Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-06-28
c Q N G. r e S S.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
MONDAY, April Z.
SPANISH AFFAIRS.
MONDAY, April T.
De6cte on the motion ofMr, j. Randozah
fetn6hsh m Presidents Message.
rcoNCLuDEp.1

VIZ GVtt III tuC oElCCk COk0-
m'ttee as the best Justification of the op.
position made to the measure i, recon-
meods, ard the severest commentary up.
on the conclusions which are prufesssd to
be drawn from il. Il speaks of The {. D.
ratical depreda,ions upon our commerce .
OF oostructlng the navigation Of the Mo.
billie" and in the daring Diolafio1 of our
undispuled limits, &c as affording>" am
pie cause Tor formal declaration of val. .,
Sir, the exactions of duty on The Mobile.
will undoubtedly be continued so long az
opan holds the country; the right is no.,
settled by the laws or usagesof nations /:
and thus indeed the exported products of
the finest region of the United States NAV
by subjected 30 duties, as well a. those
imported into it, anil the travellers return.
ing on the high road from New Orleans
VIII, by engaging in btoils with he SPA
nish subjects, eiernally eodanysr the
peace and tranquility ofthe United States
so that Instead of war, sound policy
clearly dictated purchase-and what i,
the daring Oio.Tton spoken of? A mole
hill converted into mountain--girantic
names given to pigny events. 1t is no
tmng more or less than the arrest of The
hempers-ls that sample cause of zua, p,
lew people headed by these men raised
the standard oil rebeliion in The ,erritory
OF Spain, from whence they fed within
our limits, and we've seized by our citi-
zens, carried within the Spanish lines and
there delivered 10 Spsnlsh party And
this IS what is declared in ths report 10
be an omfle cause " war. After urging
that we are g too far removed fro,n the
powerful nations of the earth for our safe
~ to be endangered by their hostility; %
that peace must always be desirable so
long as 1t is compatible with he honor
and interest of The commrnity"--that
we are heavily burthened w1h ,Iebys'-
and the best interests Of the nation cry
loud Tor peace" thai vhen ne die6f is
discharged, and NOT tiN then, NAV sue BID
defance 10 the world-tha, sthe presest
moment is peculiarly suspicious for hi.
greas'and desirable work-tha, nov if
ever the national debt is 10 be paid b,
reap'ng the rich harvest of neu,ral,y, ,, the
report concludes with om,nenJlissy q
war measure the raising nunlest of
troops to chastisc SPANISH inroad an1l IN
Suff." should have been CONVINCED had
voted for such proposition and for
such reasons. that the people rs ,hey for.
merry have, would .yithdraw their ce,.6
dence and dismiss from office an admins
trat'on, iomen'iog national irritation aud
adopting war measure, for such misera
bic reasons. founded on such insignificant
causes. | had another reason for oppos
ing this standing army measure. / be
lieved the militia of The United States,
were mos; grossly ,raauced by its friends
they were represented as inefficient and
moi to be relied on. believed or the
contrary that they were equal TO apy e
Emergencies that could arise, and would
defend their country with more bravery
than mere mercenaries. | feared tbas as
I'D Diner countries SO n this, this pre.ext
might be made use Of to get Standing
army, The most potent engine in the hands
oil despot, to enforce Obedience to his
wiz. And although cases may arise whee
unnecessary 10 raise armies -igitisrecol.
iected that the aggression most complain
ed OF was officially disavcwed by the Spa
nish authorities, and Satisfaction pronIis-
ed--thls cannot be of tina, description.
n high officer Of the government has
been charged with an unconstitutional al.
tempt to draw money from the treasury
without an appropriation by Iaw-but on
the authority OF the secretary of the
treasury deny il. The charge there fore
revcrberates on its author unless he JUS.
'ifies himself for making il. will con-
clude my remarks by repeating what |
commenced with declaring that did rot
mean, nor do thick il incumbent on any
one, to vindicate the character Of the Sc
creiary ofState.--The charges have been
reiterated from day TO day, and his friends
repeatedly challenged to come forward
and jastiiy him. But when the principal
allegation IL totally untrue, The others ell
and must be only appreciated =. Those
who take mere assertion for fact will be-
licve them, but the great mass Of the peo-
pie of this country will require more than
individual assertion before they withdraw
their confidence, and condemnthe indiyi.
dual whose whole life has been devoted to
the service Of his country, and whose SER
vices are known and acknowledged by C.
very liberal n,a0---they will not sonsen.