The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-12-25

ofthe nation; extremely doubt, wheihsr the
applanfrs beftowed upon their Independence
have been well betowed. 1t is the property
OF real independence, fir, to be cool and to be
deliberate. IT will march on ftraisht and Red.
fatty to its Object; no obaacles can impede its
conrie, and no pafions can divert it.--But there
IS no cenfure contained in this refolution. 1t
imply fays that,we approve of tie meafures,
puriued by our government & after adopting
the reiolutioD of yetterday, it would be fome-
1h'ng like inconhftency, were we to refufe our
| appreciation to the one now before the Houfe.
| MR.. KINNEY. moved that the uueftion be
pofponed, till the sift Of March. On all mat
ters relating to Foreign Relations, we flould be
very cautious, how we cXprefed our ientments
Ii the preient rcfoution were difapproved of by
the iiouie, IT might have a bad effect upon Fo-
| reign Nations. For his own part, he y,;5 j Fe-
orrali't; he was oppofed to the meaiures adopt
ec by government and fhould therefore, if the
queition were taken upon this refoluson, vote
againf it.
| MR.. McHENRY faid, that on this queition he
ihouid call for the Ayes and Noes.
! MR.. SINoLEToN. Representing as | do a
mot respectable portion of the fate, | cannot
content to give hent vote on this quellion.
Inc Houie mutt therefore indulge me with a
| few remarks.
am decidedly in favour of tie Refolution
|
modes of supporting any government the irit
is an enlightened confidence in our public Ser
wants /; the fecond is blind acquefcence in the
orders of a matter. The frft is the government
or reafon and the fecond, is perfect tyranny.
! In everyother country under The fun, except our
own, the lat form of government prevails: and
1t is only in our own, that IN administration is
to be found, which has no other fupport for its
meaiures, than the confidence of the people.
The only quefion then before us, is, fhould
we exprefs confidence in the prefent admin.
| fraton?
Two preliminary queffions mutt be decided,
before we can determine this point The firR
is, have we really confidence in the prefent
administration the fecond is, if we have,
ought we now to exprefs it? Mr.. S. declared,
that on both of thefe quettions lie had not the
leait hehtation in deciding in the affirmative.
He had the mott unlimited confidence in the
administration ; and he deemed it necefiary to
! cxPre!s IT. Such testimonial was the bef re-
ward of public fervants. 1t ferves to ftrength-
en- the virtuous ambition of public fervarts.
! 1t IL tile political talilman. which charms TO
ileep ali the virulence and activity of it's {. pc
nents. Once break it into pieces, and you DIFF
iove the only incentive which can exit towards
'ncrealing the virtuous enthuafm of our pub
! nc iervants, & the only check upon the bold
| hotIlity Of its enemies.
! Mr.. MILLHR (of Powhatan1-I am not in
the habit of obtrudng my fentiments upon this
houfe +; nor did expect that the prefeut diff
cuiiiou would be called up. 1 therefore feel
myfelf unable to reply with all that force,
| which iome gentlemen have exhbted.----
The gentleman from Cumberland (Mr. Bakery
iays, that ferious charges have been preferred
agsnft the PreGident, and that it is therefore
neeefary TO exprefS our confidence. Why, fir,
thought we had fettled that point yefterday.
Could l. declare the PRECEDENT, firm, wife, and
patriotic, il had fuppofed him guilty? No !;
iir. The true object of this refolution is, that
1t 10 levelled againft the minority. The gentle
man from Cumberland himfelf admits the fact.
Then, FIR, what ibalI we do ? Shall we declare
This ceniure when the whole grounds of their
oppoiition are not yet developed, and the re-
'ult is not decided? Shall we, fir, ftrive to
put down this minority 1.-THE gentleman from
Dinwiddie (Mr. r. faye, went bindfolded
into iimilar relolution lait winter, and that
now am inconlihent. / deny the alTertion.
have already ftated to the Houfe, that that
was a n.oa important criis. We were then on
the very verge OF war and it became us to ex-
preis our determination to fupport the govern
| mept.~ Bnt now. the fame important crifis is
no banging over us.-Though may oppofc
The particular meaiures adopted towards TO-
reign nations, will Gill fupport my goveru-
nNH'' AN IOl 10 de1cHu my country, my
| wife, ny children, every thing that is dear to
my heart f? ! will fupport my government a.
galnf every foreign nation whatfoever, although
| may not think, that in every cafe it purfues
the beft poiiible policy.
| Mr.. SMITH (of King & Queen. )---Permt
me to treipais for few moments upon the pa
tence of the houfe.---l did not heiitate yefter-
day to express my reafons for the rcfolution,
adopted by the houfe. / then Gated that my
principal reafon for voting in its favour, was,
becaufe TO other more forcible refoIution was
brought forward. conlidered that refoulion
as an incomplete one. was anxious that fome
meature might be brought forward, which
would enable me to exprcfs my complete and
undiminilhed confidence in the character and
acts of the prelcnt administration, and might
fcrve to wipe off the odum, which had been
catt upon it. am gratjfied, fir, that a refolu-
ton has this day been brought forward, which
is neither marked by the bandiihments Of fat
terry nor the feverity of harfh reproach. This
then rs the moment for boldly avowing our fen
timents.
What reproach is there, that has not been
cat upon our prefert administration 4? They
have been ftigmatfed they have been mott
unjultly illuminated. The nation has been
told, that they are unworthy fits confidence
that they have crouched to Spain, buIlied G.
Britain ; that they have incurred ffain, which
not all the waters the Ocean could wafh out.
! They have told us too, that the nation are OH
their fide. Do not theGe ininuations call upon
us to fpeak our fentments
] ,.lI l.. Il. 81