price, which, without being pati-
cu'ariy paid for this or that part of the Flor.
das, may cover the whole of the Spanilh claim
TO the part that is IN, as we'll as the part that is
or of difpute
But here variety of contrary 1neltions arr
les upon US. Are we not deciding without
the ufe of the necefIary documents Grant
THAT negotiation ought in all cafes to go before
war grant that it was the beft poffihie mode
OF ietthng our former difputes with Spain
grant that we frem to poffefs the necei1ary
means tor bringing it now TO a fuccefsful ter
minatlon yet are we certain that thefe means
have not already been tried by our ndefariga-
Die PreGient IF not avowedly offered. has
not Mr.. Pinckney and MIR. Muf,roe founded
the Court of Madrid as to the reception which
thefe ProDoRtions QvonH meet with |? Nav not
the Pretdent's mefiages in G detalthe whole
courie of this negotiation, the repeated prof
fer and the no lefs frequent rejection of theft
proportions Would we then, with thefe
facts, if they eoere .tafs, ffaring us in the
ace, hesitate to drive the intruders from
territory, which they rcfuf. to abandon,
Yer II even thefe aue,.e fa25, the propricty of
this meail,re would fill be open to dif uiIion.
Where Is the neceility of our imueaiafeiy &c.
cupying that country? When we were denied
the right of depoft at N. Orleans, we at once
law ourieives threatened with the mott ferrous
Iohes. In fact the whole commerce of the
wettrn country fnffered. But the prefent is
~ % V''' "S'ue 10 uelpeTate 4 cafe as that. We
lhould certainly fave the duties upon imaII
number of craft that navgates the Mobile but
10 this advantage to be put in competition with
the calamities or even riks of war Us this in
fact one of thofe desperate cafesthat will not adj.
admit ota ihort time being neutrality-suspicious., if
there is any chance of bringing it to favour
able ihue?
We Paufe for reply" The documents
ia'd before Congref8, can alone furniih us with
fui.able one.
Mean time we will obferve that the Secret
JoKTnais OF Congrefs, do not fhed the leaA light
rpon the propriety of the reproaches which
Tome republicans have thought proper to caft
upon the administration. MIR. Randolph in
his .frR Ibeeeb has aid 81 had feen difpstches
relative to- vital meafures laid before Won the
day after your final decifon on thofe meafures
-four weeks after they were received" We
mutt have thefe dIpatebes before mJ, before we
are fure that they do relate to vital meafnrrs
We mutt then enquire, whether they were re-
ally kept back four weeks after they were re-
ceived ; and whether no satisfactory reaf,a can
be given, qOby they were withheld. TilIthefe
queitions are fettled, we mutt fill heGtate to
pronounce any opinion or the angular, and we
NAV add, the fpirited ipeech OF Mr.. Randolph.
There rs one point, in which Congrefs feems
TO us to have purified an unnecedary and i'm.
proper courfe. If we have right to the ter