Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1815-01-12

lions, are the delirious rawlings Of disappoint-
ment and dispair; that your hopes Of succor
from foreign wars, are but the lunatic visions
of political madness. You must bend all your
on peace-And until you obtain II,
you must Apply all your means solely to the
defence of the country. Then you will OBJ
tain that general union in action which can
alone produce any permanent good to the
state.
How widely different are your protested
designs, and your ostensible measures. You
continue to talk of that miserable policy.
which has dragged you so heavily through
the last three years, and elevated you to the
pinnacle of disgrace which you now occupy
You still, in your daily dreams, menace the
towers of Quebec, reckless that your eli
ties may meet the same ignoble fate which
has swept your capitol Party spirit still
polutes all hecouncils Of the cabinet, a nd
impels it to hunt with the blood hounds of
persecution, the most independent. wise and
virtuous men of the nation You well
know that course hike this, presents wall
of brass in the way of generalization. And
vet you pursue it with untiring ardor.--
Where will it finally conduct this devoted
country Is not our fate written in glarng
capitals upon the tomb stone of every de-
parted republic ?
With such conduct in the ruling power
what is the duty of those in this house, who
like myself have no confidence in the wis
dom of the administration Judge for
myself alone. The case is brot home to
my conscience. This country must fall
unless every hand is stretched forth to her
rescue. fear there is no hope of safety
but in a radical change of rulers This can
not now be constitutionaly effected. We
must patiently wait until whole people,
reused from the stupor almost of the grave,
shall interpos6 for our final rescue. In the
mean time the country must be defended.
Asa member of this Government feel
have NO choice remaining Not with
standing the continued frenzy Of the ad
ministration in relation to CONQUEST, must
not this war. in the nature of things and in
spite its authors, be entirly defensive ?
Where ard in what quarter, have not their
errors compelled Us to struggle for the very
possession of our soil.
In the east whole province is torn from
us--in the south we are menaced wish the
loss of a state. On our northern frontier
the disciplined hosts of the ensmy are
laarshaiied, and having beaten back in
yas'on, are ready in their turn to carry
desoiatlon into the bosom of our union
The forests of the west are again disturbed
by the war shout of the savage Our
capitol has dlsgracefully fallen and all our
coast are open to ravage and conhagra
ton
When, in this condition Of nv country.
bow to the constitution, and by force of
IT'S provisions, am compelled either to stand
neuter, or to trust means of defence to men
who may cast them away or pervert them
to conquest, do I therefore participate in
their guilt?
But can those means be thus perverted ?
Are even our present rulers so lost to their
country, as to leave her a defenceless vic
tim tothe enemy? Where are our forces
to meet and reper the mighty fleets and
armies WHICH threaten invasion? Where
are our armies, even for defencee
The very means which must bring them
into existence, are still slumbering in your
committee rooms. What if they should
iali?. Have we pictured to ourselves the
consequences What man, who hears me,
VIZ survive 'he utadly .spasms, the social
distraction, and civil and servile commo,
lions, which must ensue violent termina-
ton of our republica When view nv.
own state, the great mart Of her wealth,
OF easy access, and of difficult defence, the
great Lake extending to her interior, com
manded, by the enemy, her borders briat,
ling with hostile bayonets, only waiting the
spring to be levelled at our citizens and
when know the extreme distress, perhaps
overthrow that must await her, if left I'm
aided in the struggle, my duty forbids me
to hesitate. Our states must be defended
from invasion. Beyond that is not possible
for our means. For, Mr.. Speaker, let those
mortified and disgraced men, whose rash
ness and imbecility have combined to Fro
duce all our misfortupes, talk as they may,
about their vain designs of future invasion
and conquest, the wretched state of the trea.
sury-tha meIane hotv copd;t;o.