The Rhode-Island Republican — Newport, R.I., 1810-03-14 00:00:00, page 2

‘Bir, it is unnecessary to take a lengthy re
trospective view of the wrongs committed on
our rights by the two principal belligerents ;
they have been almost numberless, and of the
most gluring kind, Frunce has trammeiled
olir coramerce, by her Berlin and Milun Des
crces, and sequestercd our property. She,
has commitled many outrages ob our rights ;
but | differ with gendemen in supposing that
il we are lpreed fnto & war with England that
we would ¢ ncceuarily forced into the arms
of Moy rival. No, Sir, if that ‘should be the
r_c»:rt. (which, I thiuk from present- appear
snces, more than probable) I should be for
kupn:p our restrictions and having no
“eonh e with her until ample reparation was
gade for the'damage she has done ve. ' But,
ry from our situation, and the convulsed
state of the European world, ‘1 shink we
have nathing to fear from her ke subjugu
tion. 1 say, Sir, the enormities committed
by France and England on American rights
have been consjderable--and I appeal to gentle
men’s candor to say whether this measure
now under consideration is the cne calculated
to meet the eme rgengy. Is there any aps
pearance of resistance in it ? Is it calculated.
to caerce our enemies into a sense of jastice
‘snd bring about restitution of damages ?-1s it
‘not submission ! In .my estimation it is tanta
“mount ; imbecility is marked en its face.
Hus not one of the most prominent charace’
ters of the committee on foreign relations
‘(Mr. Tuylor,) and who appeurs tobe a warm
* wdvocate forits adoption, openly acknowledged
‘§t to be submission in this House, but qualifi
‘ed it by suyingg, that it was a profitable sub
"mission, as it' would bring money into our
‘trecsary. Sivy i this House, (ui{er the re-
Prited declarations, Ly u very large mujority
“on u former occusion, that theré were but
three alternatives, ewbargo, war or submis
/slon) prepared to adopt this measure when
»ome of the principal fubricators of the bill o
“Penly acknowledges it to the subavission.
Now Sir, can gentiemen of this House recon
cile submission to their feelings—if they can
' the freemon of America will not. -
« Sir, France has injured us much, and 1 be
+ lleve mearly all she hud in her power ; but it
+4B but us a mite to the mountain, compared to
the injuries we huve received from Britain,
. our iuveterate, rapacious and relentless ene
-my. The aggressions com mit}bd on oyr
. wights by her ever since about the year 1793,
have been numberless, and as to point of tur
. pitude, without & parallel, even inthe times
of, barbarisin—=the spoilations committed on
our weutrdl commerce, the murder of Picrce,
the sham trial of Whitby the murderer, and
~ the - of our seamen, had become
old & and might be deemed useless to
| p& oiubility gotten over by barely
. heaA ,(;‘hu‘.:mmidu would in all
rediohistratin ‘a.hditmtbeu for the com
‘mission of still greater enormitiow, occasions
#4 by our passive disposition ; for it is with
goveraments as it is with -individuals, if a
\p:r& l:." mo:u;um is ‘::t. manifested for in
-ju press ard. The persiss
© ting ih the principle of impressment, and the
iluru‘ti‘:g increave of that execruble practice,
by which thousands of our countrpmen, real
‘horn Americans, have heen forcedt’ into their
‘service;"ut the :ht of the bayomet, compel
. od to_assist in fighting for the suppart of"
. principles repugnant to the fedlings of ‘ree
- ek, und In case of & shew of unwillingness
§6 cbey, were lishle to the lagh, or tq be buf--
i e
oo t"% "m"O T wong-wy, with
. chirisian ‘“*m rather with k phi--
ol ny. conduct of tne com- |
mon eskmy 0 far from being m
N te Sycs of some among us, ch rvew
1 'should pot have come forward at this
time, and risked my opinions, had it not been
for. the apparent tardiness of old experienced
members, in whom I have alwuys had the
‘highest confidence and whose opinions, on
importunt subjects, have always had due
woigh with me. | bad flattered myself that
they wanid hwve taken an early epportunity in
-eopning forward and expressing their views
as to wast wonid be proper to be adopted at
thin evemtlnl crisis ; a time, Sir, when, not
onty onr most important and inherent rights,
sre übows 40 be wrested from our hands, but
wien the very existence of our.inaependencc
s endungered. 1 huve been disuppointed,
sud as this is Rot the time o slumber at our
Ppostsy I siall be purdoned for offering my
‘views.
Ma. Deswa waid it was with extreme re
: hctue‘oﬁu he sttempted to address this
House, but, said he, my not having taken up
very much of the time of the House in ob
servitions heretofore must pleud my apology
for the time that will be consumed by the few
ke that lam now about to make. Con
%“ the present sentiment will be
' jedias a criticul junture in the annals of
‘Ametics; 1 deem it perfectly incumbent to
-every mathy who has any pretention to friend
ship for the American government or to civil
liberty; tg not hesitate in coming forward,
aod m%ﬁ- his mite in ordeér to assist in
.extricating his country from the evils that at
tend it, or to guard against the perils that a.
wait us. ) : g
tion, T would go further: I would call. forth
the rasilirces of the awi o, present a firm
front, ststain bur honour defend our rights
and indcpendence, and nci suffer them tamely
to full'it the feet of a tyrant, without a stiug
gle. Sir,’l cannot, nor will [ ever consent,
that the remaining columns of the American
temple of hh:z and independence shall be
struck awuy, and that noble structure, which
Qm-bozrun,dua. expense of so much
blood sid theasure, tumble into ruin. 1 shall
give'the bill my hearty negutive.
. L T i Al
. M. Speaker, Is there & crime which can
be perpetrated for which ready precedents
cannot be found in the condut of that perfi
dious governmeant towards America? Sir, the
faithless conduct of this Fapacious and tyran
‘nicai power, caused the non-iatercourse to be
bgiuuud ; _but this system appesrs now w.
be abandoned by its friends, without even hav
ing wiven it ah experiment, inasmuch as the
sections of the law calcilated ta enforce it
:ren repealed l‘t the suramer nd:-‘u Wiien
t was adopted, it wus the opinion of a very
large majority of this House, thit it weean
efficient coercive 'z’mv. it.was then calcu
toavwer eVery purpose, to coerce our
mwm.u-q;t justice, to BHag a
bt repiration for’ and w
ry for the mpport of the British navy, “the
rampart that stands between the tyrant Napq
jeon and universal empire : consequently. cai-,
culated 1o prevent the subjugation of the U,
| States—anti-American doctrine, Sir. Well
Sir, if the impressment and incarceration of
our countrymen were not objects worthy of
notice,in any other way thun by remoenstrance,
if we could tamely look on and see our fellow
men inhumunly wrested from their country,
their families, and dearest connections, could
we reasonsbly calculate upon ‘any thing else
but additional encroachments ; could we rea
sonably suppose they would step here ! No,
Sir, we ought not to have been 50 credulous.
No, Sir, that government that in all cases
substitutes power in piace of right, hias never
pardonod our independence, lmfi are determs
ined by their insidious machinatious and mo
| nopolizing spirit,to snbdue the nationul pride,
the pride of freemen, that churacterized our
ancestors. Yes, Sir, they are determined to
obtain by their insidious ars, what they were
not able to retuin by arms. Well, Sir, what
comes next upon the list of atrocities, human
dutchery ; they were not satisfied with the
murderous transaction, the case of Pearce, as
they discoveréd, that (notwithstanding we
were bowed down by oppression) we could
still bear more ; but our innocent and unsus
pecting countrymen on board the Chesapeake
must be the next victims marked out to exer
cise their cruelties on, where several were
wantonly murdered, some wounded, und oth
ers impressed ; one of whom was afterwards
wontonly, inhumanly, and in cold bloed put to
death, to fill up their measure of guilt. A
universal burst of indignation manifested it
self from one end of the continent to the
other, British Purtizums, tories and refugees
excepted. Some of whom had the hardihood
to go lengths in justification of this utracious
massucre ; a spark of the fire of '76 was
lighted np, but soon died away ; demands of
reparation proved fruitless, the outrage has
never been utoned for, but on the contrary,
the offers made as reparation for the hostile
act, has only been adding iusult to jnjury.
This nefarious atrocity, the attack on the
Chesapeake, and the memorable Orders in
Counchi laying the transit duty, or more pro
perly ?uking.ftuhiag us tributary to them,
which if not officially' knowm, was anticiputed
through the medium of the publick prints,
produced the embargo, of famous memory,
as the gentleman from New-York . (Me. Gar
denier) ironicully speaks of It, a measure of
all others the best calculated to suit our
peaceful purpnses, to coerce our enemies into
a sepse of justice, and bring about restituiion
for damages'; but iu conse juense of the hue
and cry raised against it from one end of the
continent to the ether by the opposition to ad
- ministration, perhaps iastigated in many in
stances by British emissaries, which occasien
ed the many wanton violstions of the law, and
‘which caused the custern fricnds to. adiminis
tration, to tuke the alarm, and quiver like a
reed in the wind, and determine upon its re
moval, substitute or no substitute. 1 belicye
the consequence was, that the friends to the
embargo, those who were not onty willing
but anxious for its continuunce a while longer
and to adopt the necessary n"ulatious for its
enforcement, believing that if'a fair experi.
meit could be made, that it would unques
tionably produce the desired effect ; when
they discovered that if thuse who took the au
lurm were added to the federal party in the
Mouse, they formed a majority, it was decmn
‘ed advisable to form a compromise, that it
they could not retain what wus essentially
- right, to take the best they could get, rather’
than implicitly submit to the iniquitous and
desuructive measures of our enemies—the
non-intercourse was then substituted. This,
Siry 1t not efficient as a coercive measure, in
consequence of the partial manner in which
it has been entorced resulting from the clau
ses beiag repealed (after Erskine’s arrange
ment) calculated to carry it into effect, and
the consequent violations of it by mercantile
“cupidity, was at least a show of resistance to
oppression, and keld out an idea to the world,
that we were determined to adhere to the de
.clarations we had so repeatedly made, that we
would net submit. If this measure bad been
properly enforced it would huve come up to
the expectations of its most sanguine friends.
-This system was luid aside in conse juence of
the arrungement entered into by the British
government, through their minister Mr. Ers
kine, with the American government for an
amicable adjustment of differences with of
fers of reparation for damages, How ioveiy
to the ears of the Americans sounded the
news, it appeared ljke a kind of politicul jubi
iee ; in their estimatioh the time was not . far
distaut when cammerce would flow unshack:
led. Whea every man might in safety sit
under his own vine and his own fig tree ; but
mark the perfidy of that corrupt government,
after they had obtuined a sufficiency of the
American productions which they so much
stood in need of-=declared the arrange.nent
:u;od into?y their simieter, to be unautho
zed. ~
.
While on one hand the administratlon has
~thought proper to disclose, as we have rea
son to believe, the whole of the correspon
dence relutive to our differences with Great
Britain, it has on (he other hand given publi
city only to detuched and apparently mutilat
ed extracts of the correspondence with
“France. -
If, as we are bound to presume, a full dis
closure of the commuoications with the lat
ter government, is withheld from the publick
for cogent heasons, we trust that it will not be
dSbimed disrespeciful in ws o withhoid a
We have witnessed with strong emotions
of indignation and resentment the aggressions
on bur neutral rights by the belligerents, but
we.have ulso seen with extreme regret, that
“those aggressions huve not been met or resis
ted-in @ wanner becoming the impartial state
of neutrality, or by means consistent with the
honour and resources of our couniry.
o It does not cemport with our sense of pro
priety to assume the office of censors, on the
~conduct of the general administration, and
therefore we forbear to enter inta a discus-,
sion of the unatoned injury we have received
by the insulting sttack on one ot our publick
armed ships. But as your Excellency has
been pleased to press the subject upop us,
truth constrains us to observe, that if such
atonement has not been exacted and obtained
during the lapse of more thap two. years,
.when the sct was acknowledged by the nation
whose officer committed it, to be whelly un- .
warrantable : it is a mortylying proof either .
of the imbeciligg of our nation or, the want
of energy in those who preside over’its des
‘.-'.i"ie 8 o R -~
“&. have to lament that when ¢alléd upon
by ydor Excellency to recognize the ¢onstant
cviJ;nc_'et. of a desire on qur pary to muaintain
_astrict ‘and Impartial nettrality, thore eviden
ces were not.exhibited to enuble us to deside
understandingly on their merits ; and we are
the'more reluctant to express wion on
this interesting point,when we :3;':‘:“ the
people are utterly nnacquainted with the state
of the negoc.ations between +his country and
one of the belligerents,with whom we have a
subsisting treaty, and from whom we have
received repeated and flugrant injuries,aggra
‘vated by the most humiliatipg and irritating
circumstances.
Tie mournful picture which your Excel
lency has drawn of the unhappy condition of
the nations of Europe, und the monitory les
son which it furnishes to the American peo
ple, ol the rapacity and ambition of Princes,
cannot fail to make a deep impression on ev
ery patriotick mind ; as men we sympathize
sincercly with the sufferers, and as Ameri
cans we feel a deep solicitude to escape sim
ilar calamities. :
‘We acknowledge, with unfeigned gratiude,
the unmerited goodness of Divine Providence
towards our common country. .
The duty of legislating for a large and op
ulent state, is at all times important and high
ly responsible.
Whether the magnitude of that duty is en
hanced at the present junctun by the con
vulsed state of the civilized ‘world, and the
.great political events, constantly occuring, it
is-not our province to determine.
The powers constitutionully vested in the
legislatures of the particular states, do not
suthorize any interference on their part, with
the foreign relations of the United States. If,
however, the gencral government, to wliose
consideration this and many other topicks
embraced in your excellency’s speech, prop
erly belong, shall require the co-operation of
this house, in any measure necessary to main
tain the digrity and provice for the protection
of the nation, the weill known patriotism of
this state is a sufficient pledge that such .co
?pr:ra;im will be pronepily and cheerfully af
orded. , -
giten up bﬂ;s friends without ever having
given it @ fuir experiment, which proves to
niy mind. a wayward disposition, a ‘want of
firmness mm the majority. Sir, you suffer
yourself to be driven from place to place, to
be bandied zbout by the federal phalanx, that
for many years have been placed in hosiile
arrwy agoinst the administration. Yes, Sir,
they drove you from the embargo ; they are
‘now about to drive you from the non-inter
course ; and, Sir, they wil next drive you
fromn your scuts, unless you act with more
firmness and energy. Adhere to your non
intercourse, the power thut enacted it unques
tionzbly hiss the power to amend it. | am
satisfied, that if the proper stepts were taken
it might be made measurably efficient us a
coersive system, consequently a saviour of
national honour.
The Goyernours RxrLy to the answer of the House
of Assembly, is brief but cemprehensive. It
touches the answer, w with the spear of Jthuriel,
and exposes its deformity to every eye. To the
reader of taste it is a literary—to the patriot a
political feast. MHonest, disinterested men of all
parties will see in it that pure wid dignificd Amer
tean spirit, which regurds _kfiom&on as a duty, in
the excrcise of which no fuctious : views should
ever mingle; which cherishes a'love of coumtry as
the source of doniestick happiness, and the surest
guarantee of nutional independence ; which views
the cowitry as depending .solcly on its own re.
sources, its own putriotism and its own energies,
under Divine Providence, for protection in the
hour of d:mfer; and which views foreign influ
ance as a destroying Angel augainst "Enmc ap
proaches, in every shape, we ought to guard with
the most unwearied vigilance.
: (Altbany Register.)
To His Excellency DANJEL D. TOMP
KINS, Esq. Governeur of the State gf N.
York. - :
Slß’ - '
[ Speech to be continued.)
MWilcellany.
Al the commencement of the present im
portant session of the legislature, it became
my duty to submit to them such vicws of the
intcreubg allairs of the nation, and of the
conduct of its administration, and to inculcate
such principles of nativnal union as appear
el t 0 me to be insebarubly connected with the
interest, honous, and peace of our common
country. A constitutional injunction, as well
a$ a sincere attatchment to toe rights and in
dependence of my country,'imposed that duty.
Fully persuaded that the conduct of the nus
tionul governmert has been distinguished by
the purest princi of patriotism, I cannot"
subscribe to thrt::icc or propricty of yoyr
insinnation, that our neygociations with emr
of the belligerents, have been. improperi
managed, of unduly concealed. Nor e-.‘
suppose that you can justly complain that the -
aggressions our national rights, have .
not been met : an honoursble and dignified
mabaer; as recvarse bas becn had 10 evesy
"' 'GENTLEMEN, .
Being drsirous what the intercourse be.
tween the different branches of the govein
ment should be conducted with respectiul
urbinity and dignifiod decorum, und iuuy de
termined that no consideration shull ever ipn
duce me to depart from that fine of conduct,
it cannot be expected that I* should notice uil
the expressions coutained il this answer of
your henourable house.
The several legislative matters to which
your Excellency has directed: our attention
shall engage our early and deliberate consid
erution.—And we heartily reciprocate the as
surances you have given to the legislatyre of
a faithful co-operaticn in every necessaty
measure to promote the publick weifure.
At the same time we huve no hesitation to -
declare that we are decidedly opposed to.-a
war, provided, it can be avoided coensistently k
with our national honour and safety. /-
. We should consider it as one of the great
est calamities to be involved in a war with the
only remaining European power which pre
sents a barrier to that univer:il dominion, at
which one of the beiligerents manifestiy aims,
and to which he approaches with ‘rapid amd
awful strides. It is moreover a lamemtable
truth that our country is unprepared to pros--
ecute a war with -either of the belligerent
however necessary the measure may be. - 12 ;
all the essential means which that deplorahle
state requires as well for oficnsive as defensive -
operations,we are greatly deiicient, but more
especially in the important and indispensabie
requisite of money. | ' -
ch are justly ularmed at the report of the
Secretary of the Treasury; in which he dis- -
closes the melancholy fact, that we are redu
ced to the necessity of resorting te a lonn of
four millions of dollars and upwards, to de
fray the ordinary expenses of the gemera)
government. This communication is equalty
unexpected and discouraging to the people of
the United States, and we sincerely g;:c that -
those who are entrusted with the superinten
dence of their national concerns will instituts
such an enquiry into the true -causes of the
exhausted state of the Treasury, as the mag-.
nitude and urgency of the cas¢ imperiously
calls for. . .
swering your speech we shouid express.an o- .-
pinion on the late ropture of the negociation
with the Biitish minister, it would be highly .
‘gratifying to us had you pointed out the im
peachment by that gentleman of the veracity
of our administration, for in that case we
should have approbated cordially the coure of
treatment which he has received. We have
sought in vain for proof of the fict, and
therefore we are at a loss to conceive how a
measure calculated to closé ‘the door of ac
commodation, and to' precipatate the nation
into a calamitous war, can merit the appro
bation of any American, who feels anxious to
maintain the honour and preserve the peace
and bappiness of his country. |
Should the momentuous duty of deciding -
upon the attitude which the United ~St?ttl
shall assume in the present einergency, be
performed’ with wisdom and fidelity by the
agents to whom it is confided, we assure your
‘Excellency that 'we shall be among the first
to render them the tribute of deserved praise.
And should war ensue, we shall cordially u
nite with our fellow~citizens throughout the:
union, to meet the shock with all that firm. .
ness and zeal, which real patriotism will. dig.
tate. ' v e
blind recognition of the éxlstence of « con
stant evidences of a desire on our part to
maintain,” in fact, “ a striet and impartal
ieutrality.”~For although we freely admit
‘that a reasonuble confidence is due to the ad
miuistration of the general governmentf we
canhot cencede that it would accerd with the
duty of this branch of the legislature to com
mit itseif on such an importsint point, with
‘out a full knowledge ol every material cir
cumstance connected with ‘ite=Such a step
would in our og(‘qiop, be an act of servile
courtesy, unbechiing the representatives of
a free and eniig hiened*people. »
The disavowal on ;hc%an of Great Britain
of the atrangement enterey into by her win
ister with the United Statgw is 10 us a mat
ter of deep concern, inasmueh @s we’ partici
pated in the lively satisféction Which the na
tion derived from the prospect ‘of. a speedy
restoration of good uncerstanding and harme
ony between the -two couniries. "But when
the accredited representiiive of the British
nation has declared so solemnly, that 1t was
disuvowed hecausz concluded in vielation of
express instructions to her-4gent, it would be
rash in us, without clearer evidence than we
possess of the insincerity of that declarition,
to impute the disavowal 10 bud fuith. - -
As your Excellency may expect that ifi an-
OF KIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOUR.
o
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