The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-08-15

Tue. viii appear from the documents now COM
nunicated.. Tbsy =antberize THE Inference fbaf
it isfbeir infenfon to ad7,anee on our. poeIfoa5,
Nufiifbey Rail be rcbre9sd BY an oppofng, Jsrcs.
Conidering that eoagreij alone is eonaisntionai5y
irzr9ed s0itb THE poSver of changing orr eondi-
tion from peace 10 guar, i have thought it my
duty to await their authority for using force in
any degree which could be avoided. have
barcly inftruSted the officers fationed il the
neghbourhood of the aggrefIions, to bprote6
our citizens from violence, to patrole within
the borders actually delivered TO us, and not to
goSSht of them, hut when neccifary to repel an
-inross, n TO refciie 4 citizen or his property
apsAtke Spasifh remaining at New Orleans are
veguited to' depart without further delay. 1t
ought TO- be noted, here that fince the late
change in the fate of affairs in Europe, Spain
Mas ordered hercruizers and courts to refpea
eur treaty with her.
The conduct of France, and the part f1e may
take in the misunderstanding between the Uni
ted States and Spain, are too important to be
uncon6dered. She was prompt and decided in
her declarations, that our demands on Spain for
French fpoliatinns, carried into Spanifh ports,
were inc luded in the fcttlement between the
United States and France. She took at once
the ground that lhe had acquired no right from
Spain, and had meant to deliver us none eat
ward of the Iberville: her lleuce as to the weE-
tern boundary leaving us TO infert her opinion
might be apanft Spain in that quarter. What
+ ever direction the might mean to give to thefe
differences, it does not appear that fhe has con-
tempsted their proceeding to actual rupture,
orthat at the date of orr laft advices from Paris,
her government had any fnfpicion of the hoi-
tile attitude Spain had taken here. On the
contrary we have reaton to believe that fhe
(Franes was dfpofed.to effect a lettement on
a plan analogous to what our minifters had pro-
pofe6,t and 10 comprehensive as to remove as
far as pohibe the grounds of future colliiion
and controversy on the Eaflern as we'll as Wei
tern iide ofthe MifIi(Eppi.
The preient criiis in Europe is favorable for
Prefiing fuch fettlement, and not a moment
fhould be loh in asailiog onrieves of il. Should
ii pats unmproved, our fituaton would be-
come much more difficult. Formal war is not
neceGary, it is not probable that it will fol-
low bxt the prots7ion ofosr eitisens, tie Jpirit
and honor Of orr country require thar force
s5oniI Be interpofcd in a certain degree. 1t will
r-ei,ehls contribute To advance the object of
peace.
But the courfe to be purified will require the
command oe means which it belongs to Con-
grefs exclufvely to yield or deny. To them
] Communicate every fact material for their in
formation, and the documents nece1ary to en-
able them to Judge for themielves. 70 their
euiaom then look fer tb< ceurjs 7 an TO burfie,
anil 7VW bw1he qoiib. Eneere zeal that sv6ieb tbey
EdH abbrove."
This meiiage with the documents accompa-
nyiDg it was referred 70 a fecrct committee con-
filing, of Mr.. John Randolph, MIR. Nicholfon,
MIR. John Cotton Smith, MIR. Mumfard, MIR.
Williams of S. c., MIR. Bidweil, and MIR. Brown.
II may be proper to remark that this mef1,age,
although deemed by the clerk (as he itated to
sthe bouiei to be a part of the fecret journal,
which had been ordered TO be printed, was ne
verthelefs omitted nor has the omiiiion ever
been satisfactorily aceouUted for. The houfe
by fubiequent vote refuled to make it pub
lie.
The chairman of the committee to whom
the confidential nnefage was referred immedi-
ate!y waited on the preIident, and informed
him of the direction which had been given to
II I: exprehfng at the fame time his Willingness
and readiness TO Cooperate, as far as his prin-
ciples and judgment would permit, in fuch
plans as the Executive might have devifed for
the location. He then learned, not without
Tome furprze, that an appro ,,iation of two
million: was wanting to purchate Florida. He
told the PRECEDENT, without referve "that he
would never agree to iuch meafure, bee aufe
the money had not been affixed for in the mef-
faee that he could not content TO ihift upon
his own lhouders, or thofe of the koufe, the
proper responsibility ofthe executive :. but that
even if the moaey had been explicitly demand
ed, he ihouId have been averfe to granting it !;
becaufc, after the total failure Of every attempt
at negotiation, finch 0ep would difgrace us
forever: becauie France would never with
hold her III Offices, when by their interpofton
ihe could extort money from us: becanic, if
Great-Brtan, with whom we had ferrous mat
fr's Of eo0trOU-rlr, did rot eoYfaer Our feblying
her enemies qUitb money! as q brraeb of'on- mn
t'aHty, it afinl6i,e her qvifb contempt far any
attitude If rsGfaaee av5icb qUe n1iebt aG.me to.
guards ber; that it was equally to the interet
of Spain and of the u. S. TO accommodate the
matter by an exchange of territory - TO this
mode of fettlement the prefdent fsemed much
oppofed)" that the nationsof ErrcTr, like the
Barbary powers, would hereafter refufe to leok
at the credentials of our minifers, without a
Previous doueeu'," and much more 10 the fame
purpofe.
The committee met on the 9TH Of December,
but came TO no definite refolution. One of
its members lMr. Bidwel, of Mafachnfetts)
confirmed the mefrage into requiGtion If mo-
ncy, for purpofes of foreign intercourse, and
propoied grant to that effect, but in this con-
hruetion he was unfupported, and his propof-
ton over-ruled. He hinfslf, when the fibieCt
was agitated in the houGs, would not avow the
fame contribution Of the melTage which he had
given to it in the felett committee. e. the
l4th of December, 'he chairman of that COM
mittee was. obliged TO go to- Baltimore, from
whence he did not return until the OH. Dur
inc Ne srN, 81 &c. Il