Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-01-09
TcosTssuEDl
10. EAiof's SpeecA contiauea

The message conetUles with inc Ioiio"'
irg remsrkable sugg- stions:
g Ar t,mes whs0 Europe as well IS the
II S.shalf be Al peace, II would notoe pro.
posed tina, more than six or eight or these
vessels (guo boats should be-kep, al rat.
When Europe is 10 war, treble ,hst nun
brr NAV be nece sssry 60 be distributed a.
nong hose particular harbors which 10
reign vessels Of war are 10 the habit OF
freoaen.lng, for The purpose OF preserving
order thereto. Bot they would aemanpe d
10 ordiuary, With only their complement.
for navigation, relying Cd the sean,en and
militia Of the port, it called into action en-
any sudden emergency. Itwou!d be only
when .ha U.s. should themselves be a.
var. ,ha, the whole namber would BE- bros
MO active service, and would be ready, 10
the 6rst momepts of the war, to cc-opetase
win other means, for covering al once the
line Of our seapor,s. Al all times those
nnemnlayed would be Withdrawn into plsc
es nos exposed to sudden en.erprize. haul.
ed up under sheds covered from the son
and weather, aud keps'in presersa ton wi h
Lille expence for rep siring or Eaainten-
ance
II is next to Impossible for man OF
commop sense not to consider himself uu-
der some strange delusion q the senses,
: when ne hears the chief executive magis.
tsate OF a great and powerful nation, invite
,he legislature to the adoption of such a
system as is here described. Build neisher
more nor less than two hundred gun boats,
comfortably house 10 dry sheds upwards CT
oue.hupdred AID ninety of them; 10 sime
of peace keep six, or e'ght Of them, 90.
raanued, relying Ga mili:ia TO man them,
aHoat for the protection ct several large
com nercias cities aod two thousand miles
of sea coast; ,shen Europe is 10 war, and
her uases BBS 9ss l64gp eab s it
in order while ioey stay upon our shores
and when they make war upon9us, open
your diy sheds, pour upon the ocean yonr
two hundred gun boats, you are safe, your
arms are triumphant! II this be DOT de.
grading and disgracefal substitute for an
efficient and honorable system of Dasional
defence, it's difficult to imagine what
could possibly degrade and disgrace the
republic.
Anuexed TO the message are the opinions
of sevSral military and oaval Ulcers. some
of them celebra.ed aud some # them OBJ.
scure. General Gates, whose memory
ve ali venerase. has bsen mentioned. He
merely gives his apinion, sHd furnishes
no particular information upon the sabiecs.
5 Hei. followed by general Wtisioson, ths
hero of the SABINE and New @ leans, the
mar who violates yonr Cosstitciion a, he
point OF the bsy onet III order 10 preserve
itiDviola,e the idcl Of popular delusion
for the moment, butt obiscl of very
different homage from the vice and good.
. Unfortunately. the letter of this great cha
racter conveys DO infof ma,ioa. The cir.
cnmstance is explained BY. the following
! note: "This letter was only the cover ct
general Witkinson's opinion, and therefore
shews only in general terms wha. that o.
riniop as. Fhe opin.en itself was, on
a former occasion, rotamGnlcated TO a
committee Of the hoase Of tepresenta-
t:ves, aud was read 90 the house for It's
niormation.-This paper canaot pow
be found; which is the E,cre regret.
ted. as it wen. much a. large ia,o the rsa.
soning Oh the subject" ! hat this Paper
IS gore TO obliyion is cersaioly srbjec. oil
great regret; and Yet il may be doubted
whether It's destruction is so great los.
20 the maritime and cotnmcrclal world. az
that Of the original record of ,he Rhodiar
laws. Commodore Barron says, {" Ter
or twelve OF these boats would probably
be suheient to compel to remove fro N he,
position frigAte, and SO on, 10 propor,iar
20 the slze aad uumber of The eoeo,y':
ships. To do more shsn annoy would B.
difficult Win those vessels grea' pun