The Rhode-Island American, and general advertiser — Providence [R.I.], 1810-02-13 00:00:00, page 2

offered be correct, there was no such “ in
t.iQal'iun” in the preceding letters, and of
course no repetition of it here. For if he
hud, us I think 1 have proved, in his for*
tner letters uttered no such insinuation as
is asserted, then all the allegations in thi
paragraph are wholly harmless and deco
rous ; neither disrespectful nor improper.
But this,” says the gentleman from J'vnn
aylvatuia, (Mr. Milnor.) “ is conclusive to
my mind that Mr. Jackson did intend to in
suit; for if he had not, would he have re
trained from giving au explanation, when
it Was a >ked.” That gentleman will reco!
led, that the assertion of this house is as
to the. idea which Mr. Jackson has convey
ed in the letter of the '23d, not as to the
■idea which he intended to convey. Sup
•poic he intended it and has not done it,
■our assertion is still false. But will that
gentleman seriously conclude, contrary to
-so obvious a course of argument, that he
bus asserted, or even intended to assert
this particular idea, merely because he
does not choose to explain it ? Are there
not a thousand reasons, which might have
induced Mr. Jackson not to explain,
aistent with being perfectly innocent of the
intention, originally to convey it. Per
haps he thought that he had already been
explicit enough. Perhaps he thought the
explanation was asked in terms, which
did not entitle Mr. Smith to receive it.—
Perhaps he did not choose to give this sat
isfaction. Well, that now, is “ very un
gentlemanly,” says the gentleman from
Pennsylvania, (Mr. Milnor.) I agree, if
he pleases;* so it was. But does that justi
fy this resolution? Because he is not a
gentleman, shall we assert a falsehood?
J briefly recapitulate the leading points
of my argument. When Mr. Jackson as
serts ” that th« substance of the instruc
tions was known to ouff government,*’ the
expression cannot convey the obnoxious
idea, because it is not pretended that, in
those instructions the existence of othei.
powers was excluded When he says,
” you must have thought it unreasonable
to complain of disavowal,” the time of
knowledge implied is confined bv the
'.'Structure of the sentence to the time of dis
avowal known and cannot be limited back
wards to the time of arrangement made.—
It is also tbsurd to suppose that Mr. Jack
son would intimate by implication the
knowledge of our government of Mr. Ers
’ kine’s incompetency of powers at the time
of arrangement as an essential circum
stance, on whk'h the King's right of disa
vowal was founded, and yet omit that cir
cumstance, in a formal enumeration, anil
lastly, it is still more absurd to suppose
that hj would undertake to insinuate a
knowledge, which from the nature of
thing* Could not, possibly, exist.
J have thus, Mr. Speaker, submitted to
asttict and minute scrutiny all the ports
of this coi respoodence which have heen
adduced, by any one in support of the
fact asserted in this resolution. This
course, however irksome, I thought it my
duty to adopt, to th" end that do exertion
of mine might be wanting to prevent this
house from passing a resolution, which in
my>apprcht nsion is pregnant with national
disgrace and other innumerable evils.
But let us suppose for one moment, that
the fattt asserted in this resolution is true,
that the insult has been offered ; and that
the proof is not obscure and doubtful, but
certain and clear. I ask ; is it wise, is it
politick, is it manly for a national legisla
ture to utter bn an occasion, particularly
against an individual, invectives so full of
Contumely and bitterness ? Shall we gain
any thing by it ? Have such expressions a
tendency to strengthen our cause, or add
weight and respectability to those who ad
Vocate it ? In private lift- do men iiicreast
respect, or multiply their-friends, by usirq
the language of Intemperate abuse ? Sue)
den anger may be an excuse for an indi
vidual. Inability to avenge an insult may
a.TbrQ m, wpotogy to him, for resorting i
these women’s weapons. But what can
excuse a nation, fur humiliating itself to
the usu of such vindictive aspersion? ? Can
wt plead sudden rage? We on whose
■ wrath thirty sun* have gone down ? Is this
nation prepared to resort for apologies to
its weakness, hnd to confess that, being
• unable to do any thing else, it will strive
to envenom its adversary with the tongue ?
But our honour is assailed. Is this a me
dicament for its wounds? If not, why en
gage in such retaliatory insults? Which
is best, to leave the British monarch at li
berty to decide upon the conduct of hK
minister, without any deduction or sympa
thy on account uf our virulence, or to ne
cessitate him, in measuring out justice, to
put your intemperance in the scale against
his imprudence ? Railing for railing is ~
fair offset all over the world. And I ask
gentlemen to consider, whether it be not
an equivalent for a constructive insinuation
/Mr. Speaker, Ido not believe that the
hand of the chiaf Magistrate of this nation
is in this thing • In every aspect this reso
lution is at war with that wise and tem
perate ground on which he has placed this
• On this passage in Mr. Q>. speech, the
Editor of the New-York Evenmg-Post gives
this note: —“ I again beg leave to enter my
-dissent from this opinion. Nor can I ;x>ssihlv
find » single th'ng either •• wise nr tempo*
rate.” though I find hypocrisy at full length in
♦he scandalous letter to Mr. Pinkaey.”
But it is said that this resolution must be
taken as “ a test of patriotism.” To this
1 have but one answer. If patriotism ask
me to assert a falsehood,* I have no hesita
tion in telling patriotism, •• I am not pre
pared to make that sacrifice.” The duty
we owe to our country is indeed among the
most solemn and impressive of all obliga
tions. Yet high as it may be, it is never
theless subordinate to that which we owe
to that living with whose name and cha
racter truth is identified. In this respect I
deem myself acting upon this resolution
under a higher responsibility than cither
to this house or to this people.
I declare, therefore, distinctly, that I op
pose and vqtc against this resolution from
no one consideration relative tn Great-
Britain or the United States; from none oi
friendship or animosity to any one ( man, or
any set of men. But simply and solely for
this one reason, that in my conception the
assertion contained in this resolution is a
falsehood.
A quorum not appearing at half past 11,
Mr. Johnson moved In adjournment, and
demanded the Ayes and Noes, with a view
to record the n:.mes of the men,hers pre
sent, and thus “ imply” a censure upon
those absent. 1 he motion to adjourn whs
For my own part, 1 have purposely avoid
d all reference to any of the great ques
tions which agitate the nation. I should
■ieem myself humiliated to discuss them,
under a resolution of this kind, which in
truth decides nothing, but our opinion of
he meaning of Mr. Jackson’s language,
and our sense of Its nature; anti has,
urictly speaking, nothing to do’ with any of
he national questions, which have been
drawn into debate.
But this resolution was devised for the
im pose of promoting unanimity. Is there
» man in this House«who believes it? Did
vou ever hear, Mr. Speaker, that language
f reproach and of insult was the signal for
conciliation ? Did you ever know contend
ing parties made to harmonize in terms of
insult, of reproach and contumely ? No,
Sir. I deprecate this resolution on this
very account, that it is much more like th«i
torch of* the furies, than like the token, of
friendship. Accordingly, it has hud the
effe ct of enkindling party passions in the
House, which had begun, in some degrte,
to be allayed. It could not possibly br
otherwise, The question is raised concern
ing a constructive insult. Of all topirk* of
dispute, those relative to the meaning of
terms, are most likely to beget diversity
and obstinacy in opinion. But this is not
all. On a question merely relative to the
construction of particular expressions, all
the great and critical relations of the na
tion have been discussed. Is it possible to
conceive that such a question as this, on
which the debate has been thus conducted,
could be productive of any thing else than
discord and contention ?
But, if it would be wise and politick to
refrain from Uttering this opprobrious re
solution, in case the insult was gross, pal
pable, and undeniable, how much more
wise and politick if this insult be only du
bious; and has, at best, but a glimmering
existence ? But suppose the assertion con
tained in this resolution be, as it appears to
many minds, and certainly to mine—false,
I ask what worse disgrace, what lowet
depth of infamy can there be,’ for a nation,
than deliberately to assert a falsehood, and
to make that falsehood the groundwork of
a graduated scale of atrocious aspersions
upon the character of a publick minister?
When I say that the assertion contained
in this resolution is false, I beg gentlemen
distinctly to understand me. I speak only as
it respects the effects of evidence upon mj
mind. I pretend not to make irty percep
tions the standard' of those of any other. 1
know the nature of the human mind, and how
imperceptibly, even to ourselves, passion
ind preconception will throw, as it were, a
mist before the intellectual eye, and bend
or scatter the rays of evidence before they
strike on its vision. On a question of this
kind, us I would not trust the casual Im
pressions of others, so I have been equally
in willing to trust my own.—l have there
fore submitted the grounds of my opinion
to a rigid analysis.—The process and re
sult of my reasonings I have laid before
this House. If that which to me appears
t palpable falsehood, to others appears a
truth, I condemn not them. I can only la
ment such a diversity on a point, which, in
its consequences, may be so important to
•he peace and the character of the country.
Hnd on his heart and say, that by adopt
>ng this resolution, we are about “ to unite
in nil means the best calculated to estab
'ish the relations of the two countries on
he solid foundations of justice, friendship
and mutual interest ?” I hesitate not to
S iy, there is no man who can make such
hii asseveration.
insult, io the letter to Mr. Pinkney. “ YotJ
are particularly instructed, in making
those communications to do it, in a man
ner that will leave no doubt of the undi
minished desire of the United States to
unite in all the means, the best calcu
lated to establish the relations of the two
countries on the solid foundation of justice,
>f friendship and of mutual interests.” Is
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
here a man in this house, who can lay his
Friday, February 2.
” If any citizen of the United States
shall accept of any title of nobility, or of
any other title of distinction from any em
perour, king, prince, potentate or foreign
state, or shall hold the same by descent,
or shall intermarry with any descendant
<»f any emperour, king or prince, or with
any person of the blood royal, such citizen
shall thenceforth be incapable of exer
cising or enjoying any of the rights or im
munities of a free citizen of the United
States, or of the individual states; and
shall also be incapable of holding any office
of honour, profit, or trust under Ahem, or
either of them. '
The Senate (burned ‘he consideration of
the bill to engajp in the service of the Uni
ted States, for a certain period, a corps of
volunteers.
After debate,
The further consideration of the bill was
postponed till to-morrow.
Mr. Pickering laid on the table the fol
lowing resolution:
That the President of the
United States be requested to lay before
the Senate the information which will ex
hibit those ” features in the conduct of
foreign powers towards the United States,”
referred to in his message of the 3d inst.
*• which impose on them the necessity of
the precautionary measures” recommend
ed in th.it message, of providing hy law
for detaching one hundred thousand of the
militia, and for raising a force of twenty
thousand volunteers.
Mr. Bayard gave notice that he should
to-morrow ask leave to introduce a bill re
lative to the district court in the territory
of Orleans.
The bill for the relief of Henry Caldwell
and others, was read a third time and
passed.
Mr. Horsey, elected from Delaware,
vice Mr. White, deceased, appeared and
took his seat.
lhe bill from the House of Representa
tives concerning intercourse with Great-
Britain and France and their dependencies,
and for other purposes; and the! set oral
Mr. Shcffey substituted a resolution, pro
viding that, upon the trial, rights of the
persons who were dispossessed, should be
considered as standing as they did before
the dispossession.
Mr. Reed reported his motion to amend
the constitution ; amended to read as fol
lows :
Mr. Poydras read a long book of u
speech. The Members left their scats, and
ciuwded round him, like Maryland and
Virginia electors around their stump
orators. But no man could understand
him. Hadhisdoof: been understood, it is
probable we might have said of it, “Tv
attend to a long story, ill told, requires
more than mortal patience.” But as not a
sentence cguM be comprehended,vthe de
livery of it appeared to be extremely en
tertaining.
Mr. P. read till after three o’clock, when
the committee rose without decision.
Mr. Sheffey, with a view to produce
unanimity upon the subject, moved that the
committee disagree to the first resolution,
which contemplated the restoration of tht
persons turned oat of possession by Mr. Jef
ferson’s iron and steel writ of errour—
(These last are not Mr. bhtfley’a words,
out ours.) Can ied.
Mr. Sheffey spoke at length in support of
liis resolutions.
On motion uf Mr. bbeffey, the House re
solved itself into a committee of the whole,
upon the resolutions moved by that gentle
man, connected with the petitions from
New-Orleans, on the subject of the bat
lure.
Mr. Bassett in the chair.
On motion of Mr. Dawson, that the com
mittee, (appointed last evening,) upon the
report on the state of the army, be dis
charged, for the purpose of refering the
subject to the committee upon that part of
the President’s message, which relates to
the military establishment, the House di
vided—but— a quorum did not vote.
Messrs. Pitkin and Tallmadge opposed
the motion, on the ground that the pe
culiarly unfortunate situation of the army
demanded a particular inquiry by a spe
cial committee. The motion was lost.—
Ayes 29.
Great difficulty how arose in consequence
of the new rule netting apart Friday ioi
business resulting from petitions. It was
finally determined that the Appropriation
Bill, although ordered to be read the third
ime this day, should not be read.
The House then proceeded to local and
private business.
Fbioat—One o’clock.
In our minutes of last evening it was
stated that the whole of the President’.*
message was ordered to be printed. This
was a mistake as it respected that part of
the message which related to the army.—
The question was not decided. Mr, New
ton opposed the printing, and Messrs, Ely,
Lyon, Macon, and Talmadge advocated it.
The printing was ordered this morning—
-50 to 28.
lost. Ayes 10, Noes 61—exactly a quorum
including the Speaker.
IN SENATE—January 29.
JANUARY 30.
VOLUNTEER CORPS.
MACON’S BILL.
LATEST FROM LISBON. \
Captain Williams arrived last even
ing from Lisbon, left that place on the 20th
December. Affairs in Pqptu£al remained
much in the same state as at our last ad
vices. A few days before Capt. W. sailed
intelligence was received from Spain, that
the principal Spanish army had been
defeated in two engagements with the
French, about the last of November, near
Salamanca, in which the Patriots suffered
a loss of 13 or 14,000 men. It was stated
that the Spaniards had pursued the army
under Soult, over whom they had gained
some advantages, until he was reinforced
by a strong body of fresh troops near Sala
manca ; when he became the assailant;
and the Spanish commander, emboldened
by recent successes, determined on meet
ing him in a general battle, tor which pur
pose he *had imprudently taken up a po
sition on an extensive plain, where the su
jieriority of French tacticks triumphed
over patriotick valour, and he was defeat
ed with the loss above stated. Still how
ever, the French wete not advancing, and
probably would not attempt it, until rein-
Jpi cements should arrive from France.
” Letters from St Petersburg!!, of the
26th October, have been transmitted b)
the Gottenburgh Mails. They mention
the arrival there of the American Pleni
potentiary, Mr. John Quincy Adams, on
the 23d, in the merchant-ship
The approach to the Russian, Capital ot
this ship and her charge, had been pre
viously announced from Carlscrona, and
for a day or two previous to her appear
ance.gur.s were prepared on the ramparts
to give eclat to the landing of this new
statesman; at length, instead of a frigate,
as was expected, a merchant-ship laden
with sugar and coffee hove in sight. A
boat was hoisted out, and Mr. J. Q. Adams
approached the shore; but before be was
suffered to land, he underwent a severe
examination by the Officers of the Cus
toms, who were with difficulty convinced
that he was the Ambassadour expected
from the new world. He was, however,
at last permitted to land, but the usual sa
lute by the guns on shore did not take
place.”
Another Peculator Escaped!
The Charleston papers mention, that
Brown, the late Jeffersonian Collector in
New-Orleans, having exchanged at Jamai
ca, his specie for bills on England, had
sailed for Europe.—j/- On' this subject
we find, that Mr. Eppea, the new Chan
cellor of the Exchequer, has introduced
into the Appropriation Bill now before Con
gress, lhe modest item of one hundred
thousand dollars, to repay to the Bank in
New-Orleans a like sum drawn therefrom
by Brown to pay drawbacks with. This
sum is in addition to the Collection money
he had stolen, and which is said to amount
•o 50,000 dollars more. This is certainly
another effect of the JeffersonFftn policy of
intrusting foreigners with the care of the
” The enclosed will give you a very just
idea of the opinion which all Foreign Courts
have of the insignificance of our govern
ment. An American who has a fortune,
and lives like a gentleman, is more no
ticed and respected at the Courts of St.
Cloud and St. Petersburg!!, than the Ame
rican Ambassadour, because the former
supports his character, and the latter is
not able to support the style of a gentle
man with the salary allowed to him by his
government.”
The following is the article enclosed in
the letter, from which the preceding was
extracted. It was taken from a London
paper of the 22d of November.
An American correspondent, now in
London, enclosing an article, relating the
manner in which Mr. Adams was received
on his arrival in Russia, thus expresses
himself—
Mrs. Hamilton, the widow of the late
General, has gone on to Washington, to
petition Congress for the commutation for
half pay, due to her late husband, but
never claimed by him. The claim has
teen barred by the statute of limitation.—
it ought to be publickly known, that the
ieason why the General did not demand
Ills compensation, was, that he took a very
.Clive part in Congress, in endeavouring
to obtain some legislative provision for the
officers of the revolutionary army; ami
haviiig succeeded, he declined, frum mo
tives of delicacy, to avail himself of the
bcijeht which he had been so active and
strenuous iu procuring for others, lest some
one might suspect that self interest was
among the motives to his zeal. The ma
jority in Congress will now have an oppor
tunity to manifest equal magnanimity by
generously giving to his widow and chil
dren, when it-can no longer be legally claim
ed, what he generously declined to accept
while the payment could have been en
forced by law.
bills this day passed in the House of Repre
*entatives, were read and passed to a se
cond reading.
23? ttje jmailtf.
AMERICAN AMBASSADOURS.
PHILADELPHIA, February 5.
NEW-YORK, February 9.
CHARLESTON, January 23i
CONCORD. (N. H.) February 6.
MELANCHOLY.
K more extraordinary and distressing
scene, than was experienced in Sanliorn
ton in the late tremendous storm of wind,
is seldom known. The sufferers are Da- /
vid Brown, Jeremiah Elsworth and his
family. '
On Friday morning the 19th ult. Mr.
Elsworth arose about at; hour before Mtn
rise, some par| of the hoqse w»» »oon burst *'
in by the violence of the wind. Being ap
prehensive that the whole house would soon
he torn to pieces, and that the lives of the
family were in danger, Mrs. E. went into
the cellar, taking her youngest child, which
she had dressed, with her, leaving her two
other children in bed. Mr. E. attempted
, to go to the nearest neighbour, which was
to the north, for assistance ; but the wind
was so strong against him, that he found it
impracticable. He then set out for the
nearest the other way, which is one fourth
of a mile, and arrived about sunrise at Mr.
Brown’s, when his feet were considerably
frozen, and he so overcome with the cold,
that he did not dare, and Mr. Brown
thought it not advisable for him to return.
Hut Mr. Brown took his horse and sleigh,
»nd went with all possible speed to save the
woman and her children from impending
destruction. When he arrived, he found
Mrs. E. and one child in the cellar, and
the other two in bed, whose clothes the
wind had blown away, so they could not be
dressed. Mr. Brown put a bed into the
sleigh, put the children upon it, and cover
ed them over with bed clothes. Mrs. E.
’lso got into the sleigh ; but they ad
vanced no more than six or eight rods, be
fore the sleigh wfcs blown over, and the
children and bed scattered by the wind.— • *
Mrs. E. held the horse, while Mr. B. col
lected the children and the bed, and put
them into the sleigh again. Mrs. E. then
concluded to make her escape on foot;
but before she arrived at the house, she
was so overcome by the cold, that she
found it impossible to walk any farther.—
She made a It op, concluding she must
then perish. She soon made another at
tempt by crawling on her hands and knees,
in which manner she arrived at Mr, B’s.
house ; but was so altered in her looks, that
her husband did not know her. He con
cluded twice to go to the assistance of Mr.
B. and his children ; but his wife persuaded
him not to venture, telling him that Mr.
B. and her children would certainly per
ish, and that if he ventured, he must per
ish too ; and she wished him to stay with
her, for she expected to be a corpse her
self before night. Mr. B. having put the
children into the sleigh the second time,
proceeded but two or three rods before the
sleigh was blown over and torn to pieces,
the bed and children driven to some dis
tance. He then collected them once more,
laid them on the bed and covered them /
over ; and then called for help, but to no J
purpose. Knowing that the children must /
soon perish in that situation, whose dis- /
tressing shrieks then pierced his heart, he /
attempted to carry them all on l.is should
er, wrapped in a coverlet; but was seen
‘‘ Copenhagen, November 10.
“ On the part of the French Consular
Office in Denmark, the merchants have
been notified, that agreeably to a new im
perial decree, no certificate of Origin can
in future be issued for goods arising out of
prizes, nor for any kind of colonial produce,
if imported into Denmark frdm any place *
and in any vessel whatsoever. This pro
hibition extends to the produce of the Uni
ted States of America, with the exception
if cotton und potashes, which are the only
American articles of trade admitted within
rhe line of the customs around Hamburgh,
in case their origin be sufficiently proved.”
Our' Baltimore correspondent has for
warded to us the following article, transla
ted from a Hamburgh paper, received by
the Inca:
pullick monies. Jlad Brown been a native
he probably would not bate been a thief.
Mr. Jefferson having entrusted the keys of
the/AcnfullNationalTreasury to? French
man, thought, no doubt, it would not be out
of character to entrust an Irish insurgent
with the care of the people’s cash in New-
Oi leaus. But, in addition to this, it is seen
that Mr. Gallatin thought proper to au
thorize his brother foreigner to draw on
the Bank for one hundred thousand dollars
more! and that he has made off with the
whole money. Will not this open the eyes
of the American people ? If we do not
misremember, this Brown was one of the
imported Patriots who bellowed so stoutly
about the dreadful tyranny which their dear
country was suffering from British domina
tion; and which bad compelled them to
seek an asylum in these blest abodes of the
Goddess of Liberty. Wp know the rene
gade was one of the most inveterate execu
tors of the embargo; the violent denouncer
of the ” miscreant Yankees” who evaded
it; and the honest champion of submission
to the laws, of passive obedience and non
resistance. It seems, however, he brought
his patriotism to market; and with the
assistance of his good friends, Jefferson and
Gallatin, has got a stout price for it, and
has again sought an asylum in dear Ireland,
(not in England, as stated in the papers,)
from the tyranny of American justice,
which is pursuing him.