Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-08-24
pnrdy while il remains so perfectly exposed

us whole coast, effect frontier contiguous 10 10
reign power; which frontier is entirely deienceicss.-
This lake being for the most of its extent the boundary
between the States Of New York and Vermont, both
states are equally exposed by il, in case oil var with
England, while IT'S commerce is very important 10 both
olates, ana the trading towns upon us borders IN
each are numerous and important, and demand de-
fence and protection. need only recall to the minds
OF Senators, the affair of Pittsburgh in loll aud
the ever memorable victory Of McDonough upon Lake
Ghampla'n, to satisfy them THE Importance and the
exposure Of this portion of the frontier, susceptible Of
perfect defence, at comparatively moderate expense
by works which viii command the lake al or The
boundary of the British Territory Such works the
British already have upon their portion Of the ke and
such works should have.
Pass from this Lake West, along the forty fifth de-
gree of latitude, TO the river ST. Lawrence, near the
Indian town of ST. Regis, and New York has land
frontier, otsome seventy miles in extent, wholly
defended This portion of The frontier may, Perhaps
be less susceptible Of protection from works Of Defence
than the water portions, but lis condition should be
examined, and whatever wisely be done, should
certainly Lc DONE in preference 10 giving way the mo-
ncy ofthe country without examination INTO It's ex
posed condition.
| From ST. Regis to Lake Ontario, the river ST Law
renee is The boundary between us and The British pos
sessions distance of hundred and twenty To a
hundred and forty miles For almost the entire dis
lance the river is navigable and navigated BY steam
vessels, and for the whole OF the upper hail W any
SUCH and anv other vessels, which navigate the Lake
nearly continuous throughout tins whole line, while
the villages and trading towns upon each side are quite
numerous in considerably large, III many
instances within cannon shot OF each other, and III al
most all cases within cannon shot from the opposite
shore Such sketch Of the position at that portion
Of the New York frontier. The British have several
military posts and defended positions along tins river,
! and have nothing.
/ Next comes our frontier upon Lake Ontario, en-
bracing extent Of lake coast Of suppose, not less
tl,a h,p, lra1 md md
hundred miles. reference to the naval force when
compelled to place upon tins lake. during Inc
late war; will furnish ample evidence Of the Importance
of the position believe our navy there, before Inc
close Of that war, embraced in actual COMMISSION and
service, class Of vessels superior III tonnage ana
armament 10 any had upon the Atlantic ocean,
while two additional ships were III state oil Tor
wardncss intended to mount more than one hundred
guns each. Indeed, my present impression oi the
facts is that when that war terminated, our naval
force upon this single lake was rapidly reaching an
equality in weight nf metal TO our naval force upon
the ocean The hand Of time has long since annih'la-
ted that lake fleet, and we have not now "ang ioce
OF single run upon Lake Ontario. Our pubic works
upon the land the military barracks al Sackett iar
hor constructed tor decnces, but Tor quarters io
troops and recent and very limited expenditures,
by way d! repairs IL the old military WORKS al osweg
and Fort Niagara. Still Of The largest inland
towns the Stale upon, and WITHIN reac from ths
lake and the whole country upon the American s'de is
dsnselv settled and one Of the most wealthy portions
or the Union. Ii we had floating dcienccs upon ms
lake we have M fortress under the protection oil whch
vessels OF war, armed steamers, could rest saie rom
The attack Of hostile force Of the caracter
A, the 100. Of Lake Ontario, tho British have a ma
t,onal work of the first class, Intended 10 command
the entrance the lake from the 81 Lawrence, ana
abundantly sufficient to protect any icet oil any 'e
scrip,ion, naval or commercia when they may re-
onre upon that water may be under mistake, ont
nv impression is, that the home Government, have eS-
pended annually, at different periods, upon this single
work alone, large as that We sometimes an
nuaiy appropriate for tile whole furliicdtiohs VI ~"
Unon-,he sum Of one hundred or more 'hons"nA
pounds sterling. Viewing the vast increase oil popu-
iaon and wealth and trade on this trnntier since me
close Of the late in l-l3, II IS impossible tha he
State of New York be nsensbie or indifferent ~
lis decncrlcss vigilance on our SIDE, or 10 ile superior
yigance IF the rival power upon the other side oil INA,
inland sea- and lis superior preparations tor sa'e o'
hostility | hope it may turn out that the senate may
feel these powerful considerations, and be induced
| from them 10 adopt this amendment
| From Lake Oaniario our boundary passed through
the narrow river or Strait OF Niagara 10 Lake ETY.
distance of between twenty and thirty miles mere
apa;n are considerable towns upon each SIDE ~'ln Tue
reach of cannon from the opposite shore "Ft Saga
m near The entrance of The Niagara river from Lake
Ontario, is probably suitable position Tor defensive
work at that point, but it is yet IN very ine'"'''
state. .,,, ,,ss
frontier upon Lake Erie, Of some seventy hes
from the head Of the river or STRAIT OF ->iasn'" " W
PENNSYLVANIA line, is also IN Me-" f"fH' IN" ~ = i
i presented radin. town, which IN point o' Popu"
inn wealth and commercial importance, stahas - "
FIRST class Buffalo is Il town now WIN P"l',"u r
/ or twenty thousand souls, and within tie ias, ~"
dars an honorable Senator from AichiGan WI 49, 49,
hridre1 rave TO the Senate the numof' u "''S"'1
aud aeparture of steamboats, and other cohaeic'',
yosssls at and from that port, tor single pef'ou
r. $40 weeks within the present season, showing an
,ct;v,tv and amount Of commerce almost ncreoioe i
IN ;,er;or town Indeed This point IS the key 10 tle
whole trade of Lake Erie, and the whole vast cn' "
lakes above IT, and must ever be commercial Wv"
cond IN inheritance 10 very few in the Unnn, not 10
,d mon The Atlantic and gulf coasts. Sui IL IS en-
,;rI defended MS the vast lake upon wh'ch It -
,.,d and with all other large and f'urIshIns towns
mon that lake in New York, pennsyl ONO a"u
Michiran must be perfectly open IN case n' nos,F'
n anv ncnrson Of an enemy approaching from the wa
i i ,ossble then, that either New YORK OF ,ne
Inion can he nsensibe to our perfect exposure ~ s'
,mnor,ant quarter Or that while The name OF Tue sa',
-: aomntrwmen Lake Erie will BE- thrown open 10 thr
,rc;s,ed possesscn of the British power: ana "'i'
I'M, he done by the Congress OF the - . Ina. - ""y
r,vc away The money which should ue'e"u ''i7 ~.
r,,ad lake, Can l. MIR. President, rs 1hr o. '''a -
-osentatives of the State Of New YORK upon ''''
p,,sen, n such policy Can |, when the exposure
10, noble State is such rs described u, anu ""i
i ;,s byhest interests thus lntimatei y co"n'. 49,
tho great and necessary works Of nat'oha 80,
l,,ary and naval, hesitate 10 choose line ds
;Ins, WILL her probable dividends under 'hs a's'
,rbnon law compensate her for the risks she mus, run
and The losses she mus, sustain for the want o. .osse
acnes, 1t seems to me not, and hence hope the
anne ndment may pass. ,,, s,b;sc,s of
,r-.,ion now open and unsettled, between inns eoun,
| 49, ~ Goat Britain and which may lead 10 nal''nal
hostility They have been fully and sGS gn Ms ssn
the honorable mora sOi st ,hee c ONE Of those
h i So peculiarly connecting itself with the State
Snolecss W. =, this moment that cannot fail TO no
tee It, refer to the of Mcleod nov VIVA wa ny
trial before the courts Of that at. s'as upP" armcr
as;ar occuoied the earnest and interested a'lel-
,on Of the senate bn as important question N
,enard to the case had then been argued ana
undecided before the Supreme Court OF Inc aa,e -
od not feel that il would be delicate or proper IN 'e
,a mart in that debate The decision OF that court
to 1as before the public and take pleasure in saying
mnon this OCCASION that the result to wn'en Tue eousi