The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-01-20


governments, cannon lrarh, how the honor
of the nation. would .fufier lain, by entering
into negotiating, thus Invited. In speaking
| on the fuhie6 of Spapilh affairs, the honorable
member, has o5fcrved the iatGc policy in ar.
gument, which he obferved on the fubje9 of
Britfh affairs. He hrlt tells us the meafures of
the administration a.e wrong; and then that the
Prehdent is on his lide of the quefton. Firit,
what was the fyftem of the minority, in rela-
ton to Spain? An army of five thoufauc men
ought to have been RATED, to avenge the infult,
committed by an inroad, on the good old U. S!
Yet we find that the army, we then had in the
held, was fufficent to repel intruion. Of what
| tervlce then, would have been the executive ex-
penfe of fuch an armament The gentleman
himfelf admits that fubfeoueut events ought
not to he the ten of former n,eafurcs Yet
he tells us of the battle of Gena that " we
mutt come at af TO the point, that he fears"
(tbaf is he expe7sJ g. the policy of the miuo-
rity will prove to be right" Never, fir, what
was w'osg in principle, could never be made
right by accident, or Circumstance. IF fubfe-
quent events, evere indeed ground, from
which to deduce a correct acgumen. in favor
OF previous meafure, that fource has aHo
tailed hlm-neither war, or a repetition of in
Jury have enfued. But if, as the gentlema an pre-
diets, that time hould arrive, when, from the
influence, the battle of Geua ll,ali have on our
affairs, it will be necefiary that Americans
ihould arm, in defence of their country, and
in defence of all that remains dear of political
inititu,ion on earth. ihould not even then
OF the foundnefs of that policy, which would
have driven us twelve months ago into war
with Spain and her Ally.
/ do not fee, with the little political light
ihed ON my mind, how our warning with Spain
a year ago, would have protected us from the
couiequences, prophecied from the battle of
Gena.
! If the ambitious views of he emperor of the
French are turned towards the United States,
we mutt meet the event, not with five thoufand
men, but with the body and foul of America,
breathing the fame fpirit, which animated the
friends of liberty in feventy fix, to repel the
attacks ofanother tyrant of Europe.
| And now let us take fl,ort notice of the
] reckoning intended to thew, that the minority
gave proper contribution to the mefaees of
the PRECEDENT. 1t really Teens arrange, that af.
ter the world has been told, as is fuppofed by
the leader of the republican fchifm, that in a
conversation with the PRECEDENT hmfeIf. they
differed on the courfe to be purified; that their
differences involved a lofs of character, on one
iide or the other; after we have all feen, and
read, the mef1ages, which are thus faid to con-
vey this with, and opinion, thot an army fhould
be RATED when in one of thofe meiIages, con-
greis was told that if increafe of the army eff
| tabliihment ihould be necehary, it fhould
thereafter be made known to them, and in the
other mefiage, they were told that, then was
the time for negotiation, that yet, even yet, it
isargued that thofe mcfIages called on congreE
to raiie an army immediately--And it is even
yet faid, by the gentleman, that the Prelident
is on his iide What is the Object of this az
ierton fir ? Is it TO thew that the PreGdent is
4 EnNs Ed Al.
wrong no for that would be in direct hoi-
tiitv, with the fentiments exprefIed in the frt
mefiage to the prefent congrefs, in which he
| Jays, 6" were armies to be raifed whenever a
fpeck of war is yiibier in our horizon,
".we never fhould have heen without them {;
our refources would have been cxhaufted
on dangers which have never happened, in
ftead of being refcrved for what is really to
take place" This is the language of the
PRECEDENT, and this the language which accords
with the true interea and honor of America.
In this language forcible recurrence is made
to the maxims his administration fer out with,
and in doing 70, he has condemned the policy
of the minority, which ddvifed an expenfive and
ufclefs encreaie of military force.
Al have thus taken ihort view of the defence
made by the honorable member, of the mea-
fures advocated by the minority in Consrefs
have found him purifying the fame courfe, and
running the fame round, with the political pa-
net which had preceded him; the f7me rea-
| ioning in imar file, had been before fubmit-
ted to the national Legislature, and again re-
peated in addrei1es to the people through the
medium of a newspaper. Whatever may have
been the caufe, which has thus influenced the
honourable member, again to urge upon the
| public mind the fame opinions and fentments,
for the fake of the republication he profefIes, it
was furely unneceGary; perhaps, for the fake
OF the objects he had in view, twas unfortunate.
| The people of Virginia might have left, to pats
| into the hlent oblivious tomb, the principles of
an oppoiition which the general fentinent had
ii'enced which in no other fate, had been able
to find reiting place. They might have diff
regarded, without careing to anuihilate re-
publican (lbil'm, an OPp2fng party, whole beft
| exer;Ions to influence the public mind, were
acknowledged TO have fallen I" GiI.boym from
tie PrGJ."
The next number will clofe the remarks the
author intends To IN Ike on the fpeech of the
| honourd6le member of the Senate of Virginia.
In that he will endeavour to thew, that il is not
! probable as anerted by that member, that the
reiolution, the fnbjeGt Of difcuiIion, was by the
Legislature of Virginia intended as an cL7i.
orrsrirg /f6sme r0iHn0fiAg tram exeenfi4,e jnRu-
'per''-' and 6cfgned jfP2E7j!e to remo4,e aHo9.
| faffioHT'-l will thew that 1t is next to impoC-
| Iihle 10 fuPPole, that he himfclf credits the
| charge. ] hope forthe honor of the (ate of
| If~h II a