The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-03-24

grand fec-et, why the aSninifiI we're III
this inifance 10 we'll informed. As E,on as--ne
union and Z, neral welfare were menaced, every
vir:uous and enlightened citizen {, 1t tina, an ap-
pc was made tn his pa'I 'otifm; and viewing
hi'nfe,t part Of the ia eighty that was at
lacked, ioRan,iy took the l;eansie poHei1cd
to rePef the atiault, by giving immediate in
formation tor the proper organs Of power
Hence II was tI,,t information flowed upon the
executive from all quarters and hence it was,
that while fuperhcial, perhaps a preiudiccd
obftrvation, conlrred the cabinet as yropng
Ia the dark, it had actually taken meafures TO
meet and repel danger at every point at which
II could occur and here it is but proper tri.
butte TO the executive magihrate to ffatv, what
every informed man in Wilmington we'll knows,
that while general alarm, in many irRanccs
amounting to dit,nay, was vifble on The coun-
tenance of others, his was refene and unihaken
He did not indeed attempt to conceal the mag
nitude or enormty of the plot but he uniform.
" declared that no real danger was to be ap-
pretended from il.
Events have fortunately verified every fig-
geftion here made, and turned theory into prac-
tlce. Let us not then hereafter hear il faid,
that republican government is deficient in vi
glance.
Thefe events equally repel the imputation OF
want of energy. Time will thew, if it has
not already ehablifhed it, that a republican go-
verrment is of all fyftems devif.d by man the
M IT energetic. And why? Becaufe every at.
tack upon the government is An attat Upon the
Whole nation, the government tfelf being ef-
tabiiihed Nv the will of the nation, and the ru-
lers themfelves appointed By the nation, ard
expressly holding their offices at the pleafure of
the nation.
No circumstances more forcibly illuRrate the
truth of this remark than thofe preftnted by
he ,,,f
deliberately formed we have reafon to believe
from the character of its author, and from the
depoli'ion of General Eaton, which ihews that
hrs mind had long d~elt upon it, and I'd con-
templated it in its various afpets. With the
people IN Tie we'tern country an acquaintance,
amounting TO intimacy, appears by HIM to have
been long cultivated, and in many dfritts he
feems 20 have efabiihed the conviction that he
was the decided friend of that iet,ion of the
union. Under aufpices tins propitious, aud
with refources of mind which are repre- tented
as yielding to thofe Of no man living. had the
difpofton of the people in the leaR favored
views iubverfve Of the Union, ne would have
heen the very man to have awakened them into
activity. We find however that the very mo-
mcnt the proclamation of the PRECEDENT made
Its appearance, every treafonable fcheme was
prsftrated. As foon as it was underltood that
an attempt was made tn uturp the power of the
government by an Unauthorized attack on
foreign nation, or that this was uied as tie pre-
text of more atrocious defiens. an univerfl
tentiment of Indignation and adherence pre-
vailed through the whole extent of the wettern
country; and the naruetions and views of The.
executive were executed by the ftate authori.
ties, and the people with pronptitude and
ce!erity which have never been furpafTed. l.
is thus that the true energy of republican CO.
vernment difplays itfelf. Innead of emhoav-
ing an immenfe Handing army, often more dan.
gerous than the evil il is created to arreft, i,
hnde its true organs OF coercion in the great
body of the people, who probably never will
fail under fuch fyftem, to overwhelm with the
moft awful vengeance thofe who flall have the
temerity to attempt to fubvert their liberties, or
difturb the general happnefs. Let it be recol-
ieeted that this is a fpeces of energy from which
the greateft benefit may be derived without the
apprehension of the leatt evil. Dreadful and ir
reiittibe as is the awakened vengeance of free
people, lis purpofe is no fooner accomplished
than the tranquility from which it emerged is
fure to return. The military character, afIum-
ed not from mercenary, but patriotic motives,
is ioyfulIy exchanged for the ordinary Offices of
private life. There 10 longer remain after the
disappearance of danger thofe clouds of locuns
that threaten with ruin whatever they touch,
that even under the mott rigid difcipline re-
duce to beggary the nation that cherilies
them, and that often at the call of ambition,
apply what was intended as the reward of
their fidelity 10 the defrueion of thofe very in
ftitutions they were called forth TO defend
The termination of this confpiracy fl,ews the
Infinite Importance of well d'fciplined militia.
May II atirdf more attention to this fnbieG
than it has hitherto received May it have
happy eff5ct in overcoming local pr,iudices and
narrow views on fubirtt which !ondly calls
for the higheft iberaIity With this legitimate
Initrnment OF power wifely organized, the ener-
Gy OF our government would be equal 10 any
danger the necef1ity of Handing army would
he aImof annhilatetI, internal tranquility would
rarely and never could be extenfiveIy difturI,va,
and even external danger would be held in
check.
OF the innur7e-lble interefing views of which
this fubjeect is fuiceptble, there is no one which
will be more dear to the feelings of an Ameri-
can, than the happy and inprerive proof it
offers of the harmonious ACTON Of the fyvsral
parts of our political fyfem. The enemies of
that fyhem have told us that the difrbution of
power between the federal head and the feyeral
tate governments would on any imninencr of
danger deve!ope more divliion than harmony;
that the imperfection of the mechanifn would
not fail to prevent the machine from moving.
Here then it will be allowed we have had fair
experiment, which fo far from juAiGying this
gloomy prediction, has perhaps even furpsGed
the expectation OF the mott ianguine admirers
of free government. The reqae9 of the Pref
dent has had the force Of lay with the go.
vernments of the feveral itates it has indeed
been more Zealoufly carried into effe6 than If
had heon 10 I,,,- -c Z