Thomas's Massachusetts spy, or, Worcester gazette. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1811-1821, 1821-03-21

admonilhed by its events, selolved to olsce itJeIi
IN iituation which h0uId Be better calculated
70 prevent the recurrence OF . like evil. and. ia
cafe it ihould Tecur, to mitieate it, eaIsmities.
With this views after reducing our land force to
the bads of peace elablilhment. which Ias hen
further modified fnce, provifion was made for
the contribution of forti6caiions at proper points.
/! through the whole extent Of outcoaR. and fuch
| an augmentation of our naval force as fhouId Be-
well adapted to both puTpoies. The laws max
ing this Proviiion were psiIed IN 1873 aud l6.
ana It has been iince the conant effort Of the Ex
ecutive to carry them into effea.
The advantage of theIe Notifications. and OF
an augmented naval force, in the extent contem.
Plated' IN point OF economy, has been fully lie
iaftfated, oy Report of the Board of Engineers
and Naval Commithonefss lately communicated
70 CongTeis, by which it appears that, ia an in-
vahon ny twenty thouiand men, with corYef-
Pondent naval force, in campaign of ix months
oniys the-whole expenie of the contribution of
!ne works would be betrayed by the difference
IN the iom necehaTy to maintain the force which
would DC adequate TO our defence with the aid
OF mole works, and that which would be incur.
req without them. The Tealon of this difference
- obvious. 1t fortihcations are judiciouly
placed on our great inlets, as diRant from our
form the only points of attack, and the enemy
will be detained there by fmali regular force
fuficient time to enable our militia to coIlea.
and repair to that on which the attack il made.
A force adequate to the enemy, collected At thai
Jingle point, with fuitabIe preparations. for lncF,
Others az might be menaced, is all shat would Be
requiiite. But If there were no Notifications.
then the enemy might 60 where he pIeaied. and.
changing his petition, and failing from place to
place, our force muif be called out and fppesd
In watt numbers along the whole coafi, and on
both iides OF every bay and river, a. high up ia
each as it might be navigable for fhips Of war.-
BY thele Notifications, fappoFscd By oar navy.
70 which they would afford like iupport, we
mould preient to other powers an armed front
from St. Croix to the Sabine, which would pro-
tett, 10 the event OF war, our whole coat and
Interour from inyahon; and even in the wars
OF other powers 10 which we were neutral. thew
would be found eminently ufefui, a. by keeping
their publick fhips at diaance from our cities.
peace and order in them would be preieryed. and
the government be protected from inlult.
Il need iearcely be remarked that tFele rueaf-
urea have not been reiorsed to in fpirit of hof.
niity to other powers. Such difpo6tion does
not exiif towards sny power. Peace aud good
will have been and will hereafter be cult;v,ted
with all, and by the mott faithful regard to iuf.
tice. They have been dictated by love of peace
OF economy. and an esrnef deiire to fave the
lives of our fellow. citizens from that defsruaion
and our country from that deva2ation. which
are inieparable from war, when il fiuds Ms I'M
prepared for it. Iii believed, and experience
has lhown that fuch preparation is the BEE ex-
pedient that can be reforted to, to prevent war
Iadd, with much pIeafure, that comfortable
progrels has already been made in ,hele me,fure.
of defence. and that they will be completed in a
few years, coniidering the great extent and inpor-
lance of the objea, if the plan be sealouily and
readily perleveEsd in.
The condu4 of the government. 10 what relates
to foreign powers, is always an obiea of the
higheit importance to the nation. It's sgricul-
ture, commerce, manufactures, fifheries, revenue,
in hort, its peace may all be Affected by it. Az
teation is, therefore, due to this iubjeee.
AT the period adyested to, the powers OF Eu.
rope, after having been engaged in long and de-
Rrutfive wars with each other, had concluded
peace which happily aill exits. Cor peace
with the power with whom we had been engse-
ed, had ALTO beensconcluded. The war between
Spain and the colonies 10 South America, which
had commenced many years before, was then the
only confli1 that remained unletled. This be.
ing contea between different parts Of the fame
community, in which other powers had not ia.
terfered, was not Affected bytheir aeeommoda-
tions.
This conte& was conddered, at an early Rage.
BY my predecefor, civil war, in which the par.
ties were entitled to equal rights in our ports.-
This deciion. the 6rR made by any power, be.
ing formed on great confederation of the COM
parative hrength and relources Of the parties, the
length OF time and fucceisfnl oppo6tion made
by the colonies, and of all other circumRances
on which ir ought to depend, was in aria sc-
cord with the law of nations. Congrels has in.
variably aeaed on this principle, having made no
change in our relations with either party. Our
attitude has therefore been that of neutrality be-
tween them, which has beea maintained by the
government with the Ari6eR impartiality. No
aid has been afforded to either, nor has any privi-
lege been enjoyed by the one, which has not been
equally open to the other party; and every exer-
ton has been made in its power to enforce the
execution of the laws prohibiting illegal equip.
ucnts. with equal rigouE againR both.
BY this equ,lisy between the parties, their pub
lick veiiels have been received ia our ports on
the lame footing they have enjoyed an equal
right to purchaIe and export arms, munitions of
war, and every other fupply--.he exploration of
all articles whatever being permitted under laws
which were paied long before the commence.
ment Of the contea. Our citizens have traded e.
qually with both, and their commerce with each
haa been alike protected by the government.
Refpeaiug the attitude which !. may be proper
for the United States to maintain hereafter between
the parties, have no heiistion in eating 1t as my
opinion, that the neutrality heretofore oblersed
lhould aill be adhered to. From the change in
the government Of Spain, and the nc yociation now
Ae,srA;ne ;nvsted n, ~. r.r... .SI ........l y.