Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-04-06
[vOL. Xv.--N0. tos.

terrors for lie brave, nor can The irown
Of the Spaniard shake the soul of The he
TO. But there, was no Caager 10 be- APP
pretended. The Governor had no force
with which 10 make The attack. My
honorable friend from Virginia tAir. Bar
bour) Ia graduating the necessity OF this
case, states, that il the attack had been
made, Jackson would have been ins,i-
fed IN seizing Pensacola. True, h.3
right to seize might have existed, but lie
could have he'll it only for a moment.
The assailaDt vanquisled, The General
would have been compelled to have re-
turned To hun his armour. Need call
! TO The recollection of the committee the
case Of the Tripolian brig. Before. yo,.
declared war against 1ripoii, one OF her
armed vessels attacked one Of yours-il.c
vaiourof ourseamcn triumphed-the brig
surrendered. But, the battle ended, size
was Immediately restored. Tie proceeding
was approved Of by that friend Of liberty
and man, MIR. Jefferson, and, in a mes
sage 10 Congress, he represented lie war
as being altogether on the one side, and
| demanded that our condition should be
changed. Tins was the course Of pro-
ceediDg IN Older fnres. Would that lie
| principles of those times could exist for
| ever! But, sir, what was Gen Jacksous
course of proceeding He did NOT wait
for, but made ihe attack He sei2ss the
post. enters into terms oi capiuiaiion
with the garrison, and sends ii off TO
| Spanish Island; appoints officers of po-
nee Introduces our own laws, andh6akes
what he calls valuable addition 10 Our
territory. Sir, appeal 10 my honorable
colleague (Mr. IL. Nelsom Who has adj.
| vised us TO read the documents, and WHO
| Processes most intimate knowledge Of
these transactions, TO say, i'll have stated
any thing bui facts. Mr.. Chairman, /
cannot imagine more formidable ~
road on the powers OF this House. The
military commissions The officers of po-
| lice; the American law prevails lie
| Spanisli customs are disregarded. Who
has done all this +? Not the Congress of
| the United States, but the commander Of
lis armies. am 10 apologist for Spain /;
our wrongs are numerous and great. BUT.
VIII never cease TO protest against the
violation Of the constitution. But The
gentleman who has just addressed YOU
(Mr. Ii. Nelson) urged that, in order 10
| protect Your frontier, ii was necessary
| you should have these posts. That, but
Tor their occupation, that frontier wouii,
even now, in all probability be visited by
massacre and blood. And are we pre-
pared 10 justify this proceeding upon the
plea of convenience: To what conclusions
will this lead us In prosecuting war
with the Turks, would not this same plea
| Justify you, IT you possess the power, in
seizing OIL Gibraltar This would euAb.e
you. viii little difficulty, 10 bring tl,en. 10
terms, and 10 overawe any subsequent
| rupture. In the event OF war win
| England, you could not do better t!,an
wrest Cuba from The hands of Spain
for, by doing so, the commerce Of lie
West Indies would be placed at your mel-
cy, and their prosperity depend upnn
] your will. And yet, sir, will the gentleman
say, that one OF your cOmmodores, with
out your authority, should possess him-
self of Cuba | again call upon hi.
committee 10 guard against the evils Of
this precedent. have pointed out some
few OF It's consequences have argued
this as an abstract question | have at
tempted 10 meet il fairly; ] argue from
The pTlnclples OF common seDse, Ind
base myself upon the constitution of NV
country. My colleague (Mr, II. Nrlsor1
has asked you, IT you were dispGsed ~
acquit yourself from the Responsibilities nj
these measures, after making an aprro.
pr!ation to carry Gu tie war against lie
Seminoles. Sir, will, with all due de-.
terence, propose a question TO honorable.
gentlemen. Did not The chairman of the
cOmmiiiee OF foreign relations distinctly
announce, on this floor, at the last ses
sion, his intention of submitting In tI,.,t
committee proposition to authorize Ire
President OF the United States TO take
possession of Florida | understood IL
was submitted 10 that committee. and
rejected by an unanimous vote. UIcre
Mr.. Holmes, from Massachusetts, rose
10 explain he said that The proposition
had been submitted 10 the committee az
| rpl at lao let
thatit had not been authorized by lie
President or the iiouse.) MIR. Tyler con
tlnued. II came from the chairman
had the right TO submit the proposition.
But care not from whence II CAME
lie proposition was submitted and WA
distinctly ncgarived. Would not THIS
house have done the same thing
heard no second 10 The proposition. You
would moi even authorize The President
10 seize OH these posts, and yet, when
military officer does il, We calmly fold
our arms and approve the act. Has cor
course OF policy so suddenly changed !
What has produced this change A sum
mer campaign Have we more lights
now than we had lasl winter 2 Did YOU
not knew then, as well as you do nov,
the feelings of the Governor of PeDsa-
cola towards this nallon Tie had sui-
fered, in our lale conflict with England,
an English army 10 possess itself ol Pen
sacola, and from thence, 10 carry on hos.
iiliiles against us. General Jackson. Ia
the year 1914, was compelled 10 dispos-
sess that enemy. Sir, we had every light
then, which We possess now, OH this sub
jeci, aud We distinctly disappr0vc OF lie
occupation Of these posts.
The gentlemen from Virginia (Mr. -.
Nels0n) has referred us TO the seizure of
[ Dnll.nl.nl IN 1911 md IL tl.lll.. Mind