The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-02-08

employment at any large pcr,ion Of your re-
guiar troops in that quarter. We have as
yet. said Mr. Z. taken possession of that
pars only OF w. Florida, to- which cue ter
ritorial Claim extends, and there appears 10
lSround, at pre-: ent, to be alarmed for its
safety. The employment, therefore, Of so
large regular force 10000 men in that
| quarter, does not appear necessary, and
can furnish no good ground for raising so
large an additional army as that contcmpla-
ted by this bill.
| hut the gentleman inquiries, what would
you think of New Orleans and New York
being taken by the British =. and observes, if
this should take place, you would not re-
main i'll power, O. be the men who would
lend the war, &c. 1t might not be very i'm
lportant, said Mr. C. to the nation, whether
the men now in power should long continue
TO enjoy it or not or whether in case there
should be war, they or their successors
should terminate it. Measures and net men,
IS the maxim, by which we ought to regu-
late our conduct; and if their successors
should be equally or more competent, to ex-
|ecute the important trusts reposed IN them,
the nation would have nothing to apprehend
from the change. 1t was, however, dec
trine to which he could not subscribe, that
they were TO act contrary to what they be-
lieved their duty, in order to avoid losing
their places. But why this attempt, said
Mr.. Z. to exaggerate the dangers s. raise
the fears OF the citizens of New York and
New Orleans and TO excite in the public
mind approximations for the safety of those
places This could answer no valuable pur-
pose its only effect would be to produce
groundiess alarms, and infame, for while
the public sensil1ility. There appeared nc
substantial grounds to be alarmed for the
safety OF either of'those places. The positi-
on OF New Orleans is such as renders it diff
hcult OF approach to an enemy, and by the
Temp oyment of proper means, capab Of be-
ing successfully defended. The fortificat-
ons of New York are stated by those best in
formed on the subject, to be in such state
o. completion, as would enable that place to
resist any attack likely to be made upon it
and there is no rational ground to doubt,
that government will employ the best means
they possess for the security and protection
or those places. The gentleman did indeed
| make statement said Mr.. G.. which at the
time very much surprised me, 1t was Gas
took his words DOWN. ''that he did know it
was the intention of the former admnistra-
ton In case OF war, not to protect n. Orleans,
| but let G. Britain take it and that the
| western people would be left to retake it
themselves % that "he did not know the in
tention of the present administration on this
subject, bpt believed it to be the same with
that of the former This appears to me,
SAID Mr.. {. charge of the most serious &
alarming nature, and if well founded, would
merit the most severe reprehension. But TO
establish it under existing circumstances
4 would require strong and Incontestiblc proofs.
hat the government should, without anv
| known inducemcnt, abandon one of the
most important places III the nation, and
without attempting its defence, sufIerit to
pass into the hands Of an enemy, is, in itself,
50 improbable, and would argue SO great
| weakness, or what is worse, such political
Gepravty, that if had no knowledge of the
transactions alluded to, or of the persons
| then composing the government, could NOT,
without the most convincing evidence, pers-
ulde myself 40 believe it. I 81 ouid be forCcd 70
conclude that however sincerely the gentle
! man might believe what he stated he must
nave been misInformed on the subject, or
have mistaken the views of the administra-
ton. And here it might seem natural to
inquire, If the gentleman was at the time, in
formed OF designs entertained by the admi-
nstration, so dcrogatory TO the character, as
well as dangerous to the dignity of the ma
ton, and so evidently ruinous 20 the western
portion OF the union, why he did not make
them known to the public, At least to
those who were so deepl; interested IN guard
ing against their consequences But, said
Mr.. G. in 1903 9, the time it is presumed,
alluded to when some approximations were
entertained for the safety Of New Orleans,
was a member fthe other house.
/ 1t became my duty toascertain, so far as
circumstances rendered it proper, the mea-
sures intended to be adopted, and the
means that cere to be used for the protcc-
ton OF that place, whose safety was SO i'm
portnnt to the people ] represented and
Il confidence could be placed in the lccla
rations OF those who then composed The
administration. (aud their veracity, it is
believed, has hitherto never been Justly
-Iqucs.ioncd) it was their intention and sol
cmn determination to defend it 20 the last
extremity in case it was attacked, by all
the disposahle force and means in their
! power. That this was thcir zeal intention
: appears sufficiently Established bv their
subsequent conduct III sending a conside-
: rable IJmJer OF troops, as we'll as gun
boats, to that place for the object alone
Of protecting it; and who we're ordered t.
take such position rs should be best cal
= culated for that purpose. The destructive
? calamity experienced by those troops from
: the insalubrity Of the climate, must be
c fresh in the recollection of all BIT the
:: uniform conduct IF the late executive du-
, ring the whole course of his administration,
e (of which unrcyersed candor was a disiin-
/ gushing characteristic) and IN particular,
= the just regard he paid on all proper ccca-
n sions, 90 the best interests of the western
+ people, arc " themselves more than suIi-
= ciput to e1,;Nid him oo.,;nsa Tho iraprtatict,