Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-12-27

ash III The FIRST place W the I'D
]. &C ,;,e resolution Is ID msrsls appropat-.
g;no ths. conduct of the presidi.,s ol 3tns w.
S,.,tss And 81 MAJ, III station ot rrspsct and
eIecor.,m towards hint For n,s-seli e As !.
be a,erel, The lang,,ags 81 appfo'a'..[''s %
tho conduct af the q Inc y e
States. an % b. makng obi sctor !. 20 g on
, the ground, thatWe oush, nor 20 pass a vfte
q If asnprobation. am afflicted with NO
scr4lpIe 4 az that sort. II gentlemen who
opposed resolution Of appreciation AT The
last session chnss n ow 10 support this reso'l
!, lotion ON the principle walchSthsy then OPP
posed, tits not for me 70 object to lttfor
such cause. Hthey are disposed 70 cop.
slider theirforn,ef arguments as SO many
collections b jstrals, it is no, for me code
Inv 10 gensltncu Tie privilege oisoysrip F'
[ imp and destroying s.lcii works of their own
hands. Nav, f.rther---lf this resolution
IS 10 be considered as having the nature OF
joint address TO the president OF the Y.
States, / make nc. objection on that account.
Some gentlemen may heretofore have SEEM
ed TO be afflicted at the manner Of address.
ing the president OF the United States as
being too adulatory. am not, troubled
with their past scruples on the subject OF
addresses, and, considering this as a joint
address to the president, should make no
such objection.
If the principle Of appreciation be consi-
dered as involving an equal right to censare,
make no objection 10 the resolutionon that
account. But OH this subject would be
cautious, becauYe might censure wrong
~. The. President might have reasons for
his conduct which did no. know would
be cautious also, because if should cen.
sure where censure ought not to be pro-
nounced, might elo injury by concurring
in procedure tending to diminish the con-
6dence of the nation in the Chief magis-
tratc. Is
But this is rot resolution merely appro.
batting the conduct of the Presidenr OF the
United States. 1t is not called for by any
thing which has been done. 1t is not con-
formableito the true spirit Of what has taken
place. 1t is rather reproachful 10 the Pre-
sident than honoring him with praise. Its
denunciation ola foreign minister here ae-
credited ;iti expressed in language which
your chief magistrate would not adopt IN
his message to Congress, and which he did
not authorize 10 addressing our minister
abroad. Sir, public ministers and other
public minister, rotary OF state or head
of any other department. commits an offence
legally exposing him to corporeal punish
ment. But on a question Of decorum,
should we permit oursclvesto outrags it
When reprehrnding violation of de-,
coruln, shall we ourselves violate it g.
Sir, request you 10 look at the letter
written BY, the secretary Of state, under
the direction of the President, to our
minister in London. I will not say that
the secretary Of state in his letter to Mr..
Plnkney meant to affirm that those printers
in this country who publish matters affect
ing the reputation Of public minister,
might be prosecuted at common law here,
and be subjected to fine and Imprisonment
at the discretion of the court and yet, if
that BE- not his meaning, where is the law
Ito which foreign minister could have re-
course But his language at least shews
that he considers a wrong done to the repu-
tation of public minister as an injury for
| which he may reasonably complain, as he
may for wrong done to his person, and
that however freely our citizen, NAV speak
or publish their sentiments, it is not proper
in our public acts to speak wan,only against
any person coming here in public charac'
ter from a foreign government. When
public minister has been admitted to Gene
here in the faith of friendly, honorable
reception, shall the National Legislature
undertake to blast his character? Gentle.
men will feel it as becoming them to be
cautious of infictjng this wound on the re.
putatiou of stranger, having public trust