Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-12-29

to the am9,tat at eleven millions t1uo hltn-
dred and ff5y th9usand d2llars for the
PURPOSE of carryiiag int effect the Con-
veniion ofthe thirtiesh Of dpril 1903, be-
tzveen the United States Of da:erica and
The French Republic and making provision
far Mepayme'at 81 The sase,' under con
sideratioRs
Mr.. Breckenridge observed, that he lit
tie expected proceedingso much out OF Or
der would have been attempted, as a re-
discussion of the merits ofthe treaty on the
passage of this bill; but as the gentlemen
in the opposition had urged it, he would,
exhausted as the subject was, claim the In
diligence of the Senate in replying to some
OF their remarks.
No. gentleman, continued he, has yet
ventured to deny, that it's incumbent on
the United States toesecure to the citizens
of the western waters, the uninterrupted
use of the Mississippi. Under this i'm
preston O duty what has been the conduct
of the general government, and particular
ly of thesgentlemen now in the opposition
for the last eight months When the right
ofdeposit was violated by aSpanish officer
without authority from his government,
these gentlemen considered our national
honor so deeply implicated, and the rights
of the western people SO wantonly violated,
that no atonement or redress was admissi-
eble, except through the medium of the bay
onet. Negotiation was secuted at. 1t
was deemed pusilanimous, and was said to
exhibit want of fellow feeling for the
western people, and a disregard to their
essential rights. Fortunately for their
country, the counsel of these gentlemen
was rejected, and their war measures ne
gatived. The SO much secuted process of
negotiation was however persisted in, and
instead of restoring the righe ofdePosit and
securing more efectually for the future our
right to navigate the Mississippi; the Mis-
sissippi, itself was acquired, and every
thing which appeftained to it. | did sup
4 pose that those gentlemen who at the last
session SO strongly urged war measures for
!. the attainment of this object, upon an a.
vowal that it was too important to trust to
the tardy and less efectual process ofnego-
citation, would have stood foremost in car
rying the treaty into effect, and that the
peaceful mode by which it was acquired,
would not lessen with them, the Importance
Of the acquisition. But it seems to me,
sir, that the opinions of certain portion
of the United States with respect to this
Inflated Mississippi, have varied as often
as the fashions. Here Mr.. B. made some
remarks-on the attempts which were made
in the old Congress and which had nearly
proved successful, to cede this river to
Spain for twenty-five years.) But trust,
continued he, these opinions, schemes and
projects will be forever silenced and crush
ed by the vote which we are this evening
aboutto.pass.
PermitTne to examine some Of the prin-
cipal reasons which are deemed SO power
fulb by gentlemen, as to induce them to vote
for the destruction Of this treaty. Unfor-)
tunately for the gentlemen, no two of them
can agree on the same set of obiections
and what is still more unfortunate, | be-
lieve there is no two Of them concur in any
one objection. In one thing only they
seem to agree, and that is to vote against
the bill. An honorable gentleman from
Delaware Mr.. White9 considers the price
to be given, enormous. An honorable
gentleman from Connecticut who has Just.
set down Mr.. Tracy says, he has no OBJ
lection whatever TO the price; it is, he.
supposes, rot too much. An honorable
gentleman from Massachusetts, MI. Pick
ering) says, that France acquired no title
from SPAN, and therefore our tide is bad.
The same gentleman from Connecticut.
/ Mr.. Tracy) says, he has no objection to-
the title Of France he think it good one.
Tbs. gentleman from Massachusetts (Ir.