The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-12-24

have some personal knowledge, and can say
that in South Carolina no such fears in any
part are felt. But, sir, admit the g~entlem ans
statement ; will a war with Great Britain
increase the danger Will the country be
less able to repress insurrection ? Had we a.
ny thing to fear from that quarter, which I
sincerely disbclive !; in my opinion, the pre-
else time OF the greatest safety is during a
war, In which we have no fear of invasion
then the country is most on it's guard our
militia the best prepared and standing
force the greatest. Even in our revolution
no attic .npts were made by that portion Of
our population ; and however the gentleman
may Brighten himself with the disorganisinr
effects Of French principles, l cannot think
our ignorant blacks have felt much of their
baneful influence. dare say more thano,se
halt OF them never heard ct the French re-
v~olution. But as great as is the danger
from our slaves, the gentlemail's fears end
not thcrc-the standing army is not less ter
rl5ie to him. Sir, l think Il regular frtce
raised for a period OF actual hostilitics Can
not be called a standing army. There is a
just distinction between such a force, and one
raised as a peace establishment. What
ever may be the composition Of the latter.
l hope the fcrmer will consist of some Of the
best materials of the country: The ardent
patriotism OF our young men, and the rca-
sonable bounty in land which is proposed to
be given, willimrel them to join their coun-
try's standard and to fight her battles they
will not forget the citizen in the soldier, and
IN obeying their officer learn to contemn
thclr constitution. In our officers and soldi-
ers we will find patriotism no less pune
and ardent than in the private citizen ; but
i. they should be Sc depraved as represented,
~hat have we to fear from IS or $4,000 re-
guiars.! Where will be the boosted militia
II the gentleman : Can 1000, coo of militia
l De OyarroONyareA ty On mn ornt, , 4
now can we rely on them against a foe in
vading our country Sir, 1 have no such
conteinptuous idea Of our mi,itia-thcir un-
5aught bravery is sufficient to crush all fo-
feign and internal attempts on their COM
.riy's liberties. But we have not yet Gene
10 the end of the chapter of dangers. The
S~entleman's~ Imagination, SO fruitful on this
subject, conceiveS that our constitution is not
calculated for war, & that it Cannot stand
its rude shock. 1h;s is rather extraordi-
nary-we must then depend upon the pity or
contempt or other nations, for our existence.
he constitution, it seems, has failed in its
essential part, =" to provide fer the common
defence" No, says the gentleman from Wy
GINA, 1t is competent for a defensive, but not
an offensive war. Ii is not necessary for
ME to expose the error of this opinion. Why
make the distinction in this instance. Viii
ne pretend to say, that this is an offensive
war; a war of conquest? Yes, the gentle
man has dared to make this assertion ard
Tor reasons no less extraordinary than the
assertion itself. He says, our rights are
violated on the ocean, and that these viola
tions affect our shipping, and commercial
nights, to which the Canadas have no reia-
ton The doctrine of retaliation has been
much abused of late by an unnatural ex-
tension we have now to - illness a new a
busc. The gentleman from Virginia has IL
mlted 1t down to a point. BY his system, If
you receive a blow on the breast, you dare
not return it on the head you are obliged
TO measure and return it on the precise
point on which it was received. If you do
not proceed with this mathematical accu-
racy, it ceases to be just self defence; it be-
comes an unprovoked attack. In speaking
OF Canada the gentleman from Va. introdup-
ced the name OF Montgomery with mucl,
feeling and interest. Sir, there is danger in
that name to the sentleman's argument. 1t
is sacred to hcroism I! 1t is indignant OF
submission This calls my memory back
20 the time OF our revolution to the Con-
sress Of "a and rs. Suppose a speaker of
that day had risen & urged all the arg,i-
ments which we have heard on this subject :
mad told that Congress, (" your contest is "a
bout the right of laying a tax and that the
attempt on Canada had nothing to do with it;
that the war wonld be expensive that dan
ger & devastation would overspread our
Couhlfy, OS thdt the power OF u. Britain waS
irresistible"
With what sentiment, think you, would
such doctrines have been then received ?
iiappy for us, they had no force at that pc
Rod OF our country's glory. Had they been
then acted on, this Hall would never have
witnessed a great nation convened to deli
herate for the general good a mighty en-
pre-, with prouder prospects than any ma
son the sun ever snone on, would not nave
risen i'll the West. No, we would have been
vile subjected colonies governed by that
impefious rod which Britain holds over her
distant provinces. Sir, the gentleman from
Virginia attributes the preparation for war
to every thing but its true cause. He endea-
vored to find it in the probable rise OF the
price of hemp. He represents the people
of the Western states as willing to plunge
our country into war for such base and pre-
lcarious motives. i will not reason on this
point. i see the cause of tlieir ardor, not
i'll such base motives, bat in their known
patriotism and disinterestedness. No less
mercenary is The reason which he attributes
to the Southern states. He says that the
non importation act has reduced cotton to-
nothing, Which has produced a feverish i'm
patience. Sir, / acknowledge the cotton of
our farms is worth but little but not for
the cause assigned by the gentleman from
Virginia. The people of that section do not
reason as he does they do not attribute