Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-08-12

ampntaed THIS iungrs the bndv polite and re- tor
eel q" to so"ud and healthy stare This was uu,
done, and The nation has consequently spent alou,
twelve millions rron IT,"
Let us not, again be told, that Mr.. Craw
ford is the friend oil the Navy and we NAV
perceive, IN this last extract, whence his friends
IN Congress before named, derive their anpu
fGt'ng system IN respect 10 all Our means of
hatiouii deienee-navy, army, military acade
my ana tortiiicaiiOns. Among politicians of
that sac all these Institutions are, in the Ian.
guaSe al their leader, but SO many fungi Of
me body polite ichich ougM 10 be an,ptiaied;
but, such were not the doctrines of those c, St
rate statesmen, Mr.. Jefferson, Mr.. Madison
and Mr.. Monroe, in whose wake We delight 60
| follow.
| But this speech deserves 10 he considered
under other points of view. Among republi
cans, Mr.. Crawford is gratuitously supposed
TO nave been an early, warm, and steady advo-
cate for an efficient redress, by war or re-
slrction, of the wrongs received from Great
Britain, between the years 1906 and l3l2.-t
Yet, It IS believed, that this was his Z" single
speech" on the causes of the war; and on
enquiry, | am confident it will be fund, he
did not, once rise in the senate in support of
that last resort of a suffering and insuiied peo
lple-alihough, coerced by the arduur uf his
constituents, he ultimately recorded his
vote IN favour of the war. Previous to this,
he had, iolh HE Jederaiists IN body, voted
against the embargo, the favourite substitute
OF Mr. Jefferson hut, after its repeal, he pro-
claimed MS efficiency, and gave il a preference
over actual hostilities. Through the whole
OF tins trying period, it would appear, that he
was governed by the principle-lhat, submits
sion was better than any substitute for war;
and any substitute better than actual war
The following quotations from the speech un-
der review will justify this conclusion
-" Mr.. Crawford sad, lieure he entered on the
discussion Of the BILL he fell il his duty TO declare,
ihat IN The observations, he had made upon the mo-
,'on Tor posponement, lac had the most distant
intention ol n'imaiing, that the gentleman from Fr
gina MIR Giles 90 wishrd tn involve the nation in
war, that he Nh. did not believe to he necessa
ry orihe preservation OF The honour the interests
OF the country.
6 Mr.. c. said, that he had, by his ouu reflections
no doubt hurt that he had not been consulted by
Mr.. Madison " been led TO conjecture that this adj
d'tioaal naval force was intended protect
mece, IN time OF peace, TO prepare Tie nation for
a declaration OF war; which intended ISSUE or
expect To be issued against us, by both of the
great beliigerenI nations. The observations of the
gentleman from Virginia had confirmed him, that his
conjsctures were well founded" Mr. C.. next smoke
oil the expense of the proposed the fuilitv
of navy. even /" IL the q S were TO expend one
hundred mlioss of dollars, in vessels of war and
expend one fourth of that snm, annually" upon it -;
then CHANGING at our foreign relations, he proceeded
thus
| Z" Mr.. Crawford said, he was not convinced but
that fortunate fur the patton that we did moi
Ideclare war, in March 1901 alo he though hi and
ieit differently, upon The ree II of the embargo He
was opposed 10 It's repeal, but for war when it
repealed. What, SIR Is situation now when com
| pared with March 1909 The embargo although
vilited and abandoned here, proved eiicacious.--
The arrangement of the 18Th of April last the
offspring OF the embargo. The abandonment OF tia
| embargo reduced The dsavovai of lhnt arrange
memt. The order Of the Goth April, 1902 is sr IN
iorce and although II falls very short of The arrange
mebi made az this place 10y Erskinel Yer, ii alan-
dons The two most important and obnoxious prnci |
piles of the orders Of the 1lih November 1907 = |
The transit duty Is given up, and The blockade OF
commercial Europe Is restrained 10 Holland. Fauce
and tie kingdom Of Italy. BY this ulOd fcaiion our
trade To all the res; OF world * unrulese I'd by BRUSH
orders III council. II The comparison between our
present situation and that Of March last can he rriy
drawn, there can he difficulty in deciding, that as
we did not then declare war, shall do it, !
| now"
| Here il is worthy Of remark, that Mr.. Cravy-
| ford, on the subject of national redress, was
always behind ar before, the president and the
republican members of congress When they
proposed an embargo, he voted against il
but after they abandoned it, he brcame an
advocate ofthe measure. He was opposed TO
the war in the beginning of 1910 and then,
for the first time, informs us that he was in
favor of that resort, the preceding March !
What he says of the golden commerce left To
us, under the British order in council Of the
26th April, 1909, is in exact accordance with
the arguments of the frderalists OF tina, day
on ihe same subject. Yet in another part or
the speech, Mr.. Crawford cOntradicts hnscirl
and shows 10y the facts Ire cites, that we
ought, al that moment, to have declared WAL
even If it had been solely to ,ndicaie our
commercial rights. He is enquiiing whr ;hrr
a declaration will come from the other side of
the Atlantic, and this is his anguage:-
/ =" Has G. Britain any interest 10 subserve by war
! with the u. ). Is the of this country
beneficial To her She enjoys all Of it which she
wishes. She gets, bv purchase capture all which
she wants from For the first she pays a moderate
price, and Tor the last she pays nothing. But what
ut equal Importance 10 her, purchase her manI-
Iacucs. In the enjoyment Of all The benefits of our
commerce, she resirains her adversary rom all par
icipation with her ia those benefits"
The last extract | shall make from this
celebrated speech contains his principal argu
ment against declaration o. war on our part,
and is as follows:
But, waving all the arguments against our decar-
ing which may bc drawn from our past conduct
| Mr.. G. sail, he would ask Ibis honour able body
whether the present situation of the world does
most soIen,nly aimonsb this nation to stand aoof
| from the dreadful commissions with which Eurnpe.
far years past had been agitatcd its centre! Yes
sir, the character Of the and the prime piles upon
| which il is conducted, admonish us, in the most
solemn manner 10 remain quiet uni'l It's strong
buws shall have subsidized inio = can."
What does MIR. Crawford mean by waiting
TIL the " stormy bilows" had subsidized ? Were
we, under illegal bIoclsades, the capture of our
commerce, the impressmcnt Of our seamen,
the diplomatic insults of jackson and the muir
der of Pierce in our waters-and after Offering
TO England every opportunity Of abandoning
aud at0ning for these accumulated wrongs
were we still 60 grOan under them, til Eng
land could finish the war in Europe and stand
prepared TO WELD her undivided furce against
us Americans this was the MGgnGnimOus