Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-01-28

they cannot be overlooked contend
that they are such as prudent nation
may overlook if she chooses. 1t cannot
DE commended that they are stronger
! grounds of complaint than " furnishing
determined succor, allowing troops To
he raised or advancing money" Al;ho'
not precisely the same, y,t they are OF
similar character. They are lie cvidenc-
es OF hostile disposition-,liey are evil
| dences of greater regard for our enemy
than ourselves. Now, the cases have
quoted, Vaftcl expressly declares 10 be
SUCH" as may be overlooked" il, i'm other
respects. the accustomed relations OF
peace are prescrved-(Vattel, p. 32S }
True, we may call them TO account tor il.
We may deinand redress. II was :" new
ground of quarrel" of which we bad "a
right TO complain. We might expos
tulatc with them, and, not receiving sal
tistaction, we nigh, prosecute our right,
aud make war OH them. But in tins
case there must be dec!aration"-(Vat
lei, 33i) But, sir, this nation have had
NJ opportunity to complain of Spain, and
IN CASE retlr' 81 were refused, to consult
their interest in declaring war or not
whether wiling ormoi, il has been dccla-
red to their hand, and those who have
done /, are not even 10 be censured. Tina,
we are not now at war is attributable on
iy 10 the mbeciiity of our enemy. Sir,
| thluk THAT even those who differ with
me IN opinion upon this subject, will adj
NIT, that, had it been England and not
SPAN, whose forts W, re captured, we had
now been at blows III "A war commenced
without consulting The people. go far
li'r: venture TO ask them, had il been
England from whom we had seized these
4 nm, H., L..
name only because | know he commands
on The northern ironiier,) the officer uho
had made the war, would he not have
been called To severe account?
But, sir, the policy of The nation is
charged The law is changed; the con
stl'utinn Is changed: The right of de-
liberation upon this great exercise of
power, IN declaring war, and with which
The interest, honor, and prosperity of the
people are more Intimately connected
than with any other act of sovereignty, is
taken from them : il belongs 10 General
Jackson; he has involved us i'm war. as
tar as has act could do it, and we must
SUPPORT him in it.
Some other reasons for the seizure of
these posts deserve 10 be noticed. One
Is, BECAUSE ST. Marks was necessary as
depot for The success o! his future Ope.
ralions." And will it be said that this
affords justification of his conduct p
so Gibraltar may be necessary in our fu-
lure operations against the Barbary DOW
ers, ami why not take that, or some other
place III the Mediterranean But, again
II seems that the Governor of Pensacola
sent very insulting letter TO The General,
threatening 10 repel force by force. Ii
was this letter, he declares, that finally
determined his mind TO capture the place.
From his letter, il would seem that all the
other reasons would not have been suffici-
ent. Upon tile receipt of this letter she
iiesliaied no longer" And so, sir. be-
cause his feelings and his dignity were
lnsulied, this nation must run The risk of
war TO revenge ii. Sir, in my opinion, II
was the duty of The Spanish officer TO
protest when he discovered that General
Jackson was OH his march for Pensacola
he was near 10 ll-tor lie received the
protest on The 23d OF May, and Oh The
next day entered the town. The duty of
the Spanish officer 10 his own government
required Thai he should protest. In say.
ing Tins, again repeat, that do not IN
tend TO paliiate Spanish wrongs they
are sufficiently great. But it belongs TO
The people, and not the officers of ihe ar
my, 10 determine Furnishing them.
the General gives as cause for his move
ments, TO which beg leave 70 advert. 1t
is ihis-tEat he " had understood the |
Indians were collecting, To the amount of /
tour or five Mo"sand,+ in the neighbour |
hood OF Pensacola. This is really too |
Iaughableto be seriously noticed. Atno
lime during this war, was there ever as |
many as one thousand seen together. The |
Indians had been beaten and dispersed |
and driven 10 the east, INTO the peninsula |
OF Florida. From whence, then, were |
these four or five thousand 10 come Sir.
all The SeDinoles, Red Sticks, and Ne |
groes together, did not amount TO that
mum Der; and have too good an opinion
of his judgement to think he believed The |
information, though have no doubt he
received it.
had, SIR, various other circumstances
10 which | wished 10 call the attention of
the committee. But | feel myself nearly
exhausted, and | am sensible have al
ready taken up too much of their lime.
For The patience and attention with which
they have listened 10 me, | return them
my thanks they have been greater, per-
laps, than deserved. But | cannot lake
my seat without calling their attention to
The precedent which will be made in this
case. This body Is the child almost of |
precedenls. Not case presents itself |
but What precedenis are sought-evcn
every little claim is governed by prece-
dent. | hope they will be aware of the
important one 10 be afforded by ihe de-
cisIon OF this question, and that il shall
not be such as that, al some future peri
cd, II some ambitious General should
sprmg up, and, painting TO acquire the
same glory, without possessing the talents
OF General Jackson, should, by some
mad act, hurry This nation into war, he
shall not have il i'll his power TO point 10 |
this case. and shield himself from rcspon-