The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-09-15
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
"Wednesday, March, 1900.

SPEECH OF Mr.. Thomas NJ. RANDoLrH,
Ia TIE Debate on Georgia Cleins, ~ co,uniftee of
the zoboie, on TIE Bill preceding for TIE JsttLe-
men. of Gtud,y cIl,i,ts TO ph5hc lands ring
.joutb Of tbe fate Of TemsGIe.
/ hope the houfe will not content to pof-
pone thefe refolutions. l hope it will on the
Contrary Immediately proceed to conhder them
and conclude by adopting them for, taken ge-
nerally, they meet my warm appreciation in the
principles they contain, and I am anxious TO
fee the laft one, whic. is corollary fairly de-
duced from the others, Incorporated into the
bill now before US. It is with reluctance l
trouble the houie this felton, after 70 long for
bearance, with my opinions or teptinents but
my opinion on this quetion is 20 decided, my
ientiments at this moment are 70 trorg, and
know them to be 10 confonant TO thofe excited
by the fubiea, as far as the affair has been
Known, in that diGr;Ss of Nirsinia have the ho-
nour TO reprefent, that my inclination and my
duty combined, impel me irrefiftibIy to make
an attempt TO communicate them. Beiides,
when an opinion mutt &c as publicly pronounc-
ed asnnine NUT be in giving my vote on this
oueftion and it feerns obnoxious, perhaps I'M
fafe, TO aifign fincereIy in bold and apt words
the reatons which give rife to it, then in my o.
pInion, 1t IS not manly TO retain to veil thofe
reaions. When hatred, perhaps danger, is like
~ to enfue from the declaration of truth in pub
lie affairs, then, above all times, deem it my
dntyt utter If, for when many decline that ne
ceiiary fervice, none of thofe who are willing TO
undertake it, can be fpared. hsve little hope
of performing that taft- in an agreeable or an
imprefive manner but fhall perform it. To
do what conceive my duty, is my buiinefs ::
the peculiar way in which do it, necehariIy re-
fults from the manner in which nature formerly
did hers towards me.-My opinion is, that it
will can broad hain on the American cbarac-
ter, rs It mutt be exhibited in our future parlia-
mentary hiftory, for this body, which 70 flirly
rspreient2 the nation, TO grant compensation
for their pretended loIes, under whatever form
INGENUITY may invent to difguife it, to any of
fhote adveHtnrers who made the fpurious con-
tract with Georgia in the year 795, for the pur-
chate of her we!tcrn territory, upon the ground
that iuch bargain could give the leaf fhadow
OF title TO any part Of that Territory. This OPT
mon is conviction irreGftibly given TO my mind
by an impartial invefigation, that what were at
that time called companies of land adventurers
we're, (Eith the exception OF few m,ed indi-
viduals, Whole deluiion and confcquent impli-
c2tion iincerely Iamentb no other than ibame-
ieis bands of fharpers that what was impu-
Identity called 4 contract, was in reality a fraud
OF umprecedeuted enornity and what has fince
been declared IN uniuh iEtcrpoftion of the pri-
mary fovereign authority of the Gate to cancel!
= ia;r DargaiT, was no more than vhe regular &
prorer application the NOT efficient means to
redrefs cheat of unparalleled audacity and
magnitude. am forty, by entertaining this
opinion, to differ from 10 many on this loor,
with whom it is my bride to think but am
not much furprfed ut that difference Very
rarely indeed have heard of cueitions which
did not divide opinions: never have been pre-
lent at criminal trial, where numbers did not
DOUBT the reality of the crime. Such is the DIFF
Serence in the impreiIion made by the fame teC-
t,mony upon different minds. Were II not for
this extraordinary circumtance, which almoA
precludes unanimity, and which completely de-
fes explanation upon any natural PRINCIPLES of
The moral ftu6ture of man, there could be but
one ieGtiment in this houfe on the qncaion now
bcForcit.
The information which has f7tisi~d nv mind
have derived from the declarations ofthe conn
tres Of Ceorgis, in their petitions and remon-
ii lnces preiented 10 the convention ofthat Rate,
which Attended in the month of Nav 1905
from the acknowledgment made by that con-
vsntior Of The dignity Of thofe applications. and
The rcipeG due 60 them, in the refuYe which
referred them to the confederation OF the fiic-
ceedlng jegiil3ture from the proceedings the
general aitcmbIy of I7s6, upon the matter they
contained, and the evidence i collected and re-
corded relstiye thereto--and, laiily, from GER
tan declarations and ptovi6ons Confirming thofa
proceedings, and thereby cfal,liihiBe that evil
dencc, which were made by the convention Of
1888, and which eziit now in ihe body of the
prelcnt contribution Of Georgia. The Elme
means ct Inflammation are within the reach Of all:
Tie evidence, might fsy, lslould be fiiisfs,4ory