The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-04-15


fore the Houfea letter aud comrnnoication from
the PRECEDENT of the u. S. which were read,
that they were referred to felect committee,
and find that then follows the report of that
committee without any notice OF the mef1age
of the PRECEDENT, on which it was grounded.
This take to be departure from the regu-
lar fyftem of keeping the journal becaufe /
perceive, in other parts of 1t, meiiages, though
of private nature, accompanying other COM
munications, inherited. deem it not lefs i'm
portaut to the character of thofe who compoie
TIE felea committee, Of which had the honor
to be one, than the character OF the government
of the u. S. that full and fair view fhould be
given to the public of the conduct of the 60
| vemment on the Que hand, and ofthe Legislature
on the other. beg pardon for uling the Phrafe
government by government meant the exc
cutive department. Iihall feel it incumbent on
me, in order to imprefs on the Houie, the
fente entertain of the importance Of this mo-
ton, to enter into fome little kiftory of the
tranfaetions which have taken place with cofed
doors, in which, though may not undertake
to fay what the mellage of the Prelident con-
tans, ihall feel myfelf at liberty, according to
the courfe purified here, to fay what it does
| not contain.
| 1t is true that on the 9th of December that
mef1age was referred to feIeet committee.
That committee met, and one of the members,
a gentleman from Mai1achufetts, whom do
not now fee in his place, as ioen as the commit
tee met, propofed that they fhould recommend
to the Houfe the making an appropriation of
money to enable the executive to negotiate a.
broad. l underftood, though it may not have
been 70 expreiied, that the object was the pur-
chaie of the Foridas. There great vari-
ETY. of fentment in the committee, and other
gentlemen of the committee, of whom was
one, objected, that in the confidential meiTage
of the PRECEDENT, there was not fyllabe about
the purchafe of the Floridas, or an appropria.
ton of money for foreign negotiation, that
there was not word in it to induce us to believe
that Spain was willing to make the fale or to
come to amicable adjuitment of differences
with us but that on the contrary, direct and
oppoh,e inference could only be drawn from
its contents.
On coming to town, and converting with gen.
tlemen of this Houfe, was apprifed of the ex-
iitence of project for the purchafe ofthe Flo
ridas from Spain and l was prepared to have
conGdered any expre1ions in the executive
mefiage, as having this meaning, which could
at all warrant it. There was fuch difference
of opinion iii the committee, that they came to
no direct conclufion. Circumstances of an inn
perious nature called me to Baltimore where
/ ftaid, think, fix days. On my return on Sd
turday, found, from the information of a gen.
tlenan from Maryland (Mr. Nicholfon) that
there had been comfortable excitement in con-
fequence of the committee not reporting. With
ont even changing my clothes or going to my
lodgings, Immediately met the committee,
and it WAS agreed to write to the fecretary of
war, and learn from him the number of troops
necehary to protect the fouthern frontier from
Spanifh inroad and infiilts. Bnt although in
the public meffage of the PRECEDENT at the open
ing of the feflIon, we heard much of SpaniIb
outrages and infults, and though the private
mefage held language in confonauce with
the public, found backwardnefs in the head
of the war department, and generally of the
executive government taking a decided at
titude as to SPAN and found what was worfe,
before left town to go to Baltimore, from a
conversation with what has been con(idered the
head of the firt executive department under
the government, that France was the great OBJ
ftacle to the compromite ofSpanih differences
that France would not permit Spain to come
to any accommodation with us, becauie France
wanted money, and that we mutt give her mo-
ney. Prom the moment heard that declara-
ton, all the objections I originally had to the
procedure were aggravated TO the higheft pof-
fible degree. confidered it bate prsftration
of the national character, to excite one nation
! nv money to bully another nation out of its
property, and from that moment, and to the
latt moment of my life, my confidence in the
principles of the man entertaining thofe fenti-
ments died, TO live again. Well, fir, dt,-
ring my abfence in Baltimore, the difpatches
Econtained in the meifage of the 18th of Janus-
airy arrived. This fhall have location to men,
ton again. The Houfe began to aet on the
filbiett of our foreign relations. Gentlemen
who in felect committee had declared they con-
fidered the executive menage as a requifton to
buy the Floridas, though there was not word
in it about the Floridas or about money, took
a different ground in the Houfe. They faid
that though the executive did not recommend
to Congrefs 10 purchafe the country, yet tina.
they were adequate to give the bufinefs this di.
reciion that if they chofe, they were at iber-
ty to oft. But unfortunately for this new
| doctrine, and the previous one broached, and
unfortunately for the whole fyfem, gentlemen
! aepped forward to enforce, one gentleman af-
ferted that he was ready in his own perfon TO
vouch that the courfe il queftion was in confo-
nance with the fecret wilhes of the executive ;
! and this is one of thofe reafons which calls mott
limperioufly for the motion which am about
to make. What was afterwards done the
Houfe will perceive. I pats over the motion
made to reftritt the purchafe to the country not
in difpute with Spain, and to exclude from that
purchafe the country in difpute, thereby tef.
| ing the principle, whether we were actually