The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-05-16

groundlefs and illibcral alutopS which have
been made to me, have felt myfelf under the
obligation of riiing. had hoped that an adj
Journment would have allowed me time to have
examined the vosminous note have taken of
the former remarks of the gentleman from Vir-
ginia, and to have prefentcd to the people lone
criterion whereby to Judge of their accuracy ::
But as am thus called upon in fuch an ibera
manner, ard the queftion is to be decided to
dav-althpugh not expecting to rife, and being
totaii, ,....repared, 1 have no choice leftme.
Sir, the aiiert.~nis untrue, that have attempt
ed to viadcate the character of the Secretary of
State againtt the various charges exhibited by
the gentleman from Virginia againft him.
filould have been deferred from fiich an attempt
by many considerations. IT. Becaufe the even
tenour of his well fpent life is complete anfwer
and refutation to the malignant calrmnies which
disappointed ambition and prejudice have given
rife to--and fecondly, for the reafon that the
charge of ndelicacy which had been urged a.
gsinft the remarks Of my colleague (Mr. Eppes)
from the relation in which he food TO the exc
cutive would apply with equal force to mel
never deemed fnch vindica.ion neceffary how
aver competent might be to the talk, l did not
confider the conduct and character of the fecre-
tary of fate requiring any importantly
have made an impreIiion on the American peo-
pie, not to he Grated by defamation unfup-
ported by fact. In relation to the principal
charge made againt him-his having attempted
10 draw money from the treafury without an
& appropriation by law it is not true-no fuch
attempt was made. happened to fee the fe-
-.stary of the treafury near the door of this
Ioufe, and alsed him whether it was true that
,uch attempt was made, and he told me it
was not that it was propofed in the executive
cabinet before congrefs met, to infru6t our
minifer to open negotiation for the purchafe
of the Floridas upon the fllppoition that con-
grels would appropriate the money when they
n,et-but that he had rema ked it was not GER
tar that congrefs would make the appropriate
onand he added that this proportion did not
come from the fecretary of fate, but from the
PRECEDENT Eimelf. This has been tortured by
s,l,ireprefentatiou into an attempt to draw mo-
bey out of the treafury without the function of
an appropriation by law when the main charge
againft the fecretary of fate is 70 deftitute of
truth and foundation mark the expreffion,
lay it is deititute of truth; it is not ncceiTary
that the other thould be repealed, namely, that
Re told my colleague Mr.. Randolph interrupt
ed sc am not the genteman's coeage." Very
well, that he told John Randolph-T the Spea-
ker faid it was ont of order to call gentlemen by
name. Sir, know of no more appropriate
7nFeilation unlefs it is the defendant of Powha-
tan whom he told that France would not per-
NIT Spain to fette her differences with us, that
France wanted money, and five did not give it
T. we ihould have Spanlh and French war;
nit in fact, that the preiudiced mind of the
gentleman was not controlled by determine
ton TO mnconitrue what ne heard and that he
was informed there was no doubt France would
get the money, has he not faid the fame thing
in e:f'6? He repeatedly declared there is no
S.nain, no Pyreaees---That, France would not
armit Spain to iettle her differences with us,
d if the dispatches ofthe Marquis Yruio could
drawn from his private pocket, they would
&c found with the fignature of C. M. Talley-
aand-he has declared that IL is evidence of po-
iitical weakHeis to act things as they ought
TO be, difregardng the knowledge of what they
are. Well I. ali this was known, that Spain
PLACED n<1fef under the protection and con-
;iuu ofFrance, would it not have been prepof
ferrous to fpeak of Spain as if fi,e were totally
.,dependent of her ally; would it not have been
abiurd to fhut oitr eyes to the truth But was
it ever fuggeted by the fecretary of fate il
has not even been urged on this floor, that it
was---and fhould not believe it if it were 70
urged, that we were to give this money to
France to coerce Spain The gentleman has
declared that France compel Spain to take
fuch meafures as fhe fees fit, and that it is diff.
honorable in us to take advantage of the hu.
initiation of Spain This is a complete vindica-
tion of the conduit of the executive and of con-
grefs in the mesfures they have taken to DIR
chafe this country, which is on all hands adj
mitted to be 70 important TO us as it is flrely
more honourable TO buy than to fake it bv force
from its feeble, miferable owner, incapa bI OF
prote6ln it. Atho' it has been decided to be
ont of order to difcIofe the fecret commnnica-
lions, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr T. Ran
dolph) has declared that France faid if we give
SPAR. one blow, fhe would give us two or ten
in return, and others have declared that France
threatened us with war. Sir, ] anert there are
no fuch facts contained in the frcret difDatches
tent 70 us. regret that 7 cannot purfue the
courfe which other gentlemen have been indulg-
ed bv Eating what tb, tiItfJ in contradiction
OF what they are drciared 70 he; and though
this ihOuld be violation of order, it would per-
haps be proper, as difclofure has been provok-
ed BY grofs INTERPRETATIONS, TO repel them,
and uhify ourfelves TO the people by Eating the
information itftlf. 7 will therefore undertake to
FAY, that all the information we received from
the documents on this point, was in anfwer to
the enquiry, what their conduit would be- if
I've declared war againf Spain, TO which they
replied they were compelled to take part with
Snain there was here loud call TO order by
IA J. Randolph and others.) Mr.. J. continu-
,. J hall always refpe6t the calls to order
ON the Speaker and the Houfe, but not from
AZ perfon, q. Randolph.) After fone con-
rla5ion relative TO the point of order, Mr.. T.
% eeded--Sir, would win to know whether
q in order for the gentleman from Vir,inia
affirm that France declared nte ,,,c,,t,t g. q