The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-02-17

vcred with Cannon, and noisy delnagogies
may run up and down the streets, haranvi.
ing the peopi", and we might repeal it. The
next law nnsht operate ui tire people OF the
western Country. Ihey might perhaps fol
10" the precious example OF the eastern peo-
pie, brush up their rifles, tell us this is a
hara law, and therefore we must repeal it.
lsthis government? Is a government Of this
KIND worthy OF support: Away with it. sir,
and let the people form a government which
Is WORTHY OF support, Il government which is
capable OF supporting itself. 1t is not come
TO tins, sir. 1t is al mere idle Reclamation.
IL We adhere to our system, there isno doubt
that 1t can be carried into effect. The so, 600
volunteers which have been decrie;l as in
tended to enforce the embargo laws, We're
never calculated on for that purpose. No,
sir, the people there are as strong as any
where and lift be necessary to nut down ,
few traitors, the people of the country can
doit. 1T isnot necessary to march men from
one state To another to put down rebellion or
insurrection. Tue people will put it dow p.
Every man of refieXion in the north and east
would reason with himself in this way
What are these people about to do! They
are about to Overtuin all law, by undertaking
to decide the culistitutionality of laws which
are undispute,. by the proper authority. If
these things are acquiesced in, what becomes
of my property. which is only secured to me
by law! If the people can put down one
law, they have the same, right to put down
another" Would not every man of property.
of nationality, argue illus! Surely he would
for that man must be a mailman who would
wish to see any Law put down in this way.
So long as a law is unrepealed, it is the law
OF the land, and while it is, every man will
say. it ought tobc carried into effect until it
Is constitutionally repealed. Then, l ask,
whether are we about TO give up this system,
to do one of two things, viz. either to sub
NIT to Great Britain and France or TO enter
into war? There is not an individual in the
nation who would agree to submit. What
Will DE the consequence OF war, and II its
result? No one can tell. viii it bring mo-
ney into our pockets ! l fear not. VIII it
rebound to our honor ? l fear not. Will it
procure us tho object we aim at? fear
not. What is there OF the belIigeaents that
we can get at We can affect but one !;
all her territory on this continent may be got.
Is II worth retaining when III our possession ?
/ believe not. Submission rs ont Of the uues-
ton ana however deprcCate war, | had
rather so into it at once, than repea, the EN-
barge and do nothing else for if we wage
another war for seven years, and are unsuC-
%cessfui, we can do no worse than submit at
last. 1t is better to submit after resisting,
than to submit without resistance. AS the
man acts q more honorable part who rcsists
an insult than the man who will take Ctence
at nothing. We had better have our houses
and property burnt forever, and involve our
selves in a national debt for ages, than sub
NIT to the belligerents. We are in a dan
gerous situation, SUCH as VIC were never iii
before. And will ask another question
What reason have we to believe, that those
who will not support an embargo, because it
operates on a foreign nation, will go to war
| with us a on IN r that n.fiopb WIN sip 1ubon
those people oppose our laws con2titutionally
enacted, the evil is great. But il we enter
into a war, and they will not go with us. but
directly or indirectly aid the eneuy, willnot
our situation be worse: Those very men
who set your laws at defiance, if you go to
war, will be against you. But let what will
come, whatever may happen. is better than
Submission. If we give up the eInbargosys-
tenn, the sooner we go into the other the
better. Two reasons have been gwen why
the repeal OF the embcargo should be post
poned till the first day of June. IL is said
that by so doing we shall have time to raise
men.
Sir, "a the last session a law passed for
raising troops. We find it not easy to get
the troops i'll this country where the wage
o. the laborcr are so high and of the sol:ilcr
so low. II is not to be expected that a man
who can get ten dollars a month, he well fed,
anu SitSp ulOcr Il SOOd cover, VIII put MN
self un!cr the power of any officer, who has
absolute sway over him, for five dollars a
month, when nc must sleep in The open ali
and undergo all the hardslIips incidental to "a
state OF war. ADD to this, ID man who enlist.
for a soldier il liable to have his brains blown
out, and thati is generally Considered as an
mconrcnlent circumstance, sir. Our soldi
ers therefore arc generally enlisted from a.
monS that class WHO are too idle toy work Tor
their livelihood. There are not, thank God,
a great many Of that class Of men in society
and there not being agreat many is the rca-
son why recruiting goes on So slowly in this
country. Between ilsis day and the first OF
June, you would scarcely be able to raise
5000 men. And would these men, in that
time, be better soldiers han so many militia
No, sir, time and discipline alone can make
soldiers. Raise meu now, and by June they
will know but very littie molc OF discipline
than our militia. II then men could not be
raised, or If raised could not be disciplined
before the first Of June. this argument lin "a
vor OF postponInS he repeal # the embargo
till thar time IS done away. AGoi!,cr argu-
ment III favor OF Tive first day ofjunc, is, that
, we will take the last chance # peace. am
tired Of this, sir. We have taken at leas;
thirty chances OF this kind. II We must 90
10 war at last, it wouid nave been vastly bet
! tpt, fh.f wa h.J ,,,. -. ,u,. :..--tEL L.