Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-03-29


rcan people JOIN Mr.. Webster IN a,irbutIng TO these
conscrpt fathers such absence of all wisdom and
forecast rs not To have anticipated that, nj some futnre
Jay, when muludes of our brave citizens should con-
cenlrn,e upon Tie banks OF great Western waters
with no outlet 10 the open sea for their superfux OF
products but through the Delta Of the hsslss pp, mat
The American clam 10 lis free navigation would not De
asserted and enforced-aye, that sooner or LATER, It's
ownership must pass TO US, be the price that We pao
for ii, treasure blood Observe
The Spanish dominons on both banks OF The Mis-
sissppi, reached from be Balze hundreds OF miles
in the INTERIOR aud for thousands of miles on the west
ern bank, until they reached the Southern border oil
British North America. The waters of Western Mary
land, Western New York, and OF onehrd OF fennsyl-
vana, comminged their waters for outlet INTO The
grea, Southern gulf-Virginia then included Ken
tucky-lhree -ourIs of her Territory was within The
great vsliey-and the Ohio and NJ ssissippl was us
boundary for more than thousand miles-Norih Gar
lima then included Tennessee, and bounded for
hundreds OF miles by the river MissssippI-and Geor-
gla then embraced Alabama and Mississippi, and was
bounded several hundred miles by the great river See
further on this subject the reuabe proofs and argu
ments oil Mr. Senator Walker in his celebrated letter
on "the remuneration of Texas" Pamphlet Edition Of
the Pennsylvania Offce-page 4, ct. Leg Can It be
possible that MIR. Daniel Webster could persuade hin
self, that all these great States New York. Pennsy
vania, and Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and
Georgia, constituting onehalf of the whole of all The
States represented IN the Convention would have con-
scented to any provision, susceptible of an nerpfe,a
ton, which would have debored them and their poste
ry forever from the acquisition Of the mouths OF the
Mississippi, then subject to foreign domnation
which resisted ad beiluA its free navigation II Mr.
Webster can believe that history, with lis chronicles
should pause and inmorta'ize him on the spot as the
"JadGas .ippelia Of the age
But If those ccnscrpt fathers foresaw as they must
have done, and as no man Of knowledge can doubt,
always excepting Mr.. Websler) that Louisiana, the
key Of The great valley, would eventually pass into
American ownership, what then What is 10 become
OF her Become u her why, the Convention in an
ticpaling the emergency, met 1t, ard provided for it,
by making room for her in the Constitution, in the
very clause c.t-d by Mr.. Webster that ''new States
may be admitted by the Congress into this Unlon, &c
In aid O: these suggestions, It might be added, that
The Congress Of the Confederation kept IN con-
slant agitation the subject of the Msslssipp-ihe
Virginia members, with Mr.. Madison ct Their head
we're ever active IN urging on the negotiations Of our
Minister at the Court OF Madrid Some years ago
January 5, 1o22-SIr Madison took occasion TO cor
rect of Mr. Ramsey, IN his history in relation
10 this subject, and wrote letter therefor, 10 Mr. Heze
kieh Niles OF Baltimore, Of The Gate mentioned The
following is extract
"The delegates from: Virginia had been long under
instructions from their State to insist the right to
The navigation Of the Mississippi, and Congress had
always included IL, in their uimatum for peace. AZ
late us the 9TH Of October, $780, see the secret jour
nal Of that date they renewed their adherence TO this
point, by unanimously agreeing TO The report CT
mitlee, 10 whom had been referred, certain instruc
tons to the delegates Of Virginia by their constituents,
and letter Of the 29th of May, from Mr. Jay, ct Ma
(Which report prohibited him from renqushing
the ,ight Of The United Sates to the free navigation Of
he Mississippi into and from the sea, asserted in his
former insructions" DC.
Will close this branch Of the inquiry ~ terse and
rncy moroccan of conference holden by Mr. Madison
and Mr.. Bingham at Philadelphia, on The 18th March,
l7c7 with the Spanish Minister AT the close of ,he
of he of he finn nj
that date, Mr.. Madison appeEds the following:
".Nemordndum Called with Mr. Bingham Today, on
Mr. Gardoqu, and had long conversation touching
the Western Countryside navigation of the M'ssls-
sppi and commercials these objects relate to Spain
and the United States. Mr. b opened the conversations
with Intim ang ,ha; there TO blreve, the
Western people were exceedingly alarmed at the idea
Of the pojectd treaty, which TO shut up the ssls
sppI, and were forming Committees 81 espondence,
&c for uniting their counsels and interests. Nj
Gardoqui, with some perturbation replied, that
friend 10 the United States, he sorry for 1t, for
they mIsook their interest, but Minister of Spain,
he had 10 be The result Of what fell, in
The course Of The conversation, from Mr. Madison and
Mr.. bingham was, that was the interest OF the tw.
nations 10 live IN harmony-tlat if Congress dis
posed to treat with Spain on the ground OF cesson
of the mississippi ii would be out of their power TO en-
force the treaty-ihat an attempt would be the means
OF popuatirg The Western country with additional
pijtythat tire British had their eye upon That field
the Eastern part Of North Anerica-promote the sell
Element Of it, and hereafter be able their force,
sprngng up in that quarter against Spanish America,
IN cooperation with their nava ornaments that Spain
offered nothing, in fact, 10 the United States in the
commercial scale, which she did no, grant 10 all the
other nations from motives of interest.
MIR. GARDcQUI WOULD EoT LISTEN TO THE IDEA
oF a RIGHT TO THE NAvIGArIoI CT THE Mississippi;
conlendIng tha. the possession Of the two banks al
The mouth shut the door against any such pretens;on
SPA!S NEVER WOULD GIVE ur THIS POINT, &c.
| Nov mark the da.es This conference with the
Spanish Minister was holden on The 18Th Of March,
l7o7-and in two months thereafter TO wit, on the
llM IF May, l7o7, the National Convention which
the Federal Constitution assembled al Phi
ladel pbia The members must have met under the
deep and thorough convection well from The con-
tnuors aud s'creo,yped relusas Of SPAIN 10 yield the
free navigation, &c., from the very recent and
NEST peremP.ofy and naughty Of her
dited Minister, thai she "SEvEE WOULD GIVE runs
r5Iar so long she owned the Colony of Louisiana
And history has attesed for her how .crupulousy she
adhered TO all she had thus lesolu,ely avouched
that while she owned the Co!oay, she would sur
render lis free navigation, aud, Heaven help her OBJ
stlnacy she never did .
What then-was IT the purpose Of those sage ia
Tiers TO t'uchla for aye 10 SPANS selfish and iniqn
,ous exc!usiyeness, und TO abandon the American
claim altogether Never Never What after assert.
ing our right par paSsu, with the assertion OF our Ma
tional independence, knowing it 10 be RICH, which
se must not, and could not, give np-that if justice
would not yield ii, power would take il when power
should come-hnyng every political assurance that the
free navigation, come when it might, and come II
may, would bring along with it all The territorial ap-
purenarces to which The navigation itself petaned as
the grea, artery which gave life, and sustenancr and
worih-aye, knowing sll this, Mr. Webster would i'm
puta to them the lauiy of raising constitutional i'm
psdmcnt the attainment of ell we had sought ard al
We needed to achieve the greatness to which we
aspired BGSD OURSELVES AGAINST OURSELVES, SEVER
TO ACQUIRE WHAT WE KNEW We MUST HAVE When
ve should have money TO spare, we should MT buy
our peace, nor take oar right-when growth should
make u great, md power could command il, we must
not take lt-uay If Spanish generosity should make all
ours by national deed of GIFT, imbecies ,hlt
be, would want the capacity 10 accept tn NUM-
fls nee Such is the purpose imputed oar fathers.
viii NJ. Webster degn 10 .onchsaf- single reason
Why: only ask 10. Onc-but ONE! Mind ye, we
DON, obiiga,e ourselves 10 Span-by means nor 10
The ia0re nor the tr0asnarc States and Kingdoms
Of The enEih. Not at oil. BIZ, we ob.gste ourselves
TO tath otter eYcTtore, 10 ParaIize energies
Shu, Gu. all discretion, lest wisdom and its counsel5
under tie Incentives Of East interests, should promp
the anne 1aon, when The means cad tie moment Of
acquisition comes Foh Fudge
RANDOLPH OF ROANOKE.