The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-01-24
yond the source Of the Mississippi. It viii

yond the source Of the Mississippi. It will
no, be lie led that au n ,.oA ers which
the COVER i.me mt possesses under the cons l.
tutipu, there exists that of settling dispu'es
concerning our limits with the neighborin :,
nations. This power was not only necessa
ry IN relation to the disputed boundaries on
the south side of Canada and Florida, but was
indispensable to a government over country
of indefinite extent. The existence of this
power will not be denied has been exer>
cised in ascei tanning cur north eastern and
southern frontier, and it involves in il the
power of extending the limits of the confe-
deracy Let us suppose that the commissi-
oners, under the treaty of London, had do
cermined the river St. John, or 81. Laurence,
to be the true st. Croix. Would not that
part of the provinces of New Brunswick, or
Quebec, which lies on this sid of those ri
vers at this time have been part of the Uni.
ted States Suppose the northern bounda-
~ of Florida had been fixed. under the
Treaw OF San lorenzo. to extend from The
Atlantic oce an to the Gulf, would not all the
country north of this line and east of the
Mississippi (part of the very country convey
ed by the Treaty lately negotiated, (which
gentlemen conceived we could not constitu-
tionallv hold y would not that country, at
this time, compose part of the United
States! That he constitution should tie US
d wn to particular limits. without expressing
those limits that we should be restrained
to the then boundaries of the United States,
when it is in proof to the committee that no
sue bounds existed. or do exist, was altoges
shtr incomprehensible and inadmissible.-
For ii the constitution meant the practical
limits of the U. States, the extent of the
country which we then Possessed our recent
acquisitions ON the side of Canada and the
Natchez. could not be defended. But, Sir,
said Mr.. X. my position is notonly maintain
able by the reason of the constitution but by
the practice under it Congress have ex.
pressed in their own acts, solemn recog-
milton of the principle, that the United
States. in their federative capacity may ac-
quire. and have acquired, territory. 1t will
be recolected. that adverse claims once ex-
listed between the United States and tire
state OF Georgia in relation to certain tract
OF Country, between the northern boundary
OF The Spanish possessions and what we
commended was the southern limit of Geor-
ga; The United States asserting that the
country in question was the property of the
United States, In their confederatwe capaci
~, and the state of Georgia claiming it as
hers. Although / have always advocated
the claim # that state, it never was on the
principle OF an incapacity in the u. States
tects he question now before us. 1t is true,
Sir, we appointed commissioners to settle
M rs IN dispute. amicably, with Georgia.
But the mean time, we assumed the iu-
risd ction, erected by a government over the
coun ~, and thereby established the princi
pie, hat the United States, as such, could
acq i've territory the country in question.
as we cnntended, never having been inclu-
ded within the limits of any particular state.
and being coded 10 the confederacy by the
tire t. II 1888. But perhaps it may be an
s@tr d, that this acquisI ion being made an
terio t. The da,e of the present CONSTITUTE.
on, cannct affect any Limitation or restricti-
o. ch tmay have provided in relation
To - ssncJ"ct--and that tn prove hat the old
confederation could acquire territory, is not
to I'VE TIE sane Capacity in the present
sys en- of government. To ihis | reply that
tn .tiui,l n CT tains no such expressed
limitation, nor can any be fairly inferred
from it; and that if the old confederation
mefe grvernDet OF states--a loosely
connected !eague--dll of whose powers,
wit" many more, are possessed by the pre-
sent federal government--if this mere al
lance If states could ghtfully acquire terri
tory III their allied capacity. much more is
the existing government competent to make
such an acquisition To me the inference is
Irresistible
Who can but smil- when he recollects
That S sam gen lsman IS tt III slime as on [
rageous against ,nis "new tangled " territory,
ana as absurd a declaimer about" the good
Old u. S. " as eve Mr.. Quincy himself.
Your party, Sir, will nevc excuse the ac-
cushion OF Louisiana. The crusade of Mr..
Ross was more agreeable to your taste than
the negotiation OF a uinister-war was more
pleasing than peacs: and = forcib!e possess
SITS sc of our ProgYes YOU have opposed this
measure intended for the tranquility and
prosperity of the w stern States. At the
sery name OF Laui,iana, you nave bent the
DO and aimed he poisonous shaft. Yet
st it vas not % have been expected, that it
W u,d 1--we betrayed you into the insanity of
pr hing dissolution and treason. But your
Greed IS before the people-and they will
Judge you accordingly.
FABIUS.
SPEED THE PTOIJGHI