so materially ensured by this precaution, will, I trust, approve, when done, what, if then assembled, you they would have seen so important to be done, if then assembled. Accounts of these contracts shall be laid before you.

Army. Whether a regular army is to be raised, & to what extent, must depend on the information so shortly expected. In the meantime I have called on the states for quotas of militia to be in readiness for present defence; & have moreover encouraged the acceptance of Volunteers, & am happy to inform you that these have offered themselves with great alacrity in every part of the Union, and in greater numbers than they were required. They are ordered to be organized, and ready at a moment's warning to proceed on any service to which they may be called; and every preparation within the Executive powers has been made to ensure us the benefit of early exertions.

I informed Congress, at their last session, of the enterprises against the public peace which were believed to be in preparation by Aaron Burr & his associates, of the measures taken to defeat them, & to bring the offen

ensured by the precaution, will, I trust, approve when done, what they would have seen so important to be done if then assembled. Accounts of these contracts shall be laid before you.

Whether a regular army is to be raised & to what extent, must depend on the information so shortly expected. In the meantime I have called on the states for quotas of militia to be in readiness for present defence; and have moreover encouraged the acceptance of volunteers, and I am happy to inform you that these have offered themselves with great alacrity in every part of the Union. They are ordered to be organized, and ready at a moment's warning, to proceed on any service to which they may be called, and every preparation within the Executive powers, has been made to ensure us the benefit of early exertions.

I informed Congress at their last session of the enterprises against the public peace which were believed to be in preparation by Aaron Burr and his associates, of the measures taken to defeat them, & to bring

ders to justice. Their enterprises were happily defeated, by the patriotic exertions of the militia, wherever called into action, & by the fidelity of the army, and energy of the Commander in chief of the army of the US, in promptly arranging the difficulties presenting themselves on the Sabine, repairing to meet those arising on the Mississippi, & dissipating before their explosion, plots engendering there. And truth & duty alone extort the observation that wherever the laws were appealed to in aid of the public safety, their operations were was on behalf of those only against whom they were invoked. As a part of the public you have learned the arraignment of the principal offenders in the District court of Virginia. I have thought it my duty to lay before you the proceedings & the evidence publicly exhibited there together with some which was not publicly heard. This You will be enabled you to judge whether the defect was in the testimony, or in the laws, or whether there is not a radical defect in the administration of the law? And wherever it shall be found the legislature alone can apply or originate the remedy. The framers of our con

the offenders to justice. Their enterprises were have been happily defeated, by the patriotic exertions of the militia, wherever called into action, by the fidelity of the army, and energy of the Commander in chief in promptly arranging the difficulties presenting themselves on the Sabine, repairing to meet those arising on the Mississippi, and dissipating, before their explosion, plots engendering there. And truth & duty alone extort the observation that whenever the laws were appealed to in aid of the public safety, their operation was on behalf of those only against whom they were invoked. As a part of the public you have learned the arraignment of the principal offenders in the District court of Virginia. I have thought it shall consider it my duty to lay before you the proceedings, & the evidence publicly exhibited on the arraignment of the principal offenders before the District court of Virginia, there, together with some evidence which was not publicly there heard. From the whole you will be enabled to judge whether the defect was in the testimony, in the law, or in the administration of the law; and wherever it shall be found, the legislature

stitution

certainly supposed

they had guarded, as well their government against destruction by treason, as their citizens against oppression under pretence of it and if the pliability of the law as construed in the ease of Fries, and it's wonderful refractoriness as construed in that of Burr, shew that neither end has been attained, and induce an awful doubt whether we all live under the same law. The right of the jury too to decide law as well as fact seems nugatory without the evidence pertinent to their sense of the law. If these ends are not attained it becomes worthy of enquiry by what means more effectual they may be secured?

Finance. The receipts of the Treasury, during the year ending the day of have

exceeded the sum of millions of Dollars: which with millions in the treasury at the beginning of the year, have enabled us after meeting the current demands to pay millions of the princi

pal of our public debt & millions of interest. These paiments with those of the preceding 5 years have extinguished of the funded debt

millions of D. being the

whole which can could be paid or purchased within the limits of the law & of our contracts, and have left us in the treasury millions of Dollars. This sum may be considered as a commencement of accumulatn of the surpluses of revenue, which after paying the instalments of debt as they shall become payable will remain without any specific object. A part indeed may be advantageously applied towards providing defence for the exposed points of our country, on such a scale as shall be adapted to our principles & circumstances. This object is doubtless among the first which claims entitled to attention in such a state of our finances, & it is one which whether we have peace or war, will give a state of security always desirable where it is due. Whether what will remain of this with the future surplusses, may be usefully applied to purposes already authorized, or more usefully to others requiring new authorities, or how otherwise they shall be disposed of, are questions calling for early the notice from Congress, unless indeed they shall be superceded by a change in the our state of things public relations, now depending on

paiments, with those of the preceding five & a half years have extinguished of the funded debt, millions of

dollars, being the whole which could be paid or purchased within the limits of the law, and of our contract, and have left us in the treasury

millions of Dollars. A portion of this sum may be considered as a commencement of accumulation of the surpluses of revenue, which, after paying the instalments of debt, as they shall become payable, will remain without specific object. A part indeed may be advantageously applied towards providing defence for the exposed points of our country, on such a scale as shall be adapted to our principles & circumstances. This object is doubtless among the first entitled to attention, in such a state of our finances, and it is one which, whether we have peace or war, will give security where it is due. Whether what shall remain of this, with the future surpluses, may be usefully applied to purposes already authorized, or more usefully to others requiring new authorities, or how otherwise they shall be disposed of, are questions calling for the notice of Congress; unless indeed they