Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-11

copId not for a moment doubt. He Gould not believe that
the Government Of Greut Britain VIII permit an : 90
outrageous to pass without prompt ana eihcieht
sures of redress. But, in the mean time, (cHhunueu
Mr.. IT, this highly excited People on me Notlheth
frontier must moi be lett 10 the sway Oh 'neif own w,
checked impulses in this state OF ntiairs. Injuries were
committed on both sides. Evaporation follows; Tctalla'
ton comes next; and there should be d sufficient! lo1cr
stationed there 10 prevent these Irregularities, these
outbreaks OF feeling. There should have always heen
PERMITTED ~ remain there q sufficient iprce to prevent
these disturbances. II the necessity inr this was not
f,rpseen, al least since It has been inPrndIng. It should
hive hren cared Tor. The inns OF the u. States LETT un-
guarded, her posts neglected, and no i"rce leil there 10
project them against pIllage and violrnce-all this Ger.
ialnly shows great aud culpabie neglect on the part
our Government. But, at all events, this subject lMf'
II. remarkcd) is now before the House III a proper FORM
for lis action, and he hoped that that action wou!o Ut
prompt and decisive. He was in favor Of the motion "l
MIR. Thompson, to refer the several ppTlions ol the Mes
snge to The Two committees nance.
MIR. Howard accepted the suggestion as Z H'ooi'ca''oh
OF his own motion.
MIR. Thomson. Of ". Y, regretted 10 perceive that there
was as great a disposition, III some quarters, 10 make war
upon the Administration as, in others. 10 pursue 4 nos.
tile course towards Great Britain. For himself, lie cou'd
no, see wherein the Administration had been at all 10
blame in the matter. How was The Administration !"
be blamed because the Canadians had come across tne
lines and made war upon some OF the cItIzens "l inc
limited States: Until within thirty days there lao
been no hostile demon straliuns on that frontier. No
one had supposed, until very recently, that there wo''sd
be any occasion there for troops. Every thing was
quiet and peaceful on that border forty days ago
And now, gentlemen say that Government is 10 Lame
because that frontier is not fortified aud garrlsoncd.-
lie would ask The gentlemen OF The South why lhis Is
80. Is it not because the whole force OF the country IS
concentrated al the South, and protecting that frontier,
MS. indeed, they rightlully should he DONG! why is
this? WHY is there no adequate ince al The NORTH
because, until now, there has existed no necessity inr
their presence there; and ii has been absolutely impossi-
bile 10 Withdraw troops from the South Tor that service,
if such necessity had existed. He, himself, had repre-
scented the great need Of such measures, had they been
practicable, and every thing that could be done has been
done, 10 protect that frontier. And he repeated, that he
could not possibly conceive wherein The Administration
had shown itself bamewOrthy in Tie affair.
He would say u single word MS 10 the allegation that
the measures Of The Government were characterized by
tameness, in reference to this question. lie would re.
mind gentlemen Of The old proverb, that "they who live
in glass houses must not throw stones And he ask
cd, surprising that it should turn out that this Govern
nenl were in q "glass house, = in this matter: Sup
pose it should turn out that some Of cur own people
had raised, upon Navy Island, the flag Of revolution,
''of piracy," as McNabb calls il, against the British
Governmenl-and that this same steamboat Caroline
had been engaged in carrying munitions OF war,
provisions, and men, 10 aid the forces on that Island,
against the Government perhaps there might have
been something previous To the destruction OF that boat
To paIliate its destruction. He disclaimrd any inIen.
ton Of ~juslifying the outruges committed upon that &C.
casion, but he thought il best To suggest that there
might be some palliative circumstances, which were not
yet all known. lie was for a calm and dispasslonate
inquiry into The whole CRse.
MIR. rhett OF South Carolina observed, that il was the
first duty of those who would speak upon the agilating
subject before the House, 10 inquire, who was 10 blame
in this affair The blame had by some gentlemen been
laid al the door of The Administralion-bu surely with.
ont just cause. There was no force ut lis disposal; in
fact, there was not one regular soldier on The ground
and those officers of The Government 10 whom 1t had
n right to look for The preservation Of our neutrality,
had been amongst the most forward in contributing TO
the existing state Of things on that frontier: We had
nome Ia blame but ourselves. A rebel Chief, a fugitive
from his country, had crossed the frontier, and in open
day, by violent and inilamnnalory speeches, had inst
gated American citizens TO take up arms. This indl-
vidual, 4 traitor in the view oil the British authorizes,
had been permitted openly 10 recruit men IN the pubic
streets Of Buffalo. And this while we were at peace win
the British Nation and its Government. Was this all:
No. a body OF men, 80 out of 100 of whom were Anne.
ricans, had gone over upon a neutral island, and estab-
lisbed themselves in q hostile altitude, and IN open dc.
fance of the British Government! and OF the laws OF ma
lions. Under such a state Of things, Great Brllnin could
not look 10 the ineffciency Of the powers ut our EAccu.
tive to prevent such agGressioas; It would louk al the
fact alone. We were bound TO control our Citizens, ana
were re. ponsiblc for their conduct. Besides, there was
kept up u constant communication with this lDsurscnt
body from the American shore, from which they were
supplied with provisions and munitions OF war, and this
boat which had been destroyed, i, was said, had been en-
gnged in an intercourse of this very character. Before
he could be in circumstances to pronounce any opinion
on the character OF the transaction which had created
SO great a sensation among our People, lie must hIst
know the fact, whether That boat was engaged in carry.
ing over 10 Navy Island articles contrabnnd of war. If
she was, Mr.. r. would not say that the representatives
of The British Government had no right 10 seize and de-
slroy her. AT all events, it was Il gallant enterprise, and
if he had been in the situation Of Col. McNubb, and had
reason to believe that the boat was engaged IN such a
proceeding, lie believed he should have done The same
and 50, he suspected, would any other man OF any inlrc.
pidity.
Gentlemen ought not 10 forget the ground taken by
Gen. jackson with the Spanish authorizes at Pensacola,
and maintained so ably by the gentleman from Massa-
chuse,ls, then Secretary of Stale. Then we held, that
if the Spanish officers received refugees from The Anne
rican lines and suffered them tp remain and to have pro-
teciion within Spanish fortrPsses, we had a right TO
seize upon them by the strong hand. Gentlemen must
all remember how many Indians were found there when
Pensacola was taken. Were We not now in q similar
situation with Spain: Had not we received, cherished,
and encouraged refugees from Canada, and suitried
them 10 muster men and arms within cur own territory:
Mr.. r. insisted that this nation was IN the wrong
Our own People, without any authority or permission
from their own Government, had plunged into this Ca.
madam contest: on them rested The responsibility, ana
not OH Congress or the Administration. And he would
here declare, in his place, that it would be TO our last.
inu SHINE and dishonor, should we be driven into i war
under such circumstances. Int state oil profound peace
between The Two nallnnS, our citizens had risen up ana
invaded The soil of q British Province with the Gyowed
purpose of putting down the institutions OF government
existing there. What should we think were the case
our own, and British citizens were to gather upon our
frontier for the ay0wed purpose OF extinSuishing our
republican Institutions Would we tolerate such all at.
tempt for a moment? Never. Before, then, we wrought
ourselves up into fury fur imaginary wrongs, let US
look al the matter fairly, and mark with whom lie az
erosion lies. He was not going 10 war on any such
ground. lie thought lsO millions Of public debt was
quite enough for one generation 10 incur for war, unless
the national honor demanded it in the cleurest manner.
Until we knew the facts of this affair, no man could e1-
press q Correct opinion-but appearances were clearly
against Us. He was for preserving an honorable bear
ing toward a friendly Power, and treating it with that
fairness and just consideration which we should demand
from others. If war should ensue from what had thus
far lranspired, it would not be because ofany aEgressions
now c0mDllIneU OF. but from q shirt OF CPfanCc ana
menace but loo recklessly, he thought, INDUCED upon
that floor.
MIR. N1encfee next addressed the Chair, but tho first
part of his remarks were inaUdible at our reporter ) desk