The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-03-30
REDUCTION OF THE ARMY AND NAVY

REDUCTION or THE ARMY AND NAVY j
Mr.. Raudoiph said he wished to submit a mo.
ton, 10 the House which WAS of a natase ,sia,
would require perhaps, at least justify, some
general observations. During his unavoidable
absence from'his duty i'm the House the present
session, Mr. II said il had been some consolation
TO him to reflect that fine had been unable To
participate IN any oethe measures, which the Wis
dom OF the government might have devised to
meet the necessity of the state, at least these
measures were not in any wise retarded or i'm.
peded by any oPpos ition OF his True it is (ssid
he) that at the distance which was placed from
the seat ofgovernment, and through the medium
through which viewed its men,ures,, it was
impossible for me to discern any thing like sys.
TEN pursuing or about to be pursued by the GO
vcrnment of this nation. But th:s,sir attribu
ted TO my own want of information, not to the
want OF decision or wisdom in the government
hattered myself that when l should have
reached the seat oil government, when l should
be on the spot, that should then at least be en-
abted to discern aSdegree of something like re-
guisr system OF policy pervading the great coan-
els OF the nation. But, sir, using all the means
accessible to me, during the time that have besn
in Washington, have been unable to detect
any thing like design, any thing like concert,
| any thing like plan about to be pursued by this
house IN relation to our national concems-I
ought perhaps to say, until thi. moment. But l
| understand. sir, at Iengtht budget has been
,opened-thst system has been brought forward
for raising supplies by loans and by additional
taxes. 1t IN relation to this system that the
| motion which am about to make will stand -
| had indeed supposed, sir, hat when the govern
neht of the United States should get into opera.
ton at this session, the first act would be (if
| indeed VIC could not build upl to pull down
that which every one seemed to acknowledge
was Inefficient, ridiculous and hurtful-I allude
| to the celebrated non-intereourse law-and
certainly should have felt it my duty to submit
motion on that subject, as soon as took my
seat, If 1 had not been informed that a bill was
an transita between the two Houses to effect
that object. Why indeed the nation should
have tolerated this acknowledged evil, have
| never been enabled to discover. Ihad supposed
that the FIRST step would have been 10 do away
| the confessed evil, by way of preparation for
some substantial good. In this, no wever, have
been unfortunately mistaken Whether the peo
| pie OF the u. S. were ever to retrieve that flour
ishing commerce which had been so child.
shly spoiled, iIr X. said it was not for him to
| undertake to determine. Com merce was n de.
licate, a ticklish thing-and when it had formed
Tor itseis new channels, like the mighty water
course, twas difficult indeed to turn it back
into the old. But if the commerce of the U. y.
was ever to be regained, he would venture I,
say thatit was not to be brought back by the
| means OF additional duties. The embargo and
non intercourse-he had almost Forgotten to
mention the nom importation act-had changed
the habits offselmg and principles ofthe mer.
camille class in this country. AS foreseen and
predicted, asystem of smuggling, Of illegal trade
the most ruinous to the fair trader the most in
FURIOUS to the agricultural interest and destructive
to the revenue that could be conceived, had been
| organised A man has nothing tn do (ssid Mr.
hanao.ph) but to go into the market, and give
a premium to have his cotton or tobacco placed in
Liverpool or London, or to have an assorted car
go or prohibited goods placed in any street of Bal,
timore or Philadelphia. Whether these habit,
will ever be checked, it belongs not to me to
predict--but they certainly will never be check.
ed ny nigh duties operating H \ premium on
smuggling
But it may be said that the nation is in tha,
situation IN which 1t IS necessary to act, to do
something agree, sir, that it is-althoueh
hold 1t not TO be Che least ofthe qualifications OF
statesman to be appraised when It is necesssr,
not to act proposition is now in subs lance
andi wish to bring it in form-submtted to this
natlon whether they will encounter system oi
| additional taxation and loans, or whether thew
will make reduction in their improbable es
| adjustments. think, If have not forgotten.
that the Sectetary of the Treasury, in his annual
report, HAS stated, that by an adequate reduction
| IN the army and navy the necessitous state o.
our finances may be relieved But perhaps, sir.
! it may be said, shall we, in the present undeci.
ded state as respects the belligerents Of Europe,
make any movement which shall indicate 4 dis.
position on sur part to submit to those bellise
| rents Certainly not. But, Mr.. r asked, was
there any one who heard him who seriously
thought of war, or believed it relation in which
we could be placed He for one did not War
with whom? War with France Carried on
! where BY us here, and by France in old
! France !-For she had no possessions in our
neighborhood. War with England i-Garried
ON where I! In the hospitals at New Orleans p
Granting that our situation with either of the
bellI gereBts was a hostile one, MIR K. said he for
one would in that still be ready to .ccede to
ms ProPosition--for he saw no use in keeping I'D
! an establishment, costly set of tools, which we
could not, II we knew how to use,
| 1t is possible, however, said Mr. r. that all this
time may be under m,staks---that there is q
! system, that there is plan, that there is con
| cert-and indeed IL the old maxim be true. ays
| est rtldre lyfeRl, ours must be one of the most
| refined systems--it eudes not only sight but
! touch, and would elude even chemical analy-
| SIS. i would wish TO ask this House, after all
that has been said or that can be said on the sub.
JeCt, whether we must not-we NAV make as
many wry faces as we please-go back to that
| ground (if It be possible to regain it) which we
have SO chldlsb'y and wantonly abandoned (,
we must-we may begin upon the system of
loans and taxation, but the people of The u. S
VIII tell us to stop, and we must obey. VIII
the people OF the United States consent to
keep up expensive military and naval estab-
| iisbments, OF the very existence Of which they
are ignorant until they are made acuuaint-
| ed with them by burthensome taxes and a
debt entsiled on their posterity--and for what ,
/ To what earthly and II you cannot keep your
| army alive in time ofpeace, ask in the name of
common sense what will you do with them in
4 m nNa r. 49,