Near the opening of Jefferson's first annual address to Congress, he asked congress to authorize offensive measures against Tripoli, but then later in that same address he advocated for a "salutary reduction" in our annual expenditures on both the Army and the Navy. What did Jefferson mean by "salutary". How can a reduction in the army and navy be good for the country as war with Tripoli was on the horizon.
Jefferson tried to explain the connection between cuts in military spending and the welfare of the country. There are clearly times of war when military spending is absolutely required, but Jefferson believed it was not financially sanguine for a country to impose high taxes on a country in order to prepare for wars that may or may not happen. This followed Jefferson's overall philosophy of reduced federal spending, smaller government and self-government. Jefferson went even further and explained that military build-up was not only a bad financial policy, but it was a bad military policy as well. Building up military treasures would not only not prohibit war, but instead it may actually incite war.
"War, indeed, and untoward events may change this prospect of things and call for expenses which imposts could not meet; but sound principles will not justify our taxing the industry of our fellow citizens to accumulate treasure for wars to happen we know not when, and which might not, perhaps, happen but from the temptations offered by that treasure.Indeed, Jefferson did reduce the army to 3000 soldiers and 172 officers, while the nay was reduced to 6 frigates. Unfortunately, this proved to put our young nation into grave danger. Aside from a resurgence of a seizure of American vessels and cargo by North African pirates such as those in Tripoli, the budget cuts left America sorely unprepared for the War of 1812. With a weak navy, we were unable to protect American sailors from being impressed into British and French navies. Thomas Jefferson learned the hard way, the value of a a strong navy and the meaning of "peace through strength".
These views, however, of reducing our burthens are formed on the expectation that a sensible and at the same time a salutary reduction may take place in our habitual expenditures. For this purpose those of the civil Government, the Army, and Navy will need revisal."
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29443
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=2981
http://bearingarms.com/us-navy-early-lessons-demonstrate-need-for-peace-through-strength/
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/USSConstellationVsInsurgente.jpg
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