Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-12-11

"ou!G any gentleman pretend ~ say, tCag
by taking 100000 dollars, CIR = ,al ~. sr;n
or the purpose OF fortiicstion. that they
would have sufficient means LETT for othef
purposes of defence He thought not be-
cause If they had war, although it would
be war in their own defence, they musr
act On The offensive in enc quarter, and if
they did, it must be seen how improper it
would be to weaken themselves so as nos
To leave the necessary SUN for ihat paY-
pose. A stranger hearing the gentleman
from New-York (Mr. Gartlenier) talk on
this subject, might suppose that the House
had no disposition to fortify, and the gem
teman had said, that if they now reused
to till up the blank, he should doubt their
sincerity. Would the gehtiemun say that
ne had more at stake than any other gem
tleman in the House He presumed not:
and 1t not, why should the gentleman dcu5s
that the House would act when tine prcusr
time came. With respect to the city Of
new York, Mr.. ). was we'll disposed TO
give her enough to put her in a state of deA
fence; though he did not agree with the
position OF the gentleman, that oar cities
we're the sources of wealth, and su!rort
OF government. MIR. S. thought the cuiti
Vators ofthe soil were the supporters OF the
government. Between the two drscrj,,;i-
ons Oh men, he would cay, and he hoped
ne was not going beyond the marx when
ne SAD lt, that the cultivators OF the soil
were at least as necessary TO the Country
as tie merchants who exported their pro-
duce, who were bur the hand, as it were
to the great body of the community. He
did isot mean, in what he had said and was
about to say, to intimate any thing against
The merchants, whom ne considers ed as a
respectable class Of citizens but this they
All Knew, that if there were no such things
as ships belonging to the u. s. our proc
cue would be exported, and cur farmers
could support themselves. He was sorry
tldt the chairman had moved to E a.. the
blank; If the question were taken, he
Should vote in favor OF the sam proposed
by that gentleman: yet he thought i ne
cessa'y 90 reserve some part Of their trea-
sure FOR carrying on war ia other quarters
than IN their ports.
Mr.. NEWTON would not now enter az
large upon the subject, because tappear-
co TO hun that there was no hostility to the
Prisc!pic OF the resolution from any part
CT TIE House; lie thought it was improper
at this time to fill up the blanks in the bill
ne thought so because il was contrary to-
tnecourse hitherto pursued, and they were
now entering upon that sabjelt which
should properly be discussed in committee
OF the whole OH the osil
Mr.. GARDENER said that when n cues
ton OF such deep interest, of such great i'm
portance, was aSltated, it woulG be well,
he lntTeatcd gentemen, to repress their
passion for personal alteration The sub.
Ject was too interesting, too momentcus, to
permit min TO go ont Of bis way, 10 switch
any body who might have taken it into his
head, to be iinpcrtinent 70 him. Il might
be, he said, that when he was first up, lie
had not couched his demands Of iortifica-
ton and protection, in the courteous style
OF entreaty. Ccripg into thar II cse with
all the feelings and all the earnestness of
the people ne represented, he could net beg
from the Charity OF the government, that
when he had right to demand from itS
justice; that which had been denied h-
therto, and the necessity of granting Which,
the perilous state OF the country nrw rem
dered evident, and indisputaJe The ger.
tleman from Pennsylvania, (Mr. Snilie)
had en4nred whether he ar. G } vas
more interested than others. ] am not
acting here (said Mr.. G. in my indirjdual
capacity; l am here i representative Of
the state of Eew-YOrl, aud az such the
interest lhave in this matteris Of the very
hrst imporIance-cf tho very first magni-
tudc. The gentleman from Pennslvania,
Mr.. Smi!ie,) had represented him as ex-
pressing doubts o. cha patriotism Of the
House. Not 50. lie did nor see, tnat be-
cause he pressed and even with zeal, lbs
demands for protection, that I've wasthc,c-
lore to BE considered TO doubt the patiio-
tl5m OF thcse whom he addressed. Cuite
nc reverse lie, who claims yight8 should
descend neither 10 the attitude ofhumili,y,
nor to the language o. capitalization. Again
the same gentleman had cHdcaYored ~
make lin say, t.Jat the cisies were the SUR
cs1 Of wealth lie bad SAID no such thing.
re had said che cities were the Sources
from Which s1 our rsveaae lowed direct
" into the nGtiongl treasury, and that tacy
ought for that, If 10 other reason, To be the
first Objects Of our care. They were o.
all parts Of tho UnioN The most yula-rs@
! bic they were the hem tina. laid tna
golden eggs, and Ought 20 be therefore che
rished and projected with peculiar soli-
C.tude. He hoped and trusted, tina. ncan~
necessary delay would take place. Ihe
! people Of your cities said he, are anxious
! iy awaiting your decision. Their furtuG.s
and their lives may at some period, and
| probably not distant Gre, depend on tsc
magnitude q the appra 2 ton you arc %
bou, 20 make. Whether the present nego-
| Citations Cveutuste in war. or 10 peace.
Mcir rghfs and ytRr ditg is the sauc.
Suppose that by some miracle wc should
be sUatcbcd frop the prscipice at tljsiimr,
can We hatier ourselves lbe asked vnJ