The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-02-18

Iris it too abfnrd to fuppofe that fome new
:. pedicnt is about to be propoied, and is likely
be adopted! Whether the expedient which
IN ihall fuggeft is really the one, which is about
IN The employed, or whether it is one which has
oi fady been attempted without tuccefs, we
e pw not We cannot however but fnppoie,
rs ut it is an expedient calculated to promote
!, true mterefts of our country, and that it is
e one which has been adopted during the
e onfidential fittings Of Congrefs, if it has not
l. cen already attempted without fuccefs.
u The principal point in the tifi,ute with
pan relative TO the boundaries of Lonii,n,
j. n been generally underfood to relate TO the
: frltory lying between the MiflifIippi and the
yerdido. ne claim it under the treaty Of San
Ndephonio as part of Louiliana. The Spa
1h'ih Court claims it as part Of Wei Florida
NE cite authorities to prove, that Louiliana ex
4 tends to the Perddo: They. that it is bounded
oy the Mitliippi. Some refpea is nndoubted
| ~ due to the opinion and the authorities of
Spain; however erroneous they NAV apne,r 70
ms to be. All accommodation unlefs in CAFES
OF the greate6 certainty, is the refult of mutual
compromie and however impoliti. or impro-
per It wonld be for us to content to anv ar
commodation, which might facrfice apv DOR
| ton of our rights, when thew are nl,ced upon
70 certnin BATS as they are at prefrnt. il wouIJ
be equally impolisc and improper for u, 70
lrcfu'e any accommodation. which is calculated
70 wave An irritating difcufiion, to foothe the
JEALOUS feelings Of Spain, at the fame time that
il lectures to us not only the obiee for which
we are con.ending, but an Object infinitely n,ors
important to the irterets of this oopntrv
Since we cannot Obtain the part of I.on;gi,n,
| which we claim without the caanit;es of ., u,,r
let us purchaie it from Spain in connection nth
the whole Of her Florida, if the nepocia,;o, can
be effected on eafy aud favourable terms.
| The acqnifition of the Flordas is under every
point of view, cilential to the TRANQUILITY. The
trade, and the compa6fnefs of the United S.at-s
would preferve MS from thofe Jealous con.
tent,ons ana ,ncenant Interruptions of good
neighhomhood, which experience has ,Irssd,,
demonstrated TO exit with our Spanirb ns;ahY
bours. 1t would throw more conn,s,eI,, -,
der our care and under our confront. the IT. d.,
tr'oeS, who not only reii1e within the Flor;a,s
our within our own frontiers. But tbe ,roG
dntincaihed advantage of fnoh an scou;Gt;or
is TO be found in the !ecurity which Il nror,;fee
to the navigation and commerce of m. c,r+harr
! itatcs. On this lait topic we will t,L,. ,b. :,
oertY or introducing an extract from re,or,
'hd"e oy a 'eiect committee on the 10th of Tan.
sos, ana attributed to the pen of MIR. Nj.
cholt0n. Al that TING, it defe,yes IN he r.,.,r
iet'ed by the reader. that the ouerf;on b,d na
yer been tuggefttd, or it had never hee, G;o,,c
| ly agitated. whether il was our interel RI NM
| chate Lou'iiana; this meafure appears to have
derived MS birth from events and nepoci,,ions
which tuEisq'Ientiy occurred; but whether
Congrtfs would "enahle the Execute. m cor,
nen'e with more effect, negotiation with th,
French and Spaninl governments relative m tbe
purcha'e from them of the Hand of Neu-Or-
leans, and the pro7rnce5 of Ear and nm Flor;-
a". me committee who had been appointed
to draft this report, recommended the ammo.
n I,at,r &c Ill.
pofe, 70 ftrongly were they imprefIed with the
neceiiity not on'T- of fecuring fome Slaee of de-
boEt on the AfihEppi, but of acquiring the Flo.
ridas. The reafons which they ALIGNED in e.
YOUR OF the latter meafure, are princibalIv con-
tanned in the following extract {:
Wet Florida is bounded ON the North bv
the MhiifiipPi Territory, from which it is f..
parated by no natural boundary; on the Eaf
by the river ADalachcola, which divides #
from Eatt Florida, South by the Guph of Mex.
Ico The Miflifippi Territory is interfat1ed n,
many large and valuable rivers which riCe Will,
in its own boundaries, and meander tbrougb :,
in general direction from North to South but
empty themfelves into the Gulpb of Mexico
through the Province of Wet Florida In f,a
with the exception of that part of the territory
bounded on the Welt by the river M;f1,G;n,;
and that which lies immediately on The Rr
hihppi, the whole mutt depend on the Moh;ls
ana the Apaiachcoia, with their numerous
branches and on fome other rivers of inferior
note, for the means of tending its produce to
market, and of returning to itfelf fiich foreign
fupplies, as the necefities or convenience of;ts
inhabitants may require. In thefe rivers too the
eaitern parts of the fate of TennefJee are deen.
ly interefed, as fome of the great branches If
the Mobile approach very near to fome ofthoGs
branches of the Tennefiee river, which lie -
bove the great Mufcle fl1oals. Even If II fbo,Id
prove difficult to connect them, vet the land
carriage will be fhorter, and the route to tbe
lea more direct, than the river TennefTee fur
niihes. 1heie rivers pofiefs likewife an advan-
tage which IS denied to the MifIifIippi. Az tbrir
tources, are not in the mountains, and Their
conrie is through level country, their current.
are gentle and the tide flows conliderablv above
our boundary. This circumstance togetber
with the depth of water which mapy of them
afford, render them acceflible to fea vefTels
and fbips of two hundred tons burthern NAV
afcend for feveral hundred miles into the heart
of the Mifliffppi territory. Thefe rivers, how
ever, which run almoft exclufvely within our
own limits, and which it would feem as ;f "a.
ture had intended for our own benefit, emu,
be indebted to others for the beneficial uGe of
10 long as the province of Wet Florida Ibail
continue in the pofefIion of foreign nation
II the province of Wet Florida were of tfelf
an independent empire, it would be the infer
eft OF its government to promote the freedom
! OF trade, BIZ LAYING open the r,outbo re ,L ::