" . 10
PHILADELPHIA, . &
... fa
FRIDA T £7 EN ING > JUN'E 9. /,
♦ i*, X-H..
U
Marricrl at K«w by the Rev. Dr. S. S.
Smith of Princeton, JOSIAH QUINCY Esq.. of &
Boilon, Connfellor at Law, to Miss .ELIZA S. in
MORTON, the late Mr. John Morton
ifl/erchaut of that City
~. .c<
A CURIOSITY. jj
f
UK. tKXNOi
IN returning yflerday evening to my house
in the Country, I picked up in the road a paper, f
tvhich upon inflection, appeared to be part of
ibe proof sheet of a circular letter, written pro
bably by cne of the under door ieepers of Con
grtfs to his friends in the country—As the faSs
therein fated are of a very curious nature, I
have taken the liberty of tranfmittir.g it to you
fcr publication.
" Philadelphia, 2d June, 1797-
" Sin; 1
" WE have this day agreed to a report in
erf liter to the Preftdert's Speech, which is all f
the bufmefs we have done since the meeting of v
Cor.grefr; and which I would fend you, but it I
is too lengthy for a letter. It hits eojl the coun-
try at leafl nineteen or twenty thousand dollars ; t
the daily expense of Congress being eflimated at j
about one thousand dollars, and which neither f
the corftitution nor laws of this country have t
required of us, or even warranted in my opin- c
ion. It is an evil introduced by our predecessors,
who wished tO'be aping oftcr monarchical pomp ;
and parade ; forgetting that they were citizens, i
and not fubjeSs. In the course of the debates <
upon this fubjeS, amendments were brought for- |
ward which ultimately prevailed to this effeß : f
IVe cherish the hope that the Preftdent will fend [
an Ambassador, or Envoy Extraordinary to f
France, who shall declare to that Republic un- ■>
equivocally, that, the United States are willing j:
to rcrrjtve all inequalities which may exifibetween {
her and other foreign relations with the United t
States, and require that France would on her a
part make good thi spoliations committed on our 1
neuiral rights.— The friends to this amendment £
(amongfl whom I was one)hefitated—Perfuaded
it wasbetterto try farther negotiations,&wifhing r
rather to conciliate than irritate the French into c
war. This principle was opposed by the friends t
to the original reportfrom the committee. They n
urged that we had fufficient cause to go to war e
with the French, in as much as the Executive e
DireSory refufed to receive our Ambassador, ti
and called him Anglo-American ; that her pride ®
ought to be humbled; that America was able to ,
do it, if fie would Jhew the frmnefs of the c
Emperor, and assume the manly tone of Great
£~:Z >i' v ! W"'' latter of which (as their J
arguments "joeniprove) we ought to form an
alliance ofenfive and tvotild t
do great things. Again-, that zue kjd no right
to ie l the President that we had an opinion
it would be affum'tng a Aitlatorial flation, even (
to tell him we had a thought or a w 'tfh about r
the matter ; nntwithflandwg he had called Con- \
grefs for that express purpose. Other members \
went Jlill further, whose firmnefs I lament, and *
whose politics I very much qucflion ; for Ido 1
not heptate to declare, that I am afraid that j
there are many members in Congress, whose fin- (
cere dfire is to involve us in a war with the |
mfl powerful nation in Europe, where we mufl \
hazard every thing, put every thing at flake i
without tie mofl dijlant profpeci of gain, and in <
JLort, when we cannot gain. What unwise '
policy I Infiead cf shewing a dfire to queflion
the public councils, to view thepajl conduS, and
to provide for the future welfare, it appears
more than ever the prevailing <fnd exulting
maxim, that government mufl be supported;
mixed too with a considerable degree of bitter
tufs againjl all those who queflion its proeeed
ings.
" That government mufl be supported, is a
maxim jufl and incontrovertibly true, when
rightly underflood. But a disposition to remove
r.'ifs, under any regulations whatever, is ac
, imtrd by those who even admit and lament
'r cxijlcnce, as an attack upon the conftitu
'l authorities, or even the constitution itfelf,
. ■ -ih fuffers from them. It is by this fenfa
ihat the authors of our present calamities
lire cheri/hed and supported by those whocondemn
them ; whilfl, on the other hand, those who
with wisdom ond perseverance oppose all those
meafurcs which produce them, are discounten
anced and djirufed. Hence nothing is more
certain of being acceptable with the multitude
than extravagant afferthns in favor of ihat
fide of the queflion which the individual hap
pens to efpoufc : thegroffejl allujions have in that
cafe found credit. The truth of this remark
we have a recent 'tnflance of in the Richmond
paper of Mr. Davis of the 2\th ult. wherein
are tbefe degrading words : " We of the Grand
Jury of the United States for the diflriß of
'Virginia, present as a real evil the circular let
ters of the Members of Congress." In an
swer to Ms, Ido mojl Jtncerely lament, that
;mofl of our political disputants, newspaper wri
' tirs and pamphleteers, seem to let local attach
ments, pnrty spirit, or ambitious views, take
preference of truth, in search of which scarce
ly can we find a sentence of fair, vnbiajfed rea
faning, in d whole page or pamphlet. At the
fame time, are not the rights of the people puck
at in • this mode of doing buftnefs ? I would
* vjl, how are the people to know what is doing
on the foor of Congress, vnlefs they have the
informa:kr. f -jrn their Reprefintatives, if there
is not a newspaper printed in every neighbor
. hood'? And as this is not the cafe, what better
way can be devfed, than for ibe members of
each diflria tocutlfnm the gnat mass of fluff
_ -fontflinsdinjhe pubiit;pri/::s, and coflmnfe it in
to one paper, which may the mei-e eaftly be con*
jvcyed to their conJ)'ttver.ts : for it 'cannotlefup
pofed that a member -could write as and
' as.often, as the people far from. him.
And again, what was the intent of freaking
of letters ? 'Was it merely for the purpose oj'ac
cohmodating members tn write to f amities ?
For my own fart, I think otherwise. I f'p
fnfe it was intend:dthat the ptoijejhonld kr.ow
femething elfbeftds the bis.ness \f the tax ga
tberer ivhcn he ccr.cs* But cjrJid the.
■thix ismt all tlsal is n:.v," !j that fnmyjs'pre-. V
fen:-icnt, of that f,units J*>y- Is it.not in- "
tended to hoodwink the p»pk ifta fi'neth'ng
zii >rfe ? Have the ptsplclsen t«l.l ibat there ev- c
er was art attempt in the conv:n':on to mould a ~
Kingly government ■? If they have not, let them x
take this as a warning, and b: upon their guard, n
In the mean time, Irtqurjl furb gentlemen its dif- n
approve of this mode of un iting, to Julmit tny
letters to their neighbors, and to Jtgqfy their
displeasure by -writing trie abetter ; for this ij r
in my opinion the W'Jl direct com nun'tcaiive cbun- \
nelthrough yjbkb we cun cor ref pond iv:'h our ;•
constiTuents, and cfpes tally when it is remember- t
ed what a great diflance vie are from them,and e
the amaxing extent of territory they are difper- ji
fed over."
MR* rCHNCi, - . „
The following extra&, on r '-c autSentictty of
which you may rely, as well as on the tru-h of r
the matter con-aincd in it, aeferves notice; as j
it proves that if the Bricifil iniprefs teamen from (
us, we are raore thati even with them by entic- (
ing a aitich greater nUmier from them. It may
tc Lch us to moderate our anger for a|jgreflions,
which tho' not juftified, -re certainly in a very
great measure, provoked, by th: improper e&s t
of cur own citizens. t
Extrafl of a letter from Antigua dated sift OISO- c
bcr 1796. t
Mr. wrote by , and I hope has f
fatisfied you that his sentiments coincide pix feiSly r
with yours (in the fubjeft of yonr correspondence, '
I know he has had a great deal of trouble, durinjr t
this whole war, in rescuing Americans improperly V
detained by the officers of the navy, and a very
troublefoms part of his duty it mufthavc been.— j
Jullice requires however that what can be laid in ,
palliation of the conduit of those rough ions of
the ocean, towards the Americans, ihould not be v
omitted :• The Americans have exerted wonderful d
induflry in fecre:ing and carrying away deserters
from our Navy; you may judge of their diligence v
by what they have done, during the hmricane
months in this small Illand; one seventy four and ''
five frigate*, lying at Englifn Harbour, have loft f
fincc the month of August above three hundred t
men by desertion ; 1 very large reward has been r
, granted by the legislature of the Island for appre-
hending these. men, and after the mjft diiligent
fearth not above thirty of them can be found in the
whole country: we have had no vessels of our I
own here to convoy them away, for our {hips all
failed before the commencement of the Hurricane
r feaion: they have doubtless been carried ofl by t
the American vessels that are conllantly corring ,
and going, and allthefe seamen are a loss to great '
Britain at lead for the remainder of the war. I '
think some pains (hould be taken by the American I
Government to prevent Britiih seamen from being (
smuggled in a mannar so improper : or some ar- ]
rangement (hould be made between the two
countries, by which proper officers might be au
thorised on the part of Ureat Britain and the Unit
ed States to go on board of American vessels im
mediately on their entry into Britiffi ports, and j
examining the number ef their seamen ; another
examination to take place when they are quitting
the port-. this, if properly conduced, would not
only effedlua ly prevent them from carrying off
Britilh Seamen, but be the means ofpreferving ]
their own from the violent hands of the Navy
Officers.
Extras of a letter from Holland, Feb. 7, 1797.
Since Twrote you lad, I am informed that
the French Direflory have ordered Mr. Pinck
ney to leave France, and he has determined to
come into this country and wait here for the
Gid«« of his government.-^—At the time when
the refill to receive him took place, an inti
mation wis given him, that it was expedted he
would depart, but he refufed to go, without a
written order. This was delayed Until the Di
' reftory received their last dispatches from the
United State 6 and the most recent statement of
; the eleflion of President and Vice-Prefident.
I hav« already written you in what manner they
consider this event —with what mortification
they have found their influence inefficient to
' turn the choice, and how much they are incli
• ned to persist in their system by their proximity
to Juccefs. This last incident strongly corrobo
. rated the cpision.
A citcumfiance which cannot eft-ape oblerva
, tion, is the treatment at this time experienced
from the fame quarter by Mr. Monroe. He
' has been upon a tour through this country. He
' came strongly recommended to an influential
r member of the committee of foreign affairs,
. and to the secretary of that committee, who as
well as the French minifler here, paid him the
greatest attentions. This member of the com
mittee is devoted totally to France. He gave a
1 fplsndid entertainment to Mr. Monroe, at which
1 were present other members, and the secretary
t cf the committee, and the American miniller.
- After dinner while they were fitting at table,
t he aceofled Mr Monroe, and the American
mimfierby name, and gave, for toast, "The
- peuple ot America." The secretary upon whom
' the American minifler instantly turned his eye,
" was apparently confuftd, and inflead of re
peatiDg the toast as given, fubflituted in its
n liead " the United States." Mr. Monroe said
0 neither the one nor the other.
r e This anecdote may appear trivial, but is a
clear indication of things far othcrwife.
I saw Mr. Monroe almost every day while he
1 was here, he converted with me upon our pub
e lie affairs, but with great reserve, particularly
]t -concerning our situation with France. His de
portment evidently discovered an exasperated
it and strongly agitated mind, though his conver
i fation was in every particular extremely gnard
d ed. He went from the Hague to Arafterdam,
where he flayed only a few days, and from
whence he very suddenly set out for Utrecht on
his return to Paris, on the fame day when the
'/ news arrived here of the order to depart given I
t- to Mr. Pinckney.
1- In this country the name of the Vice-Prefi
it dent (Mr. Adams) is remembered with refpefl
and attachment by the people of all parties.
1" The proofs of it, whick I have observed, are
, innumerable, and mrlt particularly fmce the
'' recent American cleflions, h:ve become an ob- j
jefl of immediate notice and attention. There
1- is however a power extant in this country,
'ie which overrules all attachment and will either
-I silence refpeift, or render its voice unavailing.
U To an orcer f.gncd from the French Diredory
be it what it may, no refinance can be made,
'£ and hever is attempted.—lf, therefore, they
(hould require of this government to suspend
re all intercourse, commercial or or both
r- with the United States, tbey could not refufe
er tke demand, although folly fenlible ; t would
B f be a meajure extremely odious to th« pcoplt,
ir andthst in conference 6f such a difference,
they would fufftr niucb. ir.ore injury than Aratr
icaos. If, tHerrfore, the Amnican minifler
(hould be ordered away from hcace, as Mr.
p- Pinckney has been from Paris, you will tot be
nd fgrprifed. There is not at present any reafo*
m. lo ,'xpe<n it, but how ton the dinrflpry may
r „ tx aait is impc-ffibleto fay, aud if rtaaet), it
raß.not'bc refufed. Thi: opinion is fuppm ted
an example « hif_h has ahxady taken place
' with regard to Portugal.
'P~ y ou vnll fce by the papers that the new eni
ct' pcror isf Russia has determined to adhere to the
'a- treaties, concluded by his mother with Great
\cl" Britain and Aoftiia, but not to conclude the
y -hlh Ihc vvii tfpsr. .£>;<? point of fi»i:W3
ot til - time of lief an«i ■» virtue of which ] al
fbc was to furniM iiku for the next
campaign. He has ,n ;t, js.wji prttendi'd, rt* w
cognize the Trench Republic ; but the death >
of the lateemprefs is followed by so rrmafkabie j
and jinportant a change of fyftein, that it can- j
not .be supposed to luvr happened in the com- ta
mc# course of mortality. <5;
The Frcn.'h army in Italy h:s obtained ano
thirfptendid vi&ory. It may give thera Mart
tuaj burprnbably will not reconcile the enipe- • .
ror yet to the fscrifice ot the Netherlands, j
This is now the great apparent obstacle to a < w
peace, and fer this the nations of Europe are [le
to bleed at every, artery lav years perhaps (o j in
come. You will undoubtedly fee the accounts d
of Lord Malmclbury's negociatibus, and will t(
find in the eonverfation of DeUcr> ix. the pre
sent fyftrm of the Directory. Y-ju fee how
coolly they are relblved to facrifite this country *
—to give up the Cape of Good Hep; ami Trin-
to Uf'itain as a compenfatiun for the an- k
nsxation of the Netherlands to France. Tbe h
j Batavian republic will IWJ be obliged to return c
thanks," and glory in holding its Liberty under
the tenure of French bounty. [A 1 . T. D- Ad-]
The Address In answer to the Speech of
the Preiidcr.t of the Unijed States, passed
the House of Rcprefentatives by a majority
of TWENTY-SIX. Sixty-two Ayes and '
thirty-fix Noes. This Addreis solemnly as- ((
fureo the President of the United States, ,
That they believe that the conduft of the z
Government has been just and impartial to-
wards Foreign Nations. r
It is true that the majority against ftrik-
ing out these words was only 8. The faft
however is, that on the final decision there
was a. great majority in favor of the Ad-
dress containing the sentiment.
To suppose that any of that majority °
would aft counter to this solemn declaration,
may square with the politics of a foreign ?
faftion, but would be a gross refleftion on
the honor and integrity of any man who
pretends an attachment to the interest of the
United States. c
c
BACHE'S PREDICTION, 7TH APRIL LAST.
Notwithstanding the appearances of ani- *
mofity subsisting between the United States
and the Republic of France, we have the I
belt founded reasons for believing that the
misunderstanding will be of a very short '
(landing, after the business shall have been [
laid before Congress by the President.
APPOINTMENT. 1
Jacob Lewis of Dorchester, Massachu
setts, Consul at the Isle of France.
COMMUNICATION.
The Aurora of Wednesday last acknow- '
ledges, in plain language, Mr. Jefferfon's
fathering the letter to Mazzei. This is an 1
important—a precious confession. The '
friends of the government will aft according
ly. The intelligence ought to be commu- 1
nicated from Maine to Georgia, that the
real sentiments of the Vicc-Prejident may
be generally known.
The Aurora of Wednesday last asserts,
<« that some members of 1 Congress dined at
the Britilh ministers, on the 4th of June, to
celebrate the birth-day of the Britilh Mo
narch."—We are authorised, by a gentle
man who was present at that dinner, to con
tradift positively the aflertion in the Aurora,
and to assert that there was not present any
member of the federal governmeut, nor any
member of Congress The above attempt
in the Aurora to deceive the public by lies
is worthy of notice.
One of the Aurora-men asserts, that the
letter from New-York, publilhed in this Ga
zette, relative to the eleftion in that city,
is a fabrication. The original letter is in
the hands of the editor hereof.
In one of the French Gazettes publilhed
in this city (not Aurora) the speech of
Ned Froth is thus eulogized :
" After having proved with equal energy
and truth ! the jujlice of most of the ac
cufationsof France,he(Froth) reproached the
United States with forgetting the services
which the French nation have rendered
them."
" I am, cried he, one of those whose
number is daily diminifhing—[" A preci
ous confeflion"—it is high time that such
patriots should become fcarce.J
To meet the decided approbation and even
eulogium of an enemy, must be regarded as
rather lame evidence of the patriotism of
the objeft of it.
Improb'.s laudari viluperari ejl.
The repeated accounts we receive of mis
representations circulated in France by our
jacobins, must convince the Americans that
the differences between the Government of
that country and of the United States, has
proceeded mostly from the arts and treache
ry of our citizens. When we fee such abo
minable fallhoods as those contained in Mr.
Jefferfon's letter, propagated through Eu
rope by those charafters who have held high
offices in America, we are tempted to apolo
gize for the resentment of a nation exposed
to those deceptions. The evil is deep root
■ ed among ourselves—and unless some mode
can be adopted to restrain these traiterous
f correspondencies, between the faftious of
• our own citizens and foreign governments,
we (hall never be represented to Europeans
in our just charafttr.
We have taken pains, Snce the opening
1 of Spring, to make enquiries of gentlemen
, from different parts of the country, ref
j pefting t,hc state of the public mind in the
' interior. We find but one opinion, as to
r public affairs, the farmers, who conflitute
' the strength of our Republic, and who be
„ to no party, as a body wish foracon
y tinuaace of Peace. At the fame time, they
it are extremely irritated at the injuries we
d fuffer from France, and if no honourable
e means can bejound to prc-ferve peace, they
will, with 'jxrfeft unanimity, and great ,spi
rit, encounter the perils of war. . Such we
may be affnred is the unanimous sentiment of
.< the Eaftem States. N. T. Paper.
A Ccrr;:fpondent 00feryes-—that at the Hi l
late reviews in the several Counties of this fei
D{ftrift, the fame noble spirit pervaded the mi
whole body of-, people, with refprft the \y<
unpleasant fifuation of this couutry with lia
France. All declare themselves willing to ne
take up antis in defence of the Indeprn- th
der.qe of thfir Coilr.try, and against any te
Nation that would dare to interfere with dc
their internd GoVerr.ir.snt —or attempt an
infioious diitinftion between them and those tc
whom they have freely chosen as their ra- in
lers—that they are enemies to all Foreign tc
influence —and that France,by her late con- r:
dust, has rendered her friendfhsp suspicious j
to the people of the United States, | hi
What pleafureable lenfations must it ere- j cl
ate in the breaiis of genuine Americans, to re
find that the mr.fs of out fellow-citizens as
know Jio-w to appreciate their dear bought ai
liberties; and that they with one voice de- fi<
clare themselves ready to defend their coun- pi
try against all attacks.
( IVihnmgtof., N. C.paper —MAr 2s. P
The" Quotidienne" aParispaper,makes in
the following interesting remarks on the li'
late Proclamation of the Executive Direc- ti
tory, relative to the Primary Assemblies :
" The Direftory formally invites all citi- g
zens not to choofc those who regret-the an- ft
cient regimen. I beg to aik," fays the a
writer, "what it metns by the words ancient tl
regimen. Does it wish to exclude those
who regret the tranquility we enjoyed under f<
our kings ? No ; the Direftory has no in-
tention to perpetuate disorders. Does it &
allude to those, who regret the time when °
our property was held sacred ? No ; the n
Direftory will not protest and encourage r
pillage. Does it speak of those who regret a
the day when no blood was Ihed on the fcaf- ti
fold, but that of robbers and affafiins ? c
No ; the Direftory seeks the retiirn ps 1
the reign of justice. Does it mean to point t:
out those, who regret the Lettres de Ca- d
chet ? No'; the Revolutionary Committees
have made us forget them. Or does it per- t
haps allude to those who regret the reign of: t
Religion ? No ; Government has formally 0
proclaimed the liberty of religious worihip. ! <3
What then do you mean by ancient regi- 0
men ? A king, no doubt ; but he was r
murdered by you. Besides, the word king f
is void of sense, and a Republic of frogs
alone can demand a king without making men- r
tion of a government. A king may be as well e
at the head of a Republic, as at the head J
of a Monarchy. The Spartans were certainly 1
stout republicans, and yet they had two 1
kings. Poland was a Republic, and yet £
Poland had a king. The word king is there-
fore a bug bear to frighten children and c
nurses. The word ancient regimen conse
quently implies an absurdity, and should not 5
be found in a Proclamation' of the Direc- 1
tory. London paper.
MR. fp.nno, | :
AS the right of a Neutral Nation to protest*
its commeree by convoys, is now agita- 1
ted, I inclose a quotation from Puffendorf '
on that fubjeft, and with you to insert it '
in your Gazette. A. B. 1
In the year 1692 the celebrated Mr. Pus- 1
fendorf was consulted on the free navigation
of the Northern Powers of Europe, during
a war between the Englilh, Dutch and
' French, when he gave the following opi
nion :
" If the Northern Princes can maintain
! " their trade with France by fending strong
" convoys with their fleets, I fee nothing to !
" blame in it,, provided their vessels do not j
. " carry contraband goods. The law s of j
" humanity and equity between nations do 1
«• not extend so far as to require, without any j
( " apparent necessity, that one people should
" give up its profits to another."
I CONGRESS.
f HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
r Wednesday, June 7.
Cmcluf.ori of Mr. S Smith's remarks,
t If the latter amendment was agreed to,
s he should be for striking out the whole, leav
-1 ing it general, because with Weft Indies in
it, it would be particularly pointed.
; They had been told of the loss fuftaifled
- by spoliations, and where it fell. He believ
£> ed it fell uppn the great body of the people
of America, and that the fall in the price of
1 produce had been occasioned principally by
s the Britilh admiral having forbidden the car
s rying o four provisions to Hifpaniola. The
Britilh fleet, in the Weft Indies, he said,
was supplied with provisions from Ireland,
whilst the French depended upon this coun
- try for supplies, so that they were our best
r customers there.
,t The gentlemanfromS. Carolina (Mr. W.
if Smith) supposed the cry of war would have
lb no effeft in the country ; but let us refer
■- back to to the British treajy, said he, when
>- that gentleman was so loud in his cry- But
r. that was a war with Great Britain, and not
1- with France. At that time there was not
h a British tear which was not called forth by
i- the appealswhich were made on this ground,
d But, Mr. S. said, he did not then fear
t- war, nor did he now, if they took prudent
le measures. The gentleman said,, his plan was
is to prevent war, and yet he proposed to go
)f to Jight and Jink the vessels of a particular na
s, tion. This was a way of prefervirig peace
is peculiar to himfelf.
If merchant's vessels were armed, they j
ig would fcrve the purpose of privateers, which
■ll might be used against our own vessels. Tin's I
f- was 3 risk he did not chufe to run. But it
le was a curious faft, that at the fame that we
to are proposing to permit the merchants to
te arm, they express a disinclination to it ; be
e- cause they love their country bette vthap their
n- own interest. But the gentleman had said
that the expence of insurance would be lef
ve fened by this arming- On the contrary, he
ile (and he was an underwriter) should confiiler
ey the ri(k greater from their having guns. In
?i- 4e<*'he found the InCurancf Offices were all
ve against the measure.
of But the gentljrrvan fays, let.the French
know we are preparing. He trusted we
(hoaid prepare a defence which could not of
fend any oue. Let us do all we can to pro ■
mote peace ; let tl>d negociations go on. It
would he a fine ltory, indeed when a reconci
liation was about to take place bctwnct our
negociatdrs and the French government that
they (hou'd hear we were {inking her priva
teers in- the Weft Indies. They would
doubtless fend them about their bulinefs.
The gentleman from S. Carolina seemed
to thick it was right for our veflek to go".
into Rebel .ports in the Weft Indies ; and
told them < tour men being taken by Vittor
HugueSj coaiideredas pirates and hung (Mr.
W. S. denied having said our citizens were
Lung) Mr. S. read Victor pro
clamation, (though he said he had no more
refpeft for him than that gentleman,
as he had loft 6or 7,<360 dollars by him)
and (hewed that those persons were only con
sidered as traitors who failed out of rebel i
ports, and not citizens of the United States.
Nor were those ports conlldered as rebel
ports which were taken by the Engliih,
(Cape Nicholas Mole was one of those) but
merely those which were in a state of rebel
lion, to which, if we were determined to
trade, it would certainly lead to war.
Mr. S. said he was surprised to hear the
gentleman from S. Carolina make one cori
feffion, viz. that the French minister had
allured our government the prizes taken in
the Weft Indies were unauthorized, because
when he had aiferted the fame thing, on a
former occasion, that gentleman denied it.
Mr. S. inftfted that the French trade carri
ed on to the Weft Indies was a produftive
one, and that payments were in geperal
made as punctual, as in any otber parts, and
referred to m?jor Mountflorence's letter for
an aft of generosity .never (hewn by the Bri
tish ; nay, he thought there was a better
chance of getting money owing from France
than there was for getting it for any spolia
tions committed by the Britiih, and novv;un
der adjudication.
Mr. S. concluded by faying, be had ano
ther reason for opposing the meaiufc. Two
thirds of his constituents were farmers, and
one third citizens, and they enjoined him to
do all in his power to keep this country out
of war ; he thought the rejection of this
resolution as tending to this end, and there
fore he opposed it.
! Mr. Harper went into a defence of the
resolution at considerable length. lie deni
ed that the French could take reaforiable
grounda of offence at the mcafure, as the
power would only be given under such re
ftriftions as mull prevent it from being abus
ed, as men would never wantonly forfeit the
sums in which they were bound to obey their
order?. »
When Mr. Harper fat down there was
a loud call for the committee to rife (it being
past three) when Mr. Livingfton rose, and
hoped the question would be taken. The
: question was put for the committee to rife,
| and carried 42 to 40.
J A bill was received from the Senate for
raffing and organizing an additional corps
■ of artillerists and engineers, which was read
the firft time ; when Mr. Macon moved that
it be rejefted, as he favv no rrecefiity for in
, creasing our army. The-motion was oppo
sed by Mr. W. Smith, who said the men
. | would be wanted for supplying the garri
i sons ; and in order to get rid of the quef
. ; tion, he moved the House to adjourn. Car
ried.
FRIDAY, MAY 16.
In committee of the whole, Mr. Dent in the
1 chair, on the amendment of the answer to the
' ; Prclidtnt.
: | Mr. Dennis said, being unacquainted with
f j the fubjedl, In a manner, and newly honored
j 1 with a feat i'> the honfe, he thought it mofl prn
r ! der.t to observe silence hitherto, and should still
j . have remained had he not observed thf
ground offome gentle.r,en's arguments, which
had roused him to a sense of his duty; he, un
der that imprefDon.came forward, not merely
to examine many of the arguments introduced
on this <>ccafjon, but to Ihew his reaforis why
, he could not vote in favor of the amendment
now before the Committee.
It appeared from the turn the debate had ta
ken, as though the quetUon was, whether A
, merica fnould enter into a war or nut, —at leali
- it would appear so to persons attending to the
[! debate ; indeed, he said, be (hould not be at all
fuprifed if at this moment waggon loads of pe-
I titions were on the road from all quarters, to
~ reflrain this body from entering into a war with
" the French Republic : was the question alked
e of a person who had not heard it, the answer
f mud natually be war —whether we (hauld now
y declare war againltthe French.
In the remarks he had to make, he could ii'ot
e flatter himfelf to be able to display the talents
. which feme gentlemen had done, he mufletm
' tent h unfit If with a few defultoty obfervitiaiis,
'> and endeavor to dire& them as much to the
1- point as pofiible. It had been the prafiice of
I some gentleman to commence their harangue
to the house, on the imprcfiiens under which
tftey came into the government. ' Notwfth
ftanding some observations which hal hceo
made on tbis fuhjedt by a gentleman, (Mr.
r Livingfton,) tho' a new member, Mr. Der.nis
n said, it would not he very extraordinary if he
It were to explain his impreihons on Crft coming
it into the houie, but he Olould not so tike up the
)t time of the committee. Kor should he follow
y the other gentleman (Mr. Frftrr an,) on lie
j fnhje<Sl of ftderiiilVn. He had no forma: mars
' to amend, nor tetrafiions to niake ; it; came
II forward perfefHy tiUtrammeled ; in wl):t,b he
was differcnl from the grtnleman who opened
is the dtluf» ( Mi. Nic!iol«s,) who faj j he carhe
O forward animated with ze.il in of'fjjc
a . French nation, because of the powerful crinbi
.e nation file had to cops with, and /which- at
tempted to rob her of her Hbmy,cm ac
count of the in-.tifTerence which tinned »> prr
vadc this country not inly to of. die
; h french natiOh b'M iq fr*nt*
is ral. Lome, ft id Mr. Dennis, the fahie
it iroprffliort*—l-oqce .felt. vi'.b enll-ulb/m -the
re WCle of the French, becaafc "hdr'a'imyMifcr at
to tempt wai librrty. I rejoifftj ''in'be* victories
and felt'hcr troubles";- fi# hnjj:'la«..hss aim was
_. lib: rtv •• fend-iighcrivff»&■*}#&/««»-.: jGaa, I
: . ,r felt in tref behiu .--fbut whuta fitKa-
J " tloii it Ifce Mow f4No vktugtf tnju ed, thf
:f- bw ter.-viOyjej ivty'e made her be
he comet-be no l.nger .i;, the r.iufr of
free«lom hir aim. tiut ia!sg 1 AiWlizt
n. ment .* witK;her"«)Mi!f»e fcf £oii3*a tt_ OecOmc*
cbligatsry (Vjr liie to chailgi frorn the approba-
J1 t}6ti 1 fottherty -telt in : her ; bcUilf; tiie now
comrs for wire! »:)• regulate onr concerns I
c " thnefm e> c?n no longer sjpopfe h?r and
yc mult candidly dcclaic myClf pets- urjrarc-