The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-01-05

heir object were consistent with THAI Of the
Commitlee. The object CT the Committee
was TO combine union OF council and ener-
gy of action III favor of the war. The next
campaign must be opesed with vigcr, and
prosecuted to success. With this view, the
COMMITTEES had presented "A system gen
tlemcn might, if they pleased. call it
system of tho Executive. They submitted
| it 10 the House, not as the very best which
| it was possible for human ability to devise,
but the best ,Thch under all circumstances
they were able to present-they asked gen.
tlemen on the opposite side to take 1t, not
| word for word, as it was submitted, but TO
take it for as much rs it was worth-to a
mend il it defective-to substitute one in
| lieu oft il radically wrong. Their argu-
ment would be listened to With pleasure
their amendment or substitute respectfully
considered. But the motion to postpone was
linadmissble because the motive was in
IcorreCt-prucrastinat in the present state
of the country was death. Gentlemen would
neither amend the system with view to
make it better, nor would they substitute
one in lieu of it. They were. opposed to the
war-they disavowed any responsibility for
| its origin, progress or Consequences--it was
a war of WcSedness against innocence.-
| Gentlemen had expressly said so---t.iey
would not give you a dollar or a man to
carry it on. Yet are we asked 20 postpone
the bill--to hear argument--to risk. the loss
of another campaign. Il there be any thing
which can cndanger the system. il is de-
Ilay--a week or day is OF great impor-
lance. 1t is u parliamentary rule, that he
who is radically opposed to a bill shall no;
amend it. 1t is good rule that he who is
! opposed to the war shall not plan The cam
paign. A gentleman the opposite side of
the House (Mr. Potter) had said, in spi-
rit Of frankness and candor which did him
honor, that having opposed the war, he was
opposed to the ways aud means Of conduct
ing it, and therefore to every object OF e:;-
penditure connected with it, to navy, an
army, and every thing else. He W as happy
to find however that there were some gen
tlemen on the same side of the House, who
would not act with him-who would not sa
crhce the country to the passions OF party.
Mr. I. only asked that the majority, 70
whom the responsibility attached, should
be permitted 10 proceed in furnishing the
Executive with the means OF conducting
the war.
Mr.. QUINCY said, the gentleman from
Vermont had been we'll answered by the
Igentlcin man from New YoIk. 1t was extra
lordinary indeed that he should have brought
Unto view the objection made last session on
this side of the House, that the war was
premature. Was not that objection made
lgood! Had not experience proved the OBJ
iJection valid Did not the present bill
present further evidence oft? If gentle
men had attended to those arguments at a
former session, we should not have gone to
war until we were prepared, & there would
: have been no necessity for this bill. The
hon. gentleman from Georgia, said Mr. Q
chose to intimate that onr motives are no,
correct IN wishing postponement. If the
gentleman meant to intimate that we were
opposed to war, and that this opinion oil
ours is ihcorrect-we certainly are opposed
to war. But the question now under consi-
Iteration has no bearing on that point. 1t
lconcerns our relation with our constituents,
which demand that we should have an OPP
portunity to canvass the merits of the bill
AS to the proposed bill, would it not be a
fair argument in opposition to it that the
description Of force it embraces is incom
petent to its objeCta Is it not competent tt
shew that the whole. statement made by
tie gentleman from s. Carolina is erroneous
and that these men will not be adequate
to the purposes in view? We are now a.
bout establishing or sanctioning the whole
principle of the next campaign, and gentle
men are for deciding it instantaneously.-
Is this correct appeal TO gentlemen
themselves, to their seuse OF propriety, OF
character, of duty. l shall hold my self per.
fectly discharged from all obligation to de-
bate such bill, II its decision be pressed al
this moment. There can be but one apoe.
gy for this haste that this whole bill is 2
sham fire; to raise great smoke, to hide
retreat. If that be the object, your haste
and hurry is wise. lfthis bill be pressed
through as proposed, without allowing time
for deliberation, it viii be viewed in that
light by the nation. If gentlemen wish tc
| carry on war to effect, they must carry
with them the minds of intelligent people,
who must first be convinced that your
means are adequate to the end, the instru-
ment to the purpose. How Can it be SC
considered, when those who have a right
to debate the subject are prccluded the OPP
Iportunity? No such course of proceeding
is known in the British Parlament-Ques-
tons OF great moment are always postponed
for investgation-the day for discussion is
previously fixed, and those VINO chuse tc
discuss the great principles of the pending
question have a right to do so. But here
the wish to postpone is represented as the
result OF faCtious spirit Mr.. Q. SAID he
considered the motion he had made as what
he had right to demand that this was a
subject which of az others peculiarly re-
CURED discussion; viz. whether 10000 men
should be added to our regular army, when
no man pretended to say that our present
ranks were half filled. He did not intend
10 nave touCncu tine merits OF the Dill now ;
but he did, lie said, wish for an opportunj-
ty to test the merits of the bill not only be-
fore the HOuce lN,tf beforp fl,f.