Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-01-14

Invite and impolitic.
Having completed the. reading. Mr..
r refumed his remarks. / have, faid he
to ak pardon Of the houfe for OBTAINING,
them with the reading of 70 lengthy
document. That it contains perhaps tn.
only correct hiitorical detail, extant of
this truely courteous tran(action, matt coa-
Ritute my apology.
will NOT ak, Mr.. Speaker who.
ever have been and ftill are the unih,ken
friends of the navigation Of the NH.
faippi, and Of the wefern interelfs Of
this union It is not nay with, fir, on
this location to cali gentlemen oppo(ed to
US into the fhale, TO throw them int
the back grouod. All we ak is an e.
quail hare Of confidence in oar zeal to
aRsrt tbis great right, until we ihaH
have proved ourlelves unworthy OF It.
What is there then exhibited from tie
earliea period Of our hiaory Whr
fact has tranfpircd, which renders US IN
delerying Of that confidence, or which
entities gentlemen on the other iide CT
the houfe excluGvely TO il Shall we
then filently fubnit to the iptclerent
aaumption on their part of all feeling for
this important right involving the vital
intereas of our counrry-fhdll we fit
down contented under the imputation of
lukewarmnels in this caufe ? or lhall we
tell thoGe gentlemen that under every
circumhance, and in all ftuations 7vitb
cloled dso,s as well as with opeu do0r,,
we have been, are and ever will be the
unalterable Importers of the free navigati-
on of the Mitiidippi.
The fentiments which rave been dn-
played in the courle of this proceeding,
prelents phenomenon in the hittory Of
what are termed regular governments.
When an administration have formed the
defign Of iubverting the public liberties;
of enriching ,hemlelves on their adhe-
rents out Of the public purle, or of cru!h-
ing all oppodtion beneath the itrong hand
of power 4va, has ever been the favo-
rite miniherial fpecifc. Hence have
we feen men in power too generally H.
cIined to hottie mealures, and hence the
oppoGrion have been, as uniformly the
champions of peace-not choOtlng TO
nerve with new vigor lthe natural couit-
quence of war; hands, on whole hearts
or heads they were unwilling TO beaow
their confidence. But how lhall we ac-
count for the exception which is now ex.
hibited to this hitherto received maxim
On the one part, the lolution is eaiy. An
administration under which our country
Aourifhes beyond all former example
with no liniaer views-ieeking to pay
off the public membranes, TO leaea
the public burthens and TO leave to each
man the enjoyment of the fruits OF bis
own labor, are therefore, delirOus Of
peace, 70 long as it can be preferred
confidently with the intereas and honor &
of the country. On the other hand what
do you fee : Shall FAY an oppoilticn
lickening at the fight OF the pubic Pfo''
perity, feeking through war, confuiOn
and a confequent arrangement OF ou'
finances, that ACKNOWLEDGMENT which the
public felicity mutt forever forbid NO
fir, ray refpef for this tioule and io'
thole gentlemen forbids this declaration
whila at the fame time, | am unable 70
account on any other principle for tnsl
conduct. Mr.. R. concluded by iayins
that he had forborne theie obieryal0n b
until they were extorted from HIM. NJ
had hoped that gentlemen would nave
let the buGnels take its cour!e, after Wv
decihon of yeaerday, and thar the f10 ".
would have gone into committee on 'I
confidential maHage-Bat gentlenen na'
United on dilculing the merits OF !"
navigation on preliminary qneit'on'LL 81
The buGnels having taken that tufa "
thought it due TO himleif and friends !
repel the odium which it was endeavos''