The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-12-21

need difproportioned TO the importance of the
%iervices, or the official rank of the gentleman
who was the object of the reroluticn ; in othei
words, that It would be too great a reward. ]
did not, faid Mr.. E. anticipate the objection
from any quarter Of the Houfe, and regret ex-
tremely that it has arifen. From the peculiar
character with which the gentleman who is in
tended to be honored by the refolution, was
invehsd by the government, it becomes a point
OF no final delicacy, and even of fome difficult
ty, tn debate the quefion at all. We are in-
deed toid in the P~refdent's melage, that the
important fervices of our gallant conn.ryman
undoubtedly contributed to The impreGion
which produced peace with Tripoli. II WIS
proper for the Prefidens to fay this and fay no
more but in order to enable VS. TO pay pro-
per tribute ononr part TO merit 70 confpicuous,
1t becomes neceGary to avail o~urfelves of iafor-
marion derived from unofficial ~fonrces. In eve
~ thug which we can do upen this flbiect we
are anticipated By the loud voice of fame, and
this confederation has induced me G.ne,ines to
donot the propricty of doing any thing whatc.
yer: 1t has, however, always heca deemed
poncY, and even duty in free governments, to
a''tingl''th by national honors thofe citizens who
nave performed important nstionalf srvices. 1t
Is perfect!y uaGcrROod that orr brave country.
man commanded, i'm conjunction with the ex-
bat'1aw of TriDoii, a FORE mffciertly reFpeea-
Die To he conhdered as IN army, and of courfe
tnat the popular appcllation of General Eaton
had been conferred uDon good grounds. In.
that fTopg point of view in which the fuhic9
VIII be teen by Hhrrtl minds, inadeq jacT of
force and means, compared with the greatness
OF the obje&. and the event., viii give greater
honor to the Achieving of the e~nterprize. IF
we 1ct at all, we ought to bcaow a mark Of
olu'het'on fuitab'e for 4 general officer or an
ofncer q. diftinguified rank to accept. Shall
we refate 4 medal, the appropriate reward of
the brave Prehle, and offer a fword, which was
gwen to the Unfortunate naval officers, when the
~iervices of Preble, however meritorions, aud
greatly meritor;ous they were, failed of efcd-
ing tie Object which the. world believes that
Eaton has accomplished? Bvthe modern no.
tions ct martial etiquette and honor, A fword is
me appropriate token of difinefion and reward
1or officers of fubordinate rank. 1t is believed
that a finple and concife vote ofthanks, by the
representatives of a free people, is the nobleR
need OF exalted merit and patriotifm.
AN army, competed in part of Americans,
out chleiy OF the defendants of the ancient
Grecrns, Egyptians and Arabians, i'm other
words, an army, collected from the four quar-
tiers OF the globe, and led by an American com
mandrr TO conqueft and glory, is a phenomenon
m military hiftory. calcuiatedto attract the at
,enfion OF the world, not only by its novelty,
ont by Its real influence and conlequence. 1t
ought to he conrdered too that this army, not
withdrawing the Gnsularity of it's organization
and charaeter, and the fmallnefs Of it's numbers
and 'ts rneans, acted in a caufe which might he
thought to aHeef, at leaf in fome remote de-
gree, the general intereit Of mankind. Since
fhe dsitrnction of Cato and his little fcnate at
Utica, the banner Of freedom had never waved
IN that defert and tarbarous quarter of the
globe and he who carried it 70 nnbIv, in the
language Of the refo!ntion, through The d.frs
Of Lp6in, and placed it 70 triumphantly upon
the African ihore of the Mediterranean, deierves1
to lie honorably diftinguifhed by that country
and that government, to which the enterprise
has added lufre. I repeat It, MIR. Chairman,
we can do nothing in which we are not antici-
pated By fame. Fame has already devoted to
the name which we are laboring TO celebrate,
the MonW7entnna acre b"-rn1int, the imDeri1ia.
bic column of glory, which is the iut reward of
patriots only, and which impartial hiftory de-
mes to the mere conqucrors and robbers of
mankind.
MIR. SMILES irft words were not heard. He
then re marked that it added TO the value of an
honor conferred, to have it beftowed by an u
nanimous vote. il was nor, however, his pun
po'c to trouble the Houfe with a fpeech. He
'hon'd conhnc himfe!f to making one or two re-
marks. He conidered it correct that honors
conferred fhould he apportioned to merit. IT
was not 10 important, whether the man, on
whom they were hefowed, was the comman-
der OF an army. or whether he filed an Inferior
ration. Whatever his cation might he, he
who condHfted himfelf well in the fcrvice Of
his country was entitled to her thanks. MFR.
Smile faid he would next examine the adyan-
tages which the ~fervices Of Mr.. Eaton had gain
ed to his country and fee whether they were
equal to thofr which we had derived from The
feryices of other great men. From his iinprefi-
on ne thought they had been highly advantage
Gus, and equally 70 with thofe rendered by
commodore Preble, and his brave afociates,
Whole conduct he highly approved. EIe be-
l'eved that the expedition OF Mr.. Eaton had
greatly contributed to a peace and ifthis were
10, he did not know a more e1ential fcrvice he
could have rendered. For thefe %reafons he was
IN favor OF awarding a medal, in preference to
a ftyord.
Mr.. Quincy hoped the FIUnre would heFow
a medalinfead of fword. H. would FAY that
on fach an location a medal was more proper
than a fword. When the refolution was Offer
81 Re had 4 fold objection tn it, which had
ia iCr>s meafure heen removed by the propofed
amendment. A fword was not an appropriate re-
ward for th> Grvice rendered on this occafon. 1t
wasareward fol ~Ss!our,& mere valour. futhis cafe
heconfdcred the vN,our ~difplayed as a very fmall
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