K O RTH -CAROLINA WEEKLY ADVERTISER. (
t ; " Ours re th PUm f fair delifhtful Pewr, i, ' " vjs- ' t
, ' ' " Unwarp'4 Party Rage to live like Blather!. x ; '".'.'II
! " ' " ' , ,r ' ! ; " ' .:, " : i !
joL.I. ' ; . t 1 ipjw, March 25, i8cov, , ; 'J ' " " : A , '4
CONTINUATION pFVTHE ' DEBAT
ON
- Mr. Nicholas's Proportion
For :cpealn5 certain Parts of ike A& for
racing aa additional AriAy.
1 TR:
Gallatin faid, that the
1V1
crentlcman of South-Carolina
had miftaken the opinion exprcueu
by Mr. Nicholas a.d himfelf. It
was not that the reduction of the
armv would fee mo ft defirable in a
ftate of vvar, Isut only, that, as it
was already provided by law, that
the troops hould be difbanded in
cafe th negociation with France
fhould fucceed, trje refolution on
the table was peculiarly applicable
to the cafe of a failure of negociation.
And therefore was it,. -that he had
given his reafons at 1 rge why thole
trooj would beufelels even in tha
cafe The principal of hefo reafons
was. that there was norational appre
henfion of a-n ihvafion. Yet the
gentlvnah of South-Carol ins, dtaw
in his op deductions from a fup
pofed opmion of his own creation,
had gone (b far as to fuppofe that we
would alio avow fimjlar fentiments
even in cafe of an actual invafion.
The whole of the fuperflrufture
which he has. erected onhat falfe
foundation muft fall with the foun
dation itfelf.
. . . rr 1
The gentleman of South-Carolina I
fuppoles that ihis motion will en
courage the French to attempt an
invafion ; ani in order to fupport
that opinion, he inftfted much on
the knowledge which France had
acquired of our means and refources.
Yet aK the arguments and portions
of the gentleman tend to (hew the
extent of "our refources. If thole
politions are true, and the informa
tion of France as co'rreft as he flip,
pofes it to be, it is'impoflitjle to be
lieve that that nation fhoulb! draw
an infereHre from the difbanding of
this rmy3 that we are unable to fup
port it. They will, view this mea
fure as we confider it ourlelyes, as
a queftion of internal policy and
economy. I ' '
But it is faid that France will af
cribe the motion to motives di ire
rent from thofe we avow, different
from thofe which a&uue us. Are
we then to take for our guide, on
fubjecls of legiflation, the; opinion
w'hu h foreign nations may form of
our motives! in'ftead of being go
verned by the intrinfic merits of the
qucftion itfelf en, which We are
called to decide ?. But this motion
is calculated neither to debilitate
our own government, nor to im
prels on France an opinion of imbe
cility in our council, or of internal
weaknefs. .
Different opinionsareentertained
as to the motives which have in
duced France to hew a dilpofition
to treat with us on equal terms.
That difpofition has by Tome gen
tlemen been afcribed iolely to the
fpirit of refiftance evincdd by Ame
rica, and to the ftate of hoMiliiy
adopted by the la ft Congrefs. Were
J, laid he, to hazard at opinion on
that fubjeft, I would fay, that the
retulai of our Envoys to accede to
the terms firll propofed by. France,
a public loan and a private tbribej,
and the fubfequent determination
not to treat through the medium
of a' minifler fele&ed out of the
three by the government, of that
country, a determination adopted
by thaf mini fter himfelf i contri
buted to produce a change on theif
part. I would even add that from
Mr. Gerry's correfpondence, it ap
pears probable to me that; that re
tufal and that determination alone
would have been fufficient to pro
duce the prefent negociation, But,
I confider that djfeuflion as uncon
ncfted with the motion now under
cohfideration ; and I am willing U
grant, at prefent, for the fake of
argument, .that the prefent ftate f
thmgs has been folely produced by
e fyftem of reft ftance and hoftilitv
adopted by America. And on that
ground I fay, that the reduafon of
ine; military eftablifhment can' nei
ther change the amicable difpofition
r rance,; or deprive our; govern
ment of the means of obtaining
equally advantageous and Ihonour
terms. '- " 5 ' '
Mr. G. urged jreafons iji fupport
ci this opinion. There - was ' bu
0r- circumftance that can produce
- road an unfavorable" impreOion of
c mail,n ; n is the ttarte of our
.-nccA: ,t is. the knowledge tha
j . 1
millions of dollars, and our expen
diture arrfounts to fourteen. Men,
and freemen, we have, and we ne
ver, therefore, can want foldieTsj tt
repel an invading foe. But out
monied refources are limited, and
the only fource of danger to us! is
our eonfuming thofe refources' for
ufelefs object.s, and exhaufting c Ur
iel ves for the fear 6ft imaginary dan
gers. And I would afk, added Mr.
Gallatin, which nidation is beft cal
culated to imprefs foreign natipns
with an idea of our fltenjjth and
wifdom an annualxpenditure re
duced to the. level of our revenue
without this army or a defjneijry
of five millions, and this army with
out any means of paying it but
ruinous loans I i
That, trite topic of the ncceflity
of certain meafures, becaufe they
are called meafures yf defence, that
cry of alarrq that we are, or will be
confider,ed as a' divided people
thofe charges of party fpirit, disor
ganization, and jacobinifrr., have
for a leng time been uniformly re
peated ori this floo, upon almoft
every fubjecV of any importance.
They have not been confined t de
bates upon taxes, navies or armies";
the (edition and the alien laws were
alfo propofed, and have fince been
fupported, as a.n indifpenfible mea
fure of defence; thofe whooppofed
them were branded with the appel
lation of enemies of their govern
ment ; and the fate of the- con
quered countries in Europe, held
up to our view as a warning of the
appro chiijig danger T is true that
the burthen of the fang is no w fome
what altered.. Formerly it was
Venice that was the conifant fub
jeft of the lamentations of fom;
gentlemen. With the rate of Ve
nice we were perpetually threaten
ed. At prefent Venice feetns to
have altogether, efcaped the recol
leftion of thofe gentlemen. We
hear not a fingle voice railed to re
mind us of the fate of Venice. In
deed, Sir, I hear no; more of Venice
in Europe than on this floor. We
are yt to learn, t hat fince the whole
of the pofleflions of that Republic
has been wrefted by the Emperor
of Germany, he has reftored to her
her ancient independence. Is it
then becaufe the conqueror is not
the fame, and becaufe the charge of
ambition and rapacity is transferred
from .one power to another, that
gentlemen have hecome. filent on
that fubjeft? For my fhare, I ftn
Cerely believe that all the great
powers of Europe, Fi nee las well
as Auftria, Pruffia, Engla'nd, or
Ruftia, and thefe as well a France,
ire actuated by fimilar motives, and
have fimilar ohjefts in view. I can
fee no fenfible d:fFerence between
the overthrow of Tippoo Saib, the
divifion of Poland,; or the annex
ation of Venice, and the conqueft
of Holland, Egypt,; or Switzerland.
Inordinate ambition and infatiable
virice equally govern them all, and
they feem eaually to difreeard the
Ldiftates of iuftice, and int erity
Thele aretheexclutive attributes of
the weaker European nations, and
feem to have no bittet foundation
than their weaknefs.
We were, however, very ferioufly
admonifhed, on this occafion, with
the deftiny of Holland ; while there
does not exift theJleaft ftmilajity
between the partiesof this country
and thofe of Holland. Here, men
perfectly equal in heir rights and
expectations, -diner: about the pro
priety of meafures : adopted or re
jecteo oy a majority ;.ana tnat ma-
jority xiuctuates with the opinions
of the people expreffed in their
elections. Here men differ on the
meafures, and not on the, form of
thet Government. 1 Here we hive
no influential family, pofTeffed of
an immenfe hereditary power, fup
ported by one half and detefted by;
the other: halt of the nation. In
Holland, civil differitions andvrTs
n the fubjeft of the, Orange family,
h?ve been aimoft icpeval, with the
exiftence xf the Republic. -The!
Stadtholdcrfhip havbeen abolifhed
and reinftated fixtimes before thr
prefent war. The prefent Frince of
Orange was, fometime before the
French Revolutions expelled by a
Inaibritv of the people of Holland
u ii j, deciby foreignfaid a
was.
withinf fhort f tirne reinftated. a-
rainft their will
our revenue aoes not exceed nine
, py tne anruc oi-jf pence ana garaa.w a mmury, un-mgn counutci,-
.ii.
the King bf Pruffia. Doubtlels a
people governed by a Sovereign
who had, out a few years before
been impofedupon them by aoreign
power, cotild not be fuppofed to
exert much! energy in his defence.
But, if.forjihat reafon, they afford
inducements of invafton to France,
can any inference be drawn appli
cable to America ? Unlefs the gen
tlemen fuppofe that our govern
ment was iippofcd on the people of
America, againft the will of a ma
jority and by force ; or unlefTthey
fuppofe the; exiftence in this coun
try of a parlvj-who wifh to fubvert
our government, and to eftiblifh
here an hereditary Stadtholder, they
muft acknowledge the fallacy of
their inferences.
Any corrlparifon between Egypt
and the Urfited States would be fo
evidently abfurd, that it would be
wafting the time of the committee
to dwell ori the fubjeft. But Swit
zerland had been mentioned. An
appeal to the opinion of a member
of this houfe, pei fonally acquainted
Iwith that country, had been made
by the gentjrman from S. Carolina.
I believe, flid Mr. G. that I am the
only member who may be fuppofed
to poflefs fevme perfonal knowledge
of Switzerland ; andalthough I do
believe that it is not altogether fair
to draw any arguments from opi
nions of a , member ;of -this body,
which have never certain'y been
declared ; ori this floor, and which
muft therefore have been exprefted
in a loofe manner and in privatecon
verfation, Iiwill beg the indulgence
of the con rn it tee, whilft I ftate the
fafts alluded to, fo far as I am ac
quainted wfth them.
.The population ofS witzerland is
eftimated at' lefs than two millions
of fouls, and the Canton of Berne
includes! abjout one- hird ' of the
whole. ! Lfs than 400,000 louls
from the;populaOn ti that part of
the Canton called the 44 German
country." s Between two.and three
hundredjthpufand inhabit that part
Called " Pays de Vaud." which was
conquered by Berne from the houfe
of Savoy. tThe government of that
Canton was monftrous in theory,
ljut gentle, ?and. it may be,, good in
its adrntniftration. Uut or two
hundrcdl families, and attheexclu-
lion or jail the ' other citizens, a
councif f 250 was elected for life,
fillin? their own vacancies out of
hofe families only, arid unitingthe
fupreme'legtuativej executive, and
even judiciary, powers. It Was a
compieat hereditary ariftocracy.
ret tne, people were proteciea in
their property ; juftice,- was admi
niftered vith tolerable impartiality ;
individual its of opprefliori were
rare, taxes Swere light, the admi-
n iteration cai the whole might per
haps deferve the appellation of per
petual ; bven the conquered inha
bftants bf Pays de Vaud, although
fubje&s -in the true meaning of the
wordy, could boail that they lived
under? the fmoft gentle ferv:tude
the people of the whole Canton en
joyed afgreater fhare of phyfical
hippinefs than thofe of . any other
European rjation; and the only ra
tknal caufe of difcontent was the
hereditary, S infuperable exclufion
from any fhre in the government of
that nominal republic of which they
were norninal citizens. Ihe caules
of fo. rnuchlreal happinefs, under a
form of government fo little calcula
ted to beftow it, are worthy of atten
tion, and not altogethcrjnapplicahle
kdithe pirefent-queftion.
In the fiirft place, that Canton,
togethei with the other parts of
Switzerlandj nad enjoyed two cen
turies pfpeice. Firmly attached to
a fyftemj of neutrality, and having
neither armies nor other expenfive
eftablifhjments ; light taxes and a
f uugal economy lenabh them to
fupoorti the neceflary expences of
government; and even to enrich
the individual members of that go
vernment, and to accumulate a pub
treafurc, without havirur rc-
courfe, to any extended fyftem of
taxation, much lels to a fyftem of
accumulating funded debt. , "This
Was the! fir ft caufe of the happinefs
of the bjody; of the people. Their
government kept clear of foreign
Wars, ftippqrted no army, and was
npt under the r ecefiity of wrefting
Ltheu fruits of the labour of the go-
vrnca.f m orucr iq luppori tna cxiii
nroduftive, eftablifhment. But
they had no military ftanding force,
the defence of the country refteri
with the people themfelves. Hence
every man wasarmed and trained to
arms. The people were the beft,
indeed the only militia of , Eu
rope. And this was their beft fecu
fity againft oppreflion. The ex
iftence of an arbitrary government,
deftitute of military ftanding force,
depended on the will of its armed
ubjects ; and this accounts tor the
great moderation and gentle admi-
niltration of that goverximentt
Of the other parts of Switzer
and, it Will be fufficient to fay that
they ednuited of a r umber of fmall
independent republics, feebly uni
ted by any ceneral government.
'p j
bme of them governed by arifto-
cracies as vicious in practice as in
theory, and others enjoying per
fectly free governments.
But what deductions, faid Mr.
G. can be drawnv from thefe fafts,
conncflcd with the event of the
invafioh and conqueft of that coun
try r When that invafion took
place, the lubjels of moft of thofe
ariftocracies, except that of Berne,
and a conhderable part of the inha
bitants of the Pays de Vaud,, either
joined or did not refift the French.
The citizens of the free Cantons,
and even thofe of the Canton
of Berne made every refiftance
in their power, and were fubdued
merely by a fuperior force. No
inference can thence be d-awn. ex-
cept that the fubjefts of a govern
ment, bad in practice and theory,
may wifh for a revolution, or for
change of maflers, and that the
citizens or a tree country, and even
the fubjecls of a government bad in j
theory, but gentle in itsadminiftra
tion, may fafely be trufted with the
defence of their country againft an
invading foe. Want of fuccefs was
not owing to want of exertions,
but to immenfe inferiority of power.
As to the divmons of the Councils
of Berne, fo much infilled on bv
the gentleman of South-Carolina,
they had not the lea ft effccl on the
event. When thofe divifions he
alludes to took place, the event was
decided ; the enemy Was at the gates ;
the liTHllnels or the population has
been mentioned. , No trope of fuc-.
cefs remained, and the only divifion
at thai time was on the4queftion
whether it was proper to iacrifice
or preferve 'he lives of a handful of
enthufiaftic and devoted people.
Unfortunately, indeed, divifions
had previoufly exifted in thole
councils. In 1792, when the Duke
of Brunfwjck invaded France, and
perhaps at other fuoTequent times,
when the alarm was proclaimed that
the French revolution endangered
every government, a party in the
Council of Berne favoured tht
views of the coalition, and although
they could not obtain a majority m
favour of war, a departure from thr
ancient ftrift rules of neutrality oc
cafionally took place,-which afford
ed afterwards, j when the favorabh
moment of a fufpenfion of war. with
Germany took place, a pretence to
the unjuftifiable invafion of France.
France,"it is true, has been enabled
to conquer by fuptrior numbers, a
fmall country lying at her door, and
whole immenfe importance to her
as a" military pofition, in - her -ap-
pijciitii cumcii wuu ins conu
nemal powers, has Been evinced by
u : . i. ..i.U 4.
the fate of this campaign. It would
oe ridiculous to dwell on. the im
menfe difference refulting in favour
of America, from her diftance, ex
tent of territory, population, union
and government,.
Before -he would take leave of
thefe extraneous hifterical digref
lions, Mr. G. faid, that he could
not help noticing one of the obfer
vationa of the'gentleman from S.
Carolina. Thatgentleman had re
marked, that the French confenpts,
carried, as he laid, by force and
Chained to the army, fought, with
enemy inus it appearea tnat
1?. Frenchmen, living under theworft
j ! -tyranriy, even that of Robefpierre,
panel at a time when! their country
! was torn ny the moft inveterate ancl
:j bloody internal factions, did not
'! hefitate, although dragged in chains
H to a camp, to fight, ancl. had luc-
Receded in repellirrn invadin?ifoc,
orevqu in pryiccunpjr wu m 10-
vv ny uia noi tne
gentleman apply that inftance alfo.
) ,11-'. r m
and draw it s proper deduction as , (
applied to America ? If the Frenchi
people in hat fituation, and amidfb
thofe divifions, had been fouridl'V.
equal to the tafk of combating foreiga , '
nations, could it be fuppoled that ,X
the free citizens of America would,"
on account of fome diyifions merely, '
of Opinion, be lefs willing and lefs v'j
capable to defend themfelves and
their independence, at the time, of
real danger, acunit a ioreien. in
vader ? '
The arguments given in fupport
of the poffibility of an invafion We're
not certainly, iufceptible xof be ng
abfolutely tdifprpved by reafonlng.
They were j g rou tided, pot on pro
babilities, feutpn poffible events.
And there was perhaps nothing;
which could be proved to be alto
gether impoffible But that ktnd
of argument did not apply particu
larly to the prefent motion, or to "
the prefe- t time. For there could
be no poflible time, nor any poffiblc
fituatian of Europe, which would
not juftify fomc hypothetic ftate-
ment as plaufible as that given by
the gentleman from South-Carolina,
and on as fqlid ground juftjfy a per
manent military eftabli foment of
confiderable magnitude.
Amongft other inducements which
we offered to iivafion, tnat gentle-:
man had, however, ment oned one
of an extraordinary nature. It. his
enumeration of theobje&s of 'plunder
whichm ghtattraft French rap 'ci.ty,
he counted our funded capital. As
our tunded capital is the lame thiii2T
wjin our junaea debt, 1 mult con-
xeis ror my Ihare, laid Mr. G. that
M 1 i
i nave no objection to give it to the
French, or to any other nation. that
will take it. It would be the moft
negative gift ever bellowed by one
government on another.
The gentleman from South-Carolina
had indulged himielf m num-
Der or observations on a fuppofed
party, whofe views he had repre
lented at one time to be ta rarrv
elections by means of infurreiEtions
i .1 . . 9
ai anotner to eitrange the people
iiom meir government. But he
had concluded his obfervatimis ra
ther unexpeftedly ; for, after ha-V
ving ftated the fliength of that
pany as extremely formidable, their
views as extremclv dancerons r,h
lefs indeed than to perluaae he mi- :
ntia, tne people ot this country,
that they fhould confider French
:nvadcrs as their delivercii. he trilrT
us that they were too weak in num-
1 v
nera, and too contemctiblei to hex
cenfidered as in any degree dan
gerous. Did I believe the realitv
of all the pofitions of that gentle
man, relative to nartv l mfirtV-,
. - - J J J "'UM V-V I H
feis tnat I fhould -not confider that
party as too contemo lble
any danger. And if he did beln vc
they were fo harm.lef to what pur
pofe did he expatiate fo much at.
large on their exiftence and defies?
uul "1C gentleman trom Delaware
viewt this fubie6i in a differ
light. H :S COliC on wat t hat- .
knowing. the exiftence of luc'h par
ty, it was necellaiy to have an.ar
my 0 order to defend ti e country L
.rgamft an invafion, malmuch as a
confiderablepart of the mihtia could
not be trufted with, its defence.:; If 1
a party doesexift, fo mimical to
government, as to join, an invading
enemy, in ondei tc fubvert it, they
rriuft be fuppofed to fubvert it :W to- !
out an invafion. x t isumpoflibip
to muraKe the meaning of the ten
tlemcrv. When they o round the
rr . r P
nccemty ot an army on theiuppolcd
exiftence of a oartv. let them ev-
Drefs th
l - . 'X'. '- " oiv,
either they mean riothif I. or thev 1
, rr.
mean that an array is neceflary not
only again it an enemy, but Againft
a par y of the people. Let the gen-
tiemen oe uient about partyor let
them candidly acknowledge? that
this army is intended tofupprefs
Mr. Gallatin thein proceeded to
make lome obfervations on, the fi
n anc ial fta temc nls of the gen tie ma n
from S. .Carolina. The:refult of
that gentleman's remarks had been tq
fhow a deficiency ofonly fiiUr mil-
lioris. It was immaterial in the.
prefen t q ueftidn w bother t ha de.
ficiency was fourj bfpfiVeimilljris.
But the details;. on which the gen
tleman had grounded iris refulwera
in Tome degi ee iricQri c&C''Ivir;:6v '
terc examined - Mr, H, V Putciraerft;
1!
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