The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-05-19

waiting to see the constituted authorities of |
the country lead the way in an honorable
course in vindication OF the nations rights, |
and they will be with us. 1t is only while
the public mind is held i'm suspense it is |
only while there is doubt as to what will be
the result of our deliberations it is only
while we iinger in this hall, that any mani |
festations of uneasiness will shew themselves.
Whenever warts declared, the people will
put forth their strength TO support their
rights. Sir, the people of this country too
well understand the value OF national indie
pendence and civil liberty they remember
too well the price of their acquisition, to
hesitate how to act when contest takes
place between their own government and
a foreign nation, whose deadly hate has pur-
sued us from the day when America said
she would be free, Sir, we are admonished
that public sentiment is against us !; of this
what evidence have you? The gentlemen
from Virginia and New York have said it
and there the proof ends. Let each mem
Der, Mr. Speaker, look to the people who
sent him to this place-he knows them and
their manner OF thinking on important sub
Jects like the present ; let him examine that
correspondence which is kept up between
his constituents and limself-there he will
ma a sure and sober expression of opinion
ana, ask, what member on this floor has
been advised by his constituents or any con-
siderable portion OF them, DueGaiy to retrace
his steps and give up the contests / have
heard OF none (: l cannot, therefore, against
my better knowledge, believe that public
sentiment is against our proceedings. altho'
the gentlemen from Virginia and \. York
have said so. No, sir, public opinion con-
demns delay-it condemns half way state of
! things-it calls for decision-it demands a
hrm and determined course to be taken by
the National Legislature, and to be persis-
ted IN until foreign nations are compelled to
| respect our rights. If we change our policy
from day to day if we talk of zvar,s and
fdniefy submit, then, indeed, public opinion
will and ought to be against us If one day
you lay an embargo, and on the next repeal
IT, without any cause which was not fore
seen, public confidence must be withdrawn.
1t is in the instability of our conduct that
the danger lies. The gentleman from Nir-
ginia, (Mr. Randolph, has charged the ma
Jonty IN this House with not having made
| the necessary preparations 10 place the
country In an attitude of defence I ask
that gentleman, are his own skirts clear of
this chargef Who have exerted them
selves to place the nation in a condition to
deleho itself against, any attack from TO-
reign enemy g., The majority have Who
mas thrown every obstacle in the way? The
gentleman Fl ON Virginia & those with whom
4 III. IN. a.
ny national calamity should take place,
| (Which is an event cannot expect,] from
me want OF preparations, I ask whether it
| snonld be attributed to those who have ex-
erted every nerve to provide against it or to
those whose opposition has occasioned that
delay which may produce it. Sir, let not
the gentleman believe that he can succeed
J III placing burdens on others which he him
sell should bear. The American people
have intelligence enough to put down to
each public man his due. Sir, when has not
the gentleman from Virginia opposed mea-
sures of preparation. He met us at the
! Threshold on the original resolutions to
provide for an additional military force. 8,
| In every step since taken; and does it now
become INN to censure us for the want of
preparations, which want he has occasioned
But sir, ! am satisfied, notwithstanding the
means which have been employed to pre-
vent it, the country will be prepared before
the expiration of the embargo. Upon this
point wish to be explicit and to leave no.
thing to implication which may mislead.-
On the first day of April we received the
Presidents message recommending an en-
barge tor 60 days; the views of the E,xecu
tive and the motives which led to that step
were fully explained to the Committee of
Foreign Relations in that informal inter
course which took place between the Sc
SASN.-'y Va C.t'S anu tHG committee. he
gentleman from Virginia was present,
heard and partook in the conversations.
and has perfect knowledge of the whole
transaction. The Embargo was advised as
preliminary to war with g. BIT was so
understood by every member of the COM
mttee, and with that impression the Exc
cutive recommendation was received in this
House
Congress on various occasions, during the
present session, had manifested a de-
termination to so to war. The Executive
had seen this--he recommends an EMBARGO
tori 90 days commencing on the first day of
April. Can any man believe, that he had
not an eye to what would be the state of the
country as 1T relates to preparations, at the
expiration OF that time Who. sir. Is 70
make the preparations ? The Executive.
Congress DEGREES the measure, and provides
the means the Executive is to employ the
means furnished to carry the measure into
effect. l consider it the duty of the Execu
tive, and he no doubt is well acquainted
with the true state of the nation. He is to
prosecute the war; he is responsible for all
the great military movements of the armies
of the y. >. /; of course, it should be his pri
viege to determine at what time hostilities
should commence, so far as it depends on
this government. He has exercised this
and by recommending an en-
barge for 90 days, had declared that he
would be prepared to act al the terminate
on OF it. Gentlemen deceive themselves.
when they suppose that we shall find our
selves as unprepared at the end of the en-
b1rpo &c w now are anil