Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-03-11


Inotice charges made against the majority
this house, of the senate and against the 20,
Iernmcnt IN general, which il true ought to b.
proved and made known TO the public, so as (,
produce total renovation in the national cou
ellis, aud it false ought To consign their autho
10 that disgraceill infamy which such conduc,
was calculated tn draw upon them an nfamy
that should mark them out as common calum.
lniators, and hold them forth as fit objects for
national contempt. The petty scribbers in tn
party newspapers have been for some time er.
gagged i'll circulating reports of French inhu.
ence over the councils OF the nation thes
| charges were in themselves so destitute OF
even the semblance of truth, so totally unfoun.
dcd, and unsupported by any facts TO give them
the color of probability, that-they made little
or no impression ON the public mind, and were
Irelected as slandcrous falsehocds, the mere
offspring of malgnity, generally as they
| were known The more respectable public
+! prints OF the same party refIted these charges
aud treated them with that contempt which
they deserved They therefore received no
serious notice from those against whom they
were made, and there appeared to be gene
raj disposition TO suffer them to sink into that
silent oblivion To which the good sense OF the
nation would most certainly have consigned
them. But when those charges are borrowed
from those petty sciibblcrs, and echoed and
repeated on this fOor, by n person having the
| h snor of seat in the house, it is high time
they should he noticed, to be longer silent
woldd be criminal Issue is now joined, and
the guilty. whoever they may be, whether tn,
accused or the accusers, mast stcnd forth be
fore the nation, ssript of their mask of con-
! ceaiment, 10 receive the sentence of public
! md rnStiOn, that Will frown them with con
tempt into cbscurty. For there is no medium
IN this case, the accuSers or the accused must
| be Suilty-must be enemies to their C. un,rv-
| and 1t is high time the nation, the people of
| America, should know their friends from heir
foes The crisis call for it, the duty we owe
the people calls for it, and the honor and dig
| nifty OF this house demand that the guilty
should be exposed. If the charges can be
supported that any portion of the members
| of tins house are acting under foreign infu-
ence, let the people know it, let them change
their representation, let them send men OF
| integrity, who arc superior to the secret in
! idence of foreign power; but if on the con
| rary those allegations arc found to be false
\ and unfouTded, then let the nation know this
and let the finger of scOrn point at those who
ave published such groundless falsehoods
aud render them the objects ofpubiic contempt
md detes,aton. This subject is now fairly
before the public, and he who had made such
! serious charges on this floor, charges that the
majority of this house - acting under the i'm
pulse OF French or Gallo influence, will il is
pre- sumcd produce To this house aud tie nation,
and he is now called upon TO do so, the proofs,
the evidence or facts that support those char
Ses. and 1t these are not produced, it must
DC considered by this house and by the nation,
that there are no such proofs Of facts, and that
therefore these charges are roundless calum-
MICS circulated abroad at this important crisis
by the enemies of this country, TO distract the
public mind and destroy the confidence of the
people IN their government, which would pal
sy the energies of the nation, and render her
more vulnerable to the attacks ct foreign
enGuy.
On the subject of the embargo, Mr.. CamD.
bell said lac had hitherto been silc,.t in tbie
house lac thought it more important to ACT
than 20 speak. The reasons for passing the
law laying an embargo, said Mr. G. appeared
to me, rs they did presume to a majority of
The house, so strong, self evident, that
they must produce conviction without ar.su
ment, and to discuss measure under such
circumstances appeared like a useless waste Of
t'mc, and a 1T were admitting a doubt where
none existed And since the passage of that
law events have succeeded eacit otEer so r.
Pidiy, which prove 10 every American friend
y to his country, whose mind Is not warped bv
prejudice, not only the prophets aud policy OF
he law, but lac great Importance and absolute
necessity Of it ut the time Tor the sccuri
=
servation Oh peace, and TO prepare the country
for war, that even those who opposed tho mea
sure at first seemed 90 be convinced of its uti
hty, AVID APPEARED disposed to support 1t as the
only means n our power calculated 20 preserve
The honor anil promote the general welfare of
tie nation. The public sentiment throughout
this union so far Us it has been in the power of
the people to express it, in their legislative
@ well as individual capacity, has not only
sanctioned tbs law, but warmly approved the
policy OF It, aud pledged tho energies of the
nation 60 support the measure. Thus IL would
seem that the reasons for passing IT appeared
as self evident 20 and made as strong an i'm
preston on the minds of the people al large
rs they did ON tie minds Of the majority Of Inc
national Legislature Il was therefore deemed
unne cessary to enter into an investigation oil
those reasons on this floor.
But when charges Of the most serious nature
are made on this floor against che majority oil
The housc-chargcs that they are acting under
and governed by French Influence (ior ibis is
in substance the allegation), charges which
believe to be unfouudcd with respect 10 every
member in the house, Of the majority, and
which 50 far as regards myself know to be,
and now so declare them, infamous, ground.
less falsehoods it may be propcr, and deem
it my duty to sta very briefly some Of the rca.
sons that governed my conduct IN voting for
the law laying an embargo, and Tive sUbs-qucn,
supplemental act. for carrying into more con-
pleat effect the same object, and which will
also induce me to vote iot tic bill nov under
discussion. These reasons arise from the 81