Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-01-15
c. @ N G. r ES S
OF THE UNITED STATES.
HOUSE, or REPRESENTATIVES,.
EbxyIaay, Jaaaa.y S.

When the gentleman ilCAl Az Aha ui-
dersock 20 give hiaoly, hehad no idea
THAT he was about giving details of fscret
hiaory. He had fugpoied he was about
offeriog general view Of the iubjeet.
. He did not know that il was 10 be itated
who were friendly or uniIisndly TO the
rights of our wcitsrn citizens much LET'S
that there was an eitablifhed hereditary
holiilisy TO them. He had iuPpofed that
all the gentleman on that floor had ex-
rrsi.d the wiihes of the people ne had
iuppofed there was but one opinion; he
had heard of no infnuation Of difference.
The only difference which he had thooght
exiited, was as to the means TO be uied,
and the time when thofe means ihonld De
carried into effect. But as 10 the natural
right, and tie ultimate erjoyment OF the
nation TO the free navig alton of the Mil
Ga;ppi, he alked what gentleman had
charged another with any doubts on that
And when we all agree in this, whence
the neceility Of Calling up the animoiiues
scf party May not gentlemen exPrets
their opinions in favor of decided mea.
iofes, when the voice Of the nation had
been 70 audibly expreaed, without iuch
,exprsaion being ccnarued into eenture
upon Others When too the opinions OF
other gentlemen on fundamental points co
incided with their own Is it necsfary,
when the whole nation is alive, to De mo-
sr,era,e in the expreilion of our ideas 1t
we do not Gene from that part Of The uni
on more immediately Affected by the late
Smeaiurss at New Orleans, are we there
fore 10 be Indifferent and unconcerred
{petaators of events If itanding here as
representatives of the United States, we
are not at liberty TO attend TO any thing
not confined to the triling dittnef OF
country we may each Of US rspreient, mi
ierabIe is the ground on which we ttand,
and humble indeed cur condition! Bot let
me FAY, even on this ground the ihip own
ers, and The merchants on the Atlantic
are deeply insereaed. Our wsltern elsi,
zens are certainly more deeply intereiied
Il the freedom Of the Niaifippi but IT
eoes to the great interess of navigation
generally. They feel It mott; but we
feel it much.
This is all deem necefary, fad Mr..
Dana, to obierve on the remarks OF the
eentleman from Virginia on his niitorical
detail. Sir, this ought not to be made a
party ouefion. With refpeSt to the mo-
ton before tie houie, my colleague has
drawn il in terms the mott refpeaful.-
Gentlemen propole 10 refer it 10 com
mittee of the whole. To this we object,
becsuie we want information promptly.
But the votes Of gentlemen prevail, aud IT
is referred. Our next fiep is to refer u
Immediately, 10 avoid delay. To Obtain
information foil aud prompt, is the end
of our endeavors, Why are we told OF
the incanGacncy of cur means = l ne
courfe we puriue is plain and direct, that
which carries US ited.aely 70 our Obtain
inc information and if the houie will
not give it tors in the way we with,
we are for taking It IN the beit way we
can. Let it be remarked that, II no OBJ
facles lad taken place at New Orleans,
the iubieef of the ceilicn Of Lcuiiiana IS
referred to in The netiase of the Pfefldent.
Is not the information we ak important,
in the general view Of Who are 10 Dc our
neighbo,s, where, from tie diiPerlcd po-
ruistion Of our citizens, The union is'moit
vulnerable And 10 this light II would
have been prcper 10 get the information,
even ii the msatures at New Ofleans'had
not occurred. II makes no difference
whether thoie msslares are themeaiufes
of Spain or Of France. The two points
were nor nereiiasily connected, though 1
admit that the proceedings at Nsw-OF-
leans have bearing en- the general tub
ie6t. With regard 10 the mesiases at n.
Orleans We have information, and have
obtained il. That information has been