280 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797. 
duty: to recommend te your confi- 
deration effectual» meafures of de- 
fence. 
The commerce: of ithe «United 
-States has becomean interefting ob- 
-ject of attention, whether we con- 
-fider it 
in relation to: the wealth 
and finances, or the firength and 
refources of the nation. With a 
-fea-coaft of near two thoufand miles 
in extent, opening a wide field for 
fifheries, navigation, and commerce, 
-agreat portion of our cilizens nam- 
rally apply their induftry and enter- 
prize to thefe objeétsy,, Any ferious 
ard permanent injury to commerce 
would not fail tocproduce the moft 
embarrafling diforders: to prevent 
it from being undermited and de- 
» ftroyed, it is effential that it receive 
-'an adeguate:protection. 
|The naval eftablifhment muft oc- 
» cur to every man who confiders the 
injuries. committed on our com- 
merce, the infults offered to our 
citizens, and the defcription of the 
veffels by which thefe abufes have 
been practifed. As the fufferings 
ef cur mercantile and: fea-faring 
cilizens cannot be afcribed to the 
omiffion of duties demandable, con- 
fidering the neutral fituation of our 
country, they are to be attributed 
to the hope of impunity, arifing 
from a fuppofed inability on our 
part to afford protecticn. To re- 
fit the confequences of fuch im- 
prefiions on the minds of foreign 
nations, and to guard againft the 
degradation and fervility which they 
mutt finally ftamp on the American 
character, is an important duty of 
government. 
A naval power, next to the mili- 
‘tia, is the natural defence of the 
United States. The experience of 
the laft war would be fufficient to 
~ fhow that a moderate naval force, 
fuch as would be eafily within the 
prefent abilities of the union, would 
have been fufficie:tt to have baffled 
many formidable traniportations of 
troops: irom one fiale, to another, 
which were then practifed. Our 
fea-coafts, from their great extent, 
are more eafily annoyed, and more 
eafily defended by a naval force 
than any other: with all the mate- 
rials our country abounds; in fkill 
our naval architects and navigators 
are equal toany; and commanders 
and feainen will not be wanting. 
But although the eftablifhment 
of a permanent fyflem, of naval de- 
fence appears to be requifite, lam 
fenfible it cannot be formed fo 
fpeedily and extenfively as the pre- 
ient crifis demands... Hitherto. I 
have thought proper to prevent the 
failing of armed veflels, except on. 
voyages to the Haft Indies, where 
general ufage, and the danger from 
pirates, appeared to render the per- 
miffion proper; yet the reftriétion 
has originated folely from a with to 
prevent collufions with the powers 
at war, contravening the act of 
Congreis of June, 1794, and not 
from. any doubt entertained by me 
of the policy and propriety of per- 
mitting our vefiels to employ means 
of defence while engaged ina law- 
ful foreign commerce. It remains 
for Congrefs to preferibe fuch regu- 
lations as will enable our fea-faring 
cilizens to defend themfelves againit 
violations of the law of nations, and 
at the fame time reftrain them from 
committing acts of hoftility againit 
the powers at war. In addition to 
thefe voluntary provifions for de- 
fence by individual citizens, it ap- 
pears to me neceflary to equip the 
frigates, and provide other veffels 
of inferior force, to take under con- 
voy fuch merchant vefftls as fhall 
remain unarmed. 
The greater part of the cruifers, 
whofe 
