Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1806-09-08
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1906.


1
1 This mefage, with the documents
accompanying il, were referred to .
feled committee confifting Of MIR.
John Randolph, Mr.. Nichoifon, Mr..
John Cotton Smith, Mr.. Mumford,
MFR. Williams, Of S. c. MIR. Bid
well, and Mr.. Brown.
It may be proper to remark that
this mefage, although deemed b.
the clerk las he Rated to the
houfe) TO be a part Of the fecret
journal, which had been ordered to
be printed,was nevertheless omitted !;
nor has the omifiion ever been fatif-
fa6orily accounted for.-The houfe
by fubfequent vote refafed to make
tpubIic.
The chairman Of the committee
to whom the confidential mefage
was referred, Immediately waited on
tie PreEdent and informed him of
The direction which had been given
to it: txpr-fiing at the fame time
his Willingness and rcadinefs to CO.
operate, as Tar as his principles and
judgement would permit, in fuch
plans as the executive might have
de,ifed for the occaGon. He then
/ learned, not without fome fur
prize, that an appropriation Of
two millions was wanting to purchafe
Florada.-He told the PRECEDENT,
without yIeferve g that he would
never agree to fuch meafure, be-
caufc the money had not been aGed
for in the mefiage THAT he could
not content to fhift upon his own
ihoulders, or thofe Of the houfc, the
proper responsibility, of the execu-
tive /; but that even if the money had
been explicitly demanded, he ihould
have been avcrle TO granting it
becaufe, after the total failure of
every attempt at negotiation, fuch a
itep would dagrace US forever be-
caufe France would never withhold
her i'll Offices, when by their inter-
petition fhe could exsort money from
as: Bccaufc, if Great Britain, with
whom we had ferrous matters of con-
troverfy, did NOT conGder our fup-
plying her enemies with money as
a breach OF our neutrality, it mutt
infpire her with contempt for any
attitude of refiitance which VIC might
aiIune towards her. That II was
equally to the intereh of Spain and Of
the United States to accommodate
the matter By an exchange of terrific
ry," ITO this mode of fettlement
the Prefldent feemed much oppofed1
"that the nations of Europe like the
Barbary powers, would hereafter re-
fule TO look at the credentials Of our
niniitsrs, without previous d,n-
reHy." and much more to the fame
rurpofe. -lg
The committee met on the eth of
December, but came to no definite
refolutien. One Of its members
IIMr. Bidwell of Maffachufc.ts5 cor.
Frnea the me1age into requiiition
Of money, for the purpofes of foreign
intercoarfe, and propofed grant to
that effc6t, but in this contraction
he wa unfuPported. and his propofi.
ton oqer-ruied. He bim,sJ, z05en tie
jasea at'0S Ggifefsd in fbe houjf zoon!d
not dvosO fbe fame cosfrn7ion of the
nif6age zDtieb be bad giixp TO II N tie
ffha committee. On the I4,h Decenf-
Der, the chairman ofthat committee
was Obliged to 60 to Baltimore, from
whence lie did not return until the
1Ih. During this interval, the diff
patches from Mr.. Monroe, of the
18th and 75th Of Odober, were re-
ceived by government. Previous to
the chairnan's departure, having oc-
; cation to call OF the Secretary of
State, he was told by that officer,
/" thar France would not permit
Spain to adult her differences with
US (: That France wanted money, and
that we mutt give it to her or have a
Spanifh and French war. 1t was
when he related this Circumstance to
the houfe that Mr.. Randolph faid,
hi, confidence in the Secretary of
State had never been very high, but
that nsav, il was gone forever" And