.0^ ^9 V^ .1'^ ^> ^-^^^ r.o^ ..:;/-"' ■°- -'^ ^'""'* '^^ V » ' ■ "' -f^ ,^ N 5 » • . ^ ^V . » • o , -^ <^^ , " « , ^^^ WjiS/fLYGTOJV, March 2, 1807. SIR, I HAVE determined, from a sense of duty to those I have represented during the present session of Congi-ess, to offer for your consideration a summary of the most important measures which have been tefore us, and such information about the fo- reign relations of this country as has been communicated. In noticing the occurrences of the present session, none more deserve attention, than the expedition of Burr. It has been rendered interesting by the celebrity of the man, the mischief he contemplated to the community and the manner in which his de- signs have been defeated. His schemes were a long time en- veloped in mystery, and were secretly ascomplishing under pretences which scarcely excited suspicion. It was generally believed he was preparing the means of an enterprize against the Spanish provinces, and as such it was announced to Con- gress by the President of the United States, in his message of December od, " that a great number of private individuals were combining together, arming and organizing themselves contra- ry to law, to carry on a military expedition against the territo- ries of Spain ;" some time elapsed before any thing more definite was known ; until it was ascertained that efforts had been made to corrupt the commander in chief and army of the U. States, with the design of seizing New Orleans, revolutionizing the country, and effecting a separation of the Union. This intel- ligence was received from gen. Wilkinson, and was contained in a letter from Burr to him, which states, " the enterprise was begun, funds provided, and detachments of men were to meet on the Ohio, the first of Noveinber, under different pretences, that every thing favored his views, both internal and external — protection from England was secured — Truxtun had gone to Jamaica, to arrange with the admiral on that station, and to meet at the mouth of the Mississippi." In another pai't of the letter, he says, " the project is brought to the p#int so long de- sired, and guarantees the result with his life and honor, the lives, honor, and fortunes of hundreds, the.Wfc^J^^loodof our countiy.'"' It would indeed be a irielanchoUy circumstance if this assertion vv^ere true. I feel certain, there are but few men in this country, so depraved, so lost to every sentiment of virtue and patriotism, as to join in a plan which, if successful, would draw ruin on the nation, and imprint an indelible stain on its character ; I there- fore believe it a base aspersion ; many who followed him, and participated in the expedition, were deluded by the artifices oi ^ :j himself and emissaries. Events have demonstrated that the ineans by which these plans were to be executed, were (for ob- vious reasons) magnified and overrated — his expectations of aid from the western people, were unfounded, — and the moment they were undeceived bj'the proclamation of the President, and opposed bv the state authorities, they dispersed and abandoned a man, to whose banners they had repaired, under the supposed countenance of the government of the United States ; succours from England have equallv failed him, and there is reason to be- lieve that Truxtun, so far from co-operating, had given the ear- liest intelligence of his treachery. If the commander of the army (upon which he appears to have relied) had listened to his over- ture, and the army had yielded to seduction, in ail human proba- bility his o' jects would have been effected, and he would have remained in possesion of Orleans for a short time; but happily for our country, they were rejected, and steps were inunediately taken, which term'nated in an arrangement with the Spaniards, in that quarter, which enabled the American forces to withdraw from the Sabine river, to New Orleans, and there resist any at- tempt against the place ; the latest accounts state, that Burr and his party had surrendered themselves prisoners, and had been delivered in custody to tlie civil power of the Mississippi terri- tory. Thus has ended this conspiracv, surpassed by nothing in the annals of our history, for baseness ; crippled in its progress, by the vigilance of the general and state governments, and finally suppressed without bloodshed, by the patriotism of the people. During the agitation and alarms of the public mind, produced by the conspiracy, and while its extent was unknown, the Senate proposed a bill suspending the writ of habeas corpus, for three months ; this bill was rejected by a very large majority in the licosc. of Representatives, as unnecessary to secui'e the tran- quillity of the country, and extremely dangerous as an example, I shall mention a few laws which have passed : — ^n act extend- ing the time for locating Virginia military land warrants. The holders of these warrants are allowed a further time of three years to locate^fhem in the tract of country reserved by the state of Virginia, and granted to the soldiers in her service during the last war. A law pr^lnbiting the importation of slaves into the United States, after the 31st of December, 1807. A bill from the Senate to raise an additional nunnber of regular troops, is now before the House of Representatives, but I believe it will not pass ; for myself, I think the present military establishment with the aid of the militia on our frontiers, sufficient to repel the attempts of the adjacent Indians or Spaniards, if they meditate mischief, and am therefore unwilling to incur an expense of a million of dollara annually when there is no necessity existing. In November, when the Spaniards crossed the Sabine river, and occupied the country on this side claimed by the United States, our army was ordered to drive them back by force, if necessary; the commanding officer discharged 4(X) militia, drawn from INiississippi territory, after ascertaining their real numbers ; from this circumstance, it is evident our present force is sufficient to maintain the country against the Spaniards, with any number of men they can collect from their thinly settled provinces to the west of the Mississippi, the important settlements of which are very remote and can only be brought to the field, with great difficult}^, nor is it probable, after the arrangements between gen. Wilkinson and the Spanish commanders, we shall be again molested, until our negociations with Spain have terminated ; they declare their instructions positively forbid any aggression on the United States, and have agreed not to enter the disputed countries until the title is settled by the two countries ; but to pro- vide against events Avhich may require the interposition of mi- litary force we have authorised the President to accept the ser- vices of 30,000 volunteers, to be employed against any foe, for two years, to be paid and governed by the regulations of war, when engaged in actual service, provided the officers shall be appointed by the executive of the states to which the\ respec- tively belong. This number of men can be easily procured and will be always ready, without expense tf^ the goverhment; they will be competent, to avert danger until stronger measures can be adopted, and will relieve others from service, whose families and pursuits would render them averse to military duty unless their country was really endangered, and required general ex- ertions from the people. I shall now take a view of a very important law passed this session, to expedite the payment of the whole of the national debt. In 1801, eight millions of dollars were annually appropri- ated for this purpose, and such has been the effect of this law, that on the first day of January last, twenty four millions dollars, principal of the debt, had been paid off, and during the present and next year nine and a half millions more will be paid — mak- ing on the first day of January, 1809, thirty f|||Hyancl a half mil- lions of dollars; and leaving a balance of 57,491,838 dollars, due from the United States to their creditors. After the period last mentioned, from the terms of the original contract betwcea the government and those who own the debt, only four miU'ons and a half of dollars can be paid towards its extinguishment ; this sum will, " in the year 1824, have discharged ail demands against the United States, except the 3 per cent, stock, amount- ing to nineteen millions, and bearing an interest of 570,583 dol- lars ; but if the public creditors will consent to modify the debt. and accept stock reimburslble within seven years, (agreeable to the provisions of the law,) the whole debt will be discharged in 1821 ; and calculating the revenue and expenditures of the govex-nment, to continue what they are at present, there would be an accumulation of at least fifteen millions surplus revenue. Another very material benefit will result to the United States, from the proposed comhiutation of the debt, without doing in- justice or injury to the public creditors: Nineteen millions of the stock bear an interest of only three per cent, in perpetuitv, unless the government shall choose to advance to the holders of it, the amount of its nominal value; while money continues worth six per cent, it is evident we shall never throw away what yields six per cent, to pay a debt bearing only three. In order to obviate this difficulty, the secretary of the treasury is autho- rised to compound with the owners of this stock, and purchase it up at the price at which it is bought and sold in the market, between individuals, by issuing a new six percent, stock to that amount, redeemable at the pleasure of the U. States, after they have satisfied all other claims, except that for the purchase of Louisiana. Instead, therefore, of being saddled with the per- petual charge of 570,583 dollars, annually, or paying nineteen millions of dollars, we shall be discharged from both by advanc- ing about fourteen millions. Unless this measure had been adopted after 1809, the commissioners of the sinking fund would have had no other way of applying one half of the annual appropriation of eight millions, than by making purchases ; and it is believed that purchases, annually, to the amount of four millions, would raise the six per cent, stocks considerably above par, and the three per cents, to the highest price possible ; " as a necessary consequence, they would cease to purchase, and the United States would continue to be incumbered for a number of years with the eight per cent, and in perpetuity with the three per cent, annuities ; years the most favorable for the extin- guishment of the debt, would elapse, and periods might follow, when the pressure of annual payments would be sensibly felt ; to improve th^n^ent time is most consistent with the public opinion, and t^^^rmer acts of the legislature." Who can doubt the propriety of this policy ? Is it not better than to suffer these large sums to remain in the treasury, and at some future period to be wasted with prodigality, or employed for purposes of corruption, and in times of difficulty, overwhelm the commu- nity with taxes, which otherwise would never be wanted, either ior purposes of defence, or internal improvement. It is a fact, that the revenue of the United States, even in its present state, would be sufficient to meet any emergency, but for the debt with which it is dogged; let it however be recollected, this debt is justly due, and ought to be honestly paid. It is the compensa- tion given to those who rendered services, and furnished the means by which our revolutionary war against England was maintained, and our independence atchieved. It is the price we have paid for the liberty we enjoy, and the happiness we ex- pect; but let it also be recollected, it is our duty to discharge it speedily, and not permit that which annihilated foreign tyranny to grow and establish domestic servitude. I have been minute on this subject, because it is one of the most valuable effects which flow from that peaceable course pursued by the government of the United States ; which is characterised by preserving strict neutrality towards foreign nations, treating them all with justice, and participating in the quarrels of none ; reposing entire confidence in the people them- selves, to repress insurrections, repel invasions, and preserve tranquillity ; avoiding military preparations which can never be wanting to restrain freemen, and would be inadequate to resist foreign attacks, which only consume the public money, without, promoting the public prosperity ; in fine, which consists in the retrenchment of all useless expenses, the abolition of unnes- cessary establishments of every kind ; the repeal of taxes, whose proceeds are almost absorbed in their collection, and serve only to enlarge the circle of executive patronage, without enriching the public treasury. Nothing but the intervention of war can retard or defeat this career of national prosperity ; and when I consider our distance from the nations of Europe, the unsettled state of that continent, and the motives which the principal powers have (especially while engaged in war with one another,) to cultivate harmony with us, I cannot but hope, our tranquility will remain undisturbed, until we have effected the great purposes for which peace is so peculiarly desirable. We have passed a bill continuing the Mediterranean fund imtil January next, and repealing the duty of eight cents laid on salt, in 1797, on the 30th of June, and the remaining twelve after the 30th of September. I could have wished the whole duty to be taken off at once, but the Senate has rejected the bill containing that provision, and I think the present mode, if the Senate will concur, preferable to the continuance of the tax, probably for years. The law passed at the last session, prohibiting the importation of certain articles of merchandise from England into the United States, has been suspended until July next. It was under- stood that negociations were proceeding favorably, and promised an advantageous issue to this country, and that the further suspen- sion of this law, by affording a proof of confidence in the friendly disposition of the British government, would tend to facili- tate a final accommodation ot all differences between the two nations. I was in favor of the measure, because I feel deter- mined to adopt every plan which will secure peace, without surrendering the national honor. An event has recently occurred, which supercedes the neces- sity of our enforcing the provisions ot this law, unless indeed there shall be a repetition of injuries tov/ards the commerce and citizens of the United States, we have been olHciallv informed that a treaty was signed on the 31st of December, between this country and Great Britain, and although the terms are still un- known, irom the character of the American minister, and the as- surance we have received that the great points of difference have been settled, 1 feel confident its provisions will be satisfactory, past injuries will be redressed, commerce will be protected in future, and the seamen of this country preserved from im- pressment . The late decree of the French emperor, declaring England in a state of blockade, and interdicting all intercourse with that island, gave great and just apprehensions to the people at large ; they feared their vessels and property wou'd have bceo seized and confiscated, and their country in resisting practice upon such a principle, would have been involved in unavoidable dif- ficulties. A letter from the minister of marine in France, to general Armstrong, (laid before Congress^ assures him the de- cree is not intended to affect American trade, and that the con- vention of 1800 continues to form the rule by which the French ciuizers will be governed towards us. It remains to be seen, whether this explanation is authorised, and we should regulate cur conduct by that result. I should be extremely gratified if I could announce the ter- mination of all differences between this country and Spain, the only nation with whom we have any misunderstanding : the latest accounts mention a commissioner had been appointed, and had met the American minister to treat upon the subject, but the result has not yet transpired. I entenain very little doubt, that when the termination of Burr's conspiracy, and the warm, un- shaken attachment of the western people to the Union are known in Europe, Spain will be convinced of the impossibility ol dis- membering the Union, the futility ci tampering with our citizens and roused to a sense of danger for her weak, defenceles colo- nies, which are only preserved to her by the good faith of this government, and its exertions to restrain those that are ready to wrest them from her. The treaty with England will have con- siderable effect : Spain will know while her ships are driven from sea, her distant settlements menaced by expeditions from England, it will be impossible to send aid to her provinces adja- cent to us, and that thej- must fall the moment they are attacked. From every view I am able to take of this subjecr, it does appear to me that we shall avoid a conflict with Spain ; but if that should not be the case, I do not apprehend the least injury from any force she can oppose to that of the United States. I cannot conclude without congratulating you on the happy state of our country ; while every other portion of the globe is doomed to suffer the miseries of war, and the oppression of des- potic power, we enjoy profound peace, and exemption from vio- lence } our national debt is rapidly extinguished, our commerce extended to every sea, our revenue growing with unexampled quickness, and our resources of every kind equalling the expec- tations of the most ardent friend of his country. The perpetua- tion of these blessings depends upon ourselves : the happy des- tiny of this country can never be changed while the Union is supported, and the constitution maintained and administered in its true meaning and spirit. I have now communicated what appeared to me most impor- tant to be known. I do not attribute to myself any merit for our prosperous condition, but I can with truth declare, I have never lost sight of what I thought was the public interest, and that as long as you continue to intrust me with your confidence, the same sentiments will govern my conduct. Accept my best wishes. WILLIAM A. BURWELL. 542 . lo. ^"'^^. 4 o ■a? -^ ^-r ^ 0° .^J^>^ ^o \^ ."y^. 4 o ^rS^ N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA