Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-03-22

that our Military Establishment was nomi
naiiy INCREASED to tea thousand men. At
this time, he could see NJ necesS,>y for
preparing for war he could not think Con
gress would be justified in maintaining any
further burthen on the people, than was ne
cessary to garrison the various posts in the
United States. They would not, he thought,
do their duty to their country, If they went
beyond six thousand men.
Mr.. PICKERING said, he held in his
hand the Message Of the President of the
United States, transmitting to Congress a
Treaty OF Peace and .Amity qvith Great
Britain. He had supposed this an authen
tic document; that we really had been at
hedce; that we had been rejoicing and i'll
Illuminating for Peace. But, were he or any
other person to form his opinions on the
words used by the gentleman FROM South
Carolina (Mr. Calhoun) he should conclude
that we were still at war. That gentleman
bad urged, as arconclusive reason, why we
should not reduce the army below ten thou
sand men, that we did not vet know the
disposition of the enemy The Presidents
recommendation for. the maintenance OF an
adequate regular force having been read
by one gentleman, MIR p. begged the at
Ientian OF the house TO another passage,
which he readf expressing the sanguine
nope and belief, that the Treaty of Peace
would be lasting foundation of the most
friendly intercourse The sentiments now
expressed OH one side OF the house, ap.
peared to him to be Of character directly
opposed to this /; and would have ten.
dency TO stir up all the sentiments which
had existed a nd should only exist in n state
OF war. If we have peace in fact, If we are
OF Aui Ilu
with Great Britain, we should lay aside Ill
enmitJ. and forbear any expressions, caicu>
ia'ed Co heep alive that rratibiii,y which
has existed in time past, against the nation
with whom we are now at peace. If we
desire reaewal of friendly iutei course, we
ought 10 lay aside unfounded suspicious,
and act upon the state of things, declared
and established by the Treaty. There was
one argument that had been so often re-
peated, he could not omit noticing it, tho
he had been substantially anticipated by
the gentleman from Marylan In the
treaty of 1888, there was a stipulation that
neither 3ation should throw any impeachment
IN the way OF recovery of deUtS due from
citizehs OF one nation to citizens of the o.
t.er 1t was notorious fact, that such
lmpedinents were thrown in the way by
some OF The sta,es, the consequence Of which
was that Great Bri; ain kept possession of
the posts she was to have given up TO US -
The surrender Of the posts, and the remos
val OF legal impediments to the collection of
old British debts, took place at one and the
same time aud nnquestionably, as the
gentleman who last spoke had observed, on
Doth sides there was blame. MIR. p. SAID
he was well aware, that he could neither
speak or write, if he had any reference to
Great Britain in either way, butt was said
ne was British advocate. His conduct
throughout the war of the Revolution, and
since, ought to contradict the inslhuation
L am, said be. an American citizen, and
know no other prediction. Bat, he might
add that after the treaty OF 1894. the Board
OF Commissioners under that Treaty were
broke up, and 20 measures were taken for
the payment of those British debts and it
was not until the administration of Mr.. JEFF
ferson, that Tiedy was entered into, and
ratified by him, whereby the United States
were pledged TO pay those debts, computed
at Certain sum. Without waiting for that
payment, BIZ ain did surrender the posts.
But, it had been said, we ought TO Peep up
large force II Britaindid. Great Britain,
remote as she is from her provinces, has
much stronger reason for keeping up large
force there, than the United States could
nave Tor maintaining corresponding force.
The continuing to harbor such suspicious,
Mr.. L. said, would, more than all other
things, tend to produce another war. But,
Could any gentlemen seriously apprehend
another war after what had takes place ar
the close of this 1t had been sad the
pride OF Great Britain would be wounded
by the events at New Orleans To this
Mr.. r. answered, she had made peace with
cut knowing the result of that expedition.
Why did she make eeace3 Some suppo-
sed, on account of the aspect of affairs in
Europe. Mr.. p. rather attributed 1t TO the
state OF things IN Great Britain The sen-
tments OF the opposition in both houses, we
know to have been favorable TO Peace
The sense OF the People of England OH that
head, may be gathered also from the vast
number OF petitions tor Peace with the u. 5.
IL may also be attributed TO the conviction
experience had taught of its being Clearly
the interest of G.. B. 10 be a peace with Us.
She wants vent for her manufacture. -
Her merchants had supposed, when the
whole Continent was open To her, there
would be an Unsuitable market for her COM
modiues. There was an error in that spe
cuiat!on, aud many OF her merchants were
figured, IL not ruined, by engaging in it,
ae continent was inundated by British
manu- aclures: the people of the continent
were unable or n I INC ined TO purcase, and
the goods remained III Consequence in the
hanGs OF the exporters. The British nation,
therefore. so large a portion of whose peo-