Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-04-01

! iisposiiion, manness: and morals Of the In
dams, andto shew they could not be con-
srolIed By trade merely,
+ Mr.. Trimble spoke At considerablc length
to impress his opinions Of the importance Of
the trade with the Indians--tbe policy Of
extending it-of excluding from them inlru-
ders and foreign inauence-.-of obtaining =
controlling influence over them--the means
necessary % effect these objects. the most
e6ectual OF which was the establishment OF
military posts on the extreme frontisr--that
The expedition up the Missouri to the extent
contemplated By the war department was
compatible with the true policy Of the ma
ton, and the best and safest means Of pro.
noting that policy, &c, that an opposite po-
Icy gave The British an influence over the
northwest Indians that. in the last war cost
this nation thousands Of lives and millions OF
money, &c. That the additional expence
was extremely inconsidcrable compared
with the advantages in view, &c. and enter
ed much at alarge into view of the position.
trade and connection Of the various tribes.
the routes Of foreign traders. SC. and concIu-
ded BY asserting, that, without any reference
TO the present expedition, the appropriation
ought not to be less than the amendment con-
templated.
Mr. Macon replied TO some OF the state
ments made by Mr.. Dana in relation to for
mer fiscal matters; and proceeded to argue
that the Indians were sufficiently well ac-
quainted With the power Of the United States
without consuming the public resources in
sending military expeditions to such extreme,
" remote points. &c.
Mr.. Burrill thought Mr.. DaDa's argument,
ike many other good ones, proved too much;
that, If ii were admitted that our power ought
to be exhibited so far up the Missouri, the
same policy would require it elsewhere, even
as far as the Columbia. and argued that it
was the acquisition of the fur trade only
which ought to be aimed at, or now consi-.
dered that thers was no want OF Indian
territory in that direction at present; and
that having no controversy with the Indians
or with England, about boundary or any
thing else, it was inexpedient to prosecute
this expedition further than il had reached );
that if that was found beneficial there, il
might be extended hereafter; that as It would
probably produce hostilities with the Indians.
it would be best to proceed prudently &c.
Mr.. Edwards argued from the practice of
the English companies, and the French. as
well as our own experience, that forts and
military force stationed amongst them, were
necessary to produce the desired effect on
the Indians and that no other means would
answer.
MIR. Otis would perhaps have been adverse
to this expedition if called on now for the
first time to authorize IL; but having been
sanctioned by Congress at the last session,
and already prosecuted to great extent, he
knew Of nothing which had occurred to in
duce an abandonment of il that to keep the
expedition where il is 40. 900 dollars will
be necessary, and TO carry it up to The point
originally contemplated would REQUIRE but
10000 more and asked whether the expe.
dition had been proven so improper, after
the strong expressions used in its favor by the
president, as 10 induce it to be given up for
this small sum, &c. why was it proper to go
to the Council Bluffs, yet not proper, after
making two appropriations on the subject, to
go little further? 1t was an inexpedient
and unharmonious way Of legislating ane in
carrying into effect an important policy in re-
lat;on to the fur trade, it was worth the triae
called tor, &c.
hr. Logan went into similar train of rea-
soning to establish the opinion thatthe expe-
dition was in pursuance of a great national
,polcy--to extend our own trade and inHu-
ence with the Indians. and cutting up that
of foreigners-oi averting Indian hostilites,
sc. and that tue sum involved was unimpor-
tant compared with such objects, &c.
The bill was then postponed to tomorrow;
and the Senate went into the consideration Of
executive business; after which
The Senate adjourned.
IN SENATE.
Wednesday, .Marsa 90.
Amessage was received from the Presi-
dent Of the United States, transmitting, in