The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-03-07

10 lOo Shidii-HSAC, tuaE the govern
= ment lacks energy THAT If We cannot en-
force a law, however arbitrary and unconsti
tutional, not only ut the expence of a limb o
the body polite, but of the vtry trunk itse;
-" .37ray zoifh Smch a Y1rcr7nqent-it 4y1ut.
energy and Joycc ;giyeus one that has som,
strength" Gentlemen waatit to be mRgni.
fcent, strong. able to crush all opposition, tc
destroy the states. What next have we
heard! THAT the Executive patronage is
as 1t were, the Presidential property, and
thar he possesses the right TO do with it rs
he p!eases," instead of CONSIDERING it a trust
placed in mis- hands, as it iseven in limited
monarchies, to be ercrcisey under. sound
dtscreTo' and high reSho1S -biHtv JGr TIE
general good. When these doctrines are
preached in Congress. sir, ~ men calling
themselves republicans, and deemed as such,
am compelled to recollect the times, the
energetic times, as ttey wee called, when
tae constitution was trampted. under foot,
when some men dared TO risk the sentence.
!" that the parchment had better be burnt -
L am unwilling to see such principles govern,
let who will be 1T the head of affairs :;
and therefore | am unwilling to give my as
sent TO the resolution of the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Nicholas) which has been,
with his characteristic humanity, charitab,v
adopted by my colleague, M. Burwell) for
IN truth, 1T was thrown an orphan on the
wide world by its parent. l 10 not say that
the tune may not, or even that it will not
come, when 1t Will be necessary to strike at
Quebec (; but | am unwilling 10 do it new.
when there remains one chance to this natl
on OF preserving the blessings d peace for,
" we have n war of that sort, ommissarics
and contractors may %fatIen, but the public
VIII be impoverished !; and scarce any man
who has not a fat contract, or a snug office,
| Uil hn an.IIoI 70 49,, I.
tain his family, in the way they have been
accustomed to.
But that IS not all, sir. If We plunge at
this moment into war, for to my mind thee
IS really not one atom of difference IF VIC are
to go to war; betwech this day and the first
OF June, who can say how or when the war
shall end? And, with an empty exchequer
for to all practical purposes the exchequer
is empty-with a revenue depending wholly
On loans, would it be very astonishing if The
same causes which overthIew the mos! pow
crful monarchy in Europe, should shake
little our own confederatcd republic That
our present form of government should be
destroyed BY the same Causes which unques
tionably did destroy our late government I'M
derthe confederation The government of
France, a populous nation, as we all know,
rIch IN internal resources, almost beyond i'm
aginauon, was best, or cursed as you please.
by a minister, who determined to Carry on
a war without taXeS-loaHS were to suppIy
all deficiencies. The experiment ended in
the subversion of the government. Ibelieve
that no man can doubS, IL the WAYS and
means could have been raised in 1888. that
he French revolution would ever have ia.
ken place. Shall we then, unnecessarily
(andf speak of it in this point of view onIy}
expose our government to such shocks?
hope not. Ii they come | am for melting
them manfu!ly. In that event, ] would hope
that instead OF destroying (or we ought al
ways to hope tor the safety OF the republic,
however destitute of ground for it) il, vii!
tougher and nerve our manh,0d-that it viii
chastise our pampered-a'rogance, / was
going to say that it will operate rs in one
point of view, l am willing to allow that
the embargo may have uIerated, to bring
old fashioned home spun PRINCIPLES as well
as garments into notice, to cypress The RAG
of speculation and reduce our bloated lux
ury in fact, to give us something more Of a
national character. In th:t point of view /
am willing to allow, that wen the embargo
has not been without it's sanitary effect.
There is another reason why I am unwil-
ling to take the attitude recommended to
US by the gentleman from NirgNia and by
my worthy colleague. Ilave seen in this
House 4 proposition to give efficiency to the
militia, to arm them. to make them what
they ought 10 be, (but wlat | fear they are
not) an adequate and competent national de
fence, damned with SAINT praise'--a little
paltry ~beggarly appropriation of 200, 900 dol
lars voted for that o5iecg And but name n
! regular force, sir-strike but the naval chord
or standing army, call hem volunteers or
what you will, the sound vibrates to- your
heart; you loose the pursc strings and pour
forth the national treasure without Counting
it. When ! hear principles advocated, a
: gainst which ] always lid and always will
protest, and when | SCI the policy of this
House, SO variant from what ] conceive it
ought to be, ] am induced to take one more
possibility, another chance of avoiding i'm
mediate war; and therefore when that part
of the resolution comes up, which propose
the issuing letters OF mlrque and reprisai, /
shall move YOU so to amend il as 70 exchange
Vt fromits present portentous and dismayne
aspect as a solemn pledge from this nation
for the maritime projection of commerce in
every sea, to what | conceive it ought to be-
an authority to our merchants TO arm ant
defend themselves. and resist mot submit to-
these DEGREES and orders in council which
we have declared we will resist, in othe,
words, that we will not submit to. There
are a great variety Of opinions as to wha'
viii be the eventual consSqucnce-no mar
can precisely forescc the issue, but to my