The Columbian informer, or, Cheshire journal — Keene, N.H., 1794-06-24 00:00:00, page 1

10,000 men, was too hard. He trailed
that gentlemen who would vote far a fcc
ond reading, would explain the . reaf
6ns that could induce them to such a meas
ure. The time Ipent upon such a bill,
would be perfectly cast awa,. He w^s at
a less io di&qver againfrwhom the-Qathou
land men sere to bi employed..
Mr. mite# —ls we aft to go to war, isit
hot a prodigious fairing of expence, to
have all matters rekdy before hand ? By
being prepared two months before the
war breaks out, the advantages of %on
omy would be immense, as the price of en
listing men would rife four fold, when it'
was once known, that war was certain.
He knew mrny Weak parts in this union,
that might be attacked, and in danger,
before a bod, cf militia could be ready for
effectual service. He was not qualified
for details of that fort ; but he knew ;hat
Rhode Iflaod, for example, might be tak
en,and in a short time so strongly fortified,
that it would be difficult or impossible to
re-take it. Why were weafraid-to cntrufl
the President with the power of railing ten
thousand men ? Can any body cf men to bje
raised in this country, tread down the sub
stantial yeomanry ? This is quite an uto
pian dread. It is infinitely cheap : to
raise and embody an array of men at lei
sure, when the llorm is seen to be ap
proaching, than all at once, when twenty
things must be dont at the fame time.
There is besides a.material diftinaion be
tween this bill and the former. The force
may be difeontinaed, Whenever the Leg
iflatdre thinks proper. Nor is it to be
faifed at all, uhlefs the Proficient fees or
thinks it neceffarv. The principle of the
biH yriherefare much left exceptionable
than the other. To reje& a bill on the
firft reading, is a bad practice. Mr.
Ames hoped that the House would not
guard against it, unless where any thing
was grossly improper, and depended on a
tingle principle. But he hoped that the
House would, in every common case, set
their faces against it.
Mr. Smilie controverted everything
Aid by Mr. Ames. He thought the
measures would involve this country into
livery useless expence. Did we intend to
rival the military establishments in Eu
rope? The Britilh might be exposed to
increase their forces in Canada, in propor
tion to those of the United States.
Mr. Giles laid thst the bill ought to be
named " A bill authorising the President
to pass a law for raifingten thousand men."
In point of principle, it was infinitely
worse than the former one, which the
house had already reja&cd. (The mem
her meant that jupported by Mr. Sedg
wick.) He hoped that they would not
fuffer it to gd to a second reading.. We
had made climates of the. expends of
this year, and have been told that the wa„
and means are not fufficient. —Yet in the
face of this, to come upon us'aH at once,
with the expence cf a Handing army of
Mr. Madifan did not accede to the
[principle# of the bill. He did not fed any
filch immediate prospect of a war, as
could induce the House to violate the cou-
A BILL from the finite i v ai read, for
empowering'the President,if he fan,
it ntcefory for public fafety, to raise ten
thousand med sort three years. ,•
Mr. Smilie objeded that there muff be
some other purpose for these troops than a
ny other that had been acknowledged, for
he could fee none. The principle efthe
bill was. wrong.
[No. 13. of Vol. 11.]
, ^^eral- fea^la^r^.
MOUSE OF REPRESENTSMS,
STANDING ARM?.
May ~6.
} THY'.
Columbian Informer ;
Or, CHESHIREJOURNAL.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BYHENR R B'Lf KE, &CO. IN KEE WE, New-Hampshire.
Several amendments were proposed and
several members spoke ; but want of room
obliges us to abridge this part of the pro
ceedings..
Mr. Giles knew, he said, that Mr.
Fauchct was anxious for his money, and
spoke of it as necessary for his operations.
He did not know whether to-day, to-mor
row, or what time in particular; but in
fad the money was needed. He had a
nother remark to make. This loan of
three millions of florins had come upon
all parts of the House alike unexpectedly.
Before it was known,we heard of no partic
ular complaints from the Treafttry, for
want of money to raise the fortifications.
But now, when the loan was to come,
the tone was altered, and there was a loud
cry of emptiness in the Treasury.
Mr. Gillon said, that gentlemen talk
ed of giving this money as if we were do.
ing a favor to France. Is this fol We
are fending a new ambassador to that coun
try. A very pretty introduction truly he
would have at Pieris, with our credentials
x ftitution. He thought that it was a wife
principle in the cenititution, to make one
branch of government raise 'an army, and
another conduct it. Ifthe legislature had
the power t :con3ud an army,they embody
it for .that end. On the other band, ifthe
President was empowered to raise an'ar/
my, as he is, to dired its motions when
ra.ted, he might with to alßmbie it for
the fake of the influence to be acquired by
. tne command. The constitution had wifel,
, guarded against the danger on either fide.
He could not, in the prefect case consent
Ito the breaking down of this barritrof pub
lie lafety. He .few no necelfty for it ;
nor any violent probability that this coun
try wilt be speedily invaded by any force,
to which the -prefect military iftabliPj.
meat cannot make an adequate refinance.
Let us hear from the Minister whom we
.have jolt feat to Britain, before we take
such abrupt and expensive measures. We
Qi all certainly Hear from him at least be
fore we are. invaded. Now if we enter
into a calculation of the time requisite for
his arrival in Britain, for commencing his
business and for fending back an account
of what kind of reception he has met with,
we shall fidd that by this period, Congress
will have set down again; or at ieaft the in
terval will be so small, as will make it,ot
worth-while to embrace any thing of this
kind. Upon the whole,he could not ven
ture to give his consent for violating so fa
iutary a principle' of the conftitut^n, as
that upon which the bill encroached:
Ihas for'a iketch of fame of the 'principal
remarks of Mr. Madison. To .ao jullice
id the Speeches of this gentleman, it would
be requifte.ro print eve,^ word exactly as
it.is Ipoken ; since iris impoffiblt to 'a
bridge without injuring it, the Bile of a
(pecker ,ho is, on every question alike
remarkable for the moll torred elegance,
.and the molt comprehensive brevity. ,
Mr. Sedgwick differed from Mr. Mad
ison. He did not think that in certain
contingencies, war was so distant a prof
pe& Simcoe is going to ere& tifort in
our territories^ and the Prefijent has de
clared that-he will repel the attempt. We
all know the waste of time and property
in the sass war, at its commencement by
trying to do business with militia. The
propofol met his° approbation, as did the
resolution of the President to repel force
by force.,,
Mr. Findley spoke against the bill, the
cueflion was then put, kiould the bill be
thrown out , Ayes 50 —Nays jz—major
ity agair.il the bill ill.
Mr. Parker then moved,ihit the House
should take into consideration, the bill for
the payment cf a certain sum of money
to the French Republic.
The House w^t into a committee on
this business, M+Parker in the chair.
FRENCH DEBT.
'TUESDAY, Ju ne 24, 1,94.:
He was interrupted by noise—A Mefc
ber, called to the President to keep order.
—Th'e President said, he would not fuf
fer freedom of fpcech to be infringed ,
that this day would be glorious to liber
ty; and that the people and posterity
ihouldjudge the Representatives of the
People.
Legendre resumed. He feared that pri
vate animofitios were going to facrifice
men who had rendered great ferrites to
the. Revelation.. He spoke of his own con
nexions with 'Danton ; of what Danton
had done in 1792, when Minister of juf
tite; and concluded with moving that
the Deputies arrested last night should
be heard' at the°bar. , This motion was
received Wjth some applauses. .'; .
, cSefpierre—•" From thefc diftuxban
cct, for a long time unknown in this as
sembly, it is evident-that, a grand intcreft
is in question—viz : Whether certain
men flhall be more powerful than their
country ? Why else is this motion, when
made by Danton in favor of Chabot and
Bazire, now applauded by some individu
als ? I repeat it, the question is, Whether
or not certain ambitions men hall be
ftrongcr than liberty.; What then; shall
we have made so many facrifices only to
fall under the yoke of intrigues ? Little do
I regard the eulogies which people bestow
on themselves and their friends. No
more do we aft what a i#an has done at
this or that period ; we ask what his been
his conduct during the whole of his polit
ical career : Legendre pretends not to
know the names of the Deputies arretted.
—Knows he not that Lacroix, his friend
is of the number? He affects ignorance,
because that he knows that he cannot pro
nounce the name of Lacroix, but with
shame. He chooses rather to speak of
Danton, the intimate friend of Lacroix,
because the name of Danton is less offen
five. We shall now fee whether or not
the Convention can break to pieces anidol.
Could not all that is said of Danton be
said of Briffot, Hebert, and Chabot ?
They were at certain periods the defen
ders ofliberty. Why then fliould Danton
be allowed the privileges which was denied
his companion Fabre d' Eglantine?
" Attempts are made to alarm you on
the abuse of power. What have you done
which you have not done freely, which
has not contributed to the filiation of your
country, which has not drawn down up
on you the blessings of the people? It is
feared that individuals may be facrijiced.—
Do you then diftraft that justice which
constitutes the people's hope ? I declare
that whosoever trembles at this ciifis, is
guilty.
" Me too they have tried to intimidate
The friend, of Danton have written, that
if Danton be overthrown I must perish un
der the Strokes of the Aristocrats. They
have imagined that connexions might in
duce me to divert the coUffe of justice.
What Signified to me the dangers that may
threara ? My life is my CQOntry% my
FRENCH
NATIONAL CONTENTION, 0
MONDAY, MARCH 31.
Decree of Accufation°againft Danton.
Legendre—^ Four of our- Colleagues'
were arrested last night by order of your.
Committees.—The celebrated Danton is
one of them ; 1 know not 'the names of
the other three. If they are guilty, I will
be the firft to call for their.punifhment ;
but you ought to hear them. lam pure,
and 1 believe Danton to be as pure as my-
m one hand and a refufal to pay the debts
due to the Republic in the other ! We„
have been in need of her assistance before,
and we may may want it avain.
The committee made some amendmerits.
The chairman reported, and the bill final
ly puffed the House. ,- _
Tuefday, April i. ,
The form of a decree for abolishing the
Have hide, having been referred to the
Committee of Public Safety, was predat
ed and palled in the following terms :
, *' The slavery of negroes is abclifhed.
In consequence the Convention decrees,
that all the inhabitants of the colonies,
whatever be their color, are French citi
zens. They shall enjoy the rights belong
ing to this title."
Several communes in the neighborhood
of Paris, congratulate the Convention
on the new difeoveries refpe&ing the con
spiracy agaioft liberty.
The President—" Be assured citizens,
that there will fitter be in France, Kng,
Dictator, Triumvirs, nor. Protestors. We
each wc&rapoignird to be plunged into
, St. Just. In the nameof the Committee's '
of Public and General Safety, reported oh
all the conspiracies that hav.e focceffivel/
agitated the Republic, and all had fortheiY •
°^'^' !° ,° ore Royalty and annihilate
Liberty.' The Revolution,feid hejdeper.ds
upon the People, not'upon the renown of
particular men, in the sacred love of our
country there is Something terrible, which
facrifices even our affections. tour Com
mittees have charged me to demand jus
tice on men who were the accomplices of
Orleans, Briffot and Hebert, and whose
object was to confound the republican gov
ernment. H.e entered into a derail of (he
fever^l factions tha^-have . followed in fuc-.
cellion for five years: The Orleans party
was the faft, and that to which Danton
and Lacroix continued firmly attached.
He stated Danton's firft connexions with.
Mirabeau, who got him appointed one of
Administrators of the Department. He
developed the immorality and hypocrisy of
Danton ^nd Lacroix who h.:d been always
the friends of General Dumourier. Dan
ton directed the late obnoxious writings
of Camille Defmoulins ; Philippeaux, who
wrote against Marat,in favor of the appeal
to the people bn the King's fenterce, was
the instrument of Fabre d'Eglantine and
Danton. He concluded with proposing
the following decree:
" The Convention decrees accusation
against Camijle Dtfiroulins, Herault,
Sechelles, Danton, Philippeaux, and La
croix of Eure and Loire, charged with
having been accomplices of Duco urier,
d'Orleans; and Fabre d'Eglantine, and
with having been concerned in the con
spiracy for re-eftablilhing monarchy, and
dissolving t,he national , representation.
They Ihall be tried with Fabre d'Eglan
tite.". ~
The Convention adopted the decree u
nanimously, and ordered the report ofthe
Committee to be printed, and copies of
it sent to the Departments, of the Armies,
and the popular Societies.
heart is free from reproach and above all
fear.
"I was also the friend of Pelion, of
Roland, of Briffot ; they betrayed their
country, and'l declared against them.,
Danton wishes to take their place ; Dan
ton in my eyes, is only the enemy of his
country.. The guilty are not so numerous
as they would have us believe. The most
Criminal ^re those who would raise up idol#
and domineered. To propdfe a. oourfe
With some members, net allowed in behalf
of others, is an insult to° liberty. The
cause of the guilty cap be ph aded only by
their accomplices. I move the, previous
queflien on Legendre's motion."
Barrere represented the neeeflity of
having only one measure for the puriffi-.
ment of traitors. Ofthe Deputies arrested
were to bq heard at the bar, th? Conven-"
tion would ohl^ be an aristocratic senate.
Such verfatUjty bf principle would be a
direct censure of all their former proceed
ings.., •
The previous, question was put and ^r-',
tied. , V •',•
[Whole No. 65,]