Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-06-23

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only disapproved the measure but rldlcu!ed
it. Who adopted the measure, sir! Who.
had it proved disastrous, would have been
called to account for it? The minority No,
sir the majority. In all popular govern
ments and assemblies there will be minorl-
ties. There were minoritics IN our reyolu-
ton; but after our independence was at
chieved, we did not hear them claim the
honor of it. There was minority inthe
convention which framed the constitution OF
the United States but we have not heard
this minority say that it was owing to their
exertions that this charter OF our liberties
was adopted. Really, sir, as it strikes my
mind, an argument of this kind scarcely
merits an attempt at serious refutation. Let
me ask, sir, did the minority elect Mr.. JET
ferson? Did they or the protesters elect
Mr.. Madison? The gentleman said, re-
collect, that he does not consider the presi-
dent as the administration. Do the mi
nority constitute it then? With whom are
treaties formed ? With the majority or mi
nority !? With the administration or with
individuals It really appears to me that
the gentleman cannot urge this claim again;
and should not have made these remarks,
if it had not been-one of the most extraor-
binary assertions which ever recollect to
have been made on the floor Of this house.
Another reason assigned by the gentle
man for his opposition, was, that the pre-
sent state of things was owing to a change
of measures. And quoted one OF Mollere's
best comedies nous anons changee toitt ce-
la."-TM Mr.. Randolph said that the gentle
mans French was neither his French nor
Moliere's French What | understood the
gentleman to mean said Mr.. Fisk was
/" We have changed all that Now, sir,
werefhe to say they heBritish government
have changed the state OF things, | should
not object to it, be it whose French it may
And as an evidence that there was no change
of disposition on our part, | refer to the
message Of the President, if his opinion be
deserving of any weight in the estimation OF
the gentleman from Virginia. He says that
" he cannot do less than refer to the propc-
sal heretofore made on the part of the y.
States, embracing like restoration OF the
suspended commerce, as proof OF the sPl-
rit of accommodation which has at no time
be en- intermitted, and to the result which
now calls for our congratulations as corro-
borating the principles by which the public
councils have been guided during period
of the most trying embarrassment"
Lord Grenville in confederation acknow
lodged that the same offer was made in Au-
gust last. But, says the gentleman, the
state of things is not now the same as when
that offer was made, and Great Britain has
better terms. I will no. attempt to examine
at length the propriety of the gentleman's
reasoning-but if she has better terms, 1t is
owing to us Is it because the aggresslons
of France required us to place that nation
on the same footing with Great Britain IN
relation to US, or that we have changed to
accommodate England At the time the
embargo was laid, French depredatlons was
not gone to that length to which they after
wards extended at that time she had not
burnt our ships or imprisoned our citizens
as she afterwards did. And shall The stat
ed as matter of complaint against us, that
we found it necessary to adopt this measure
with respect to France, and place her On
an equal footing with Great-Brlta'n and
that Great Britain, in consequence OF TINS,
altered her system towards US Shall 1t be
said that we placed her on better ttootlng'
and that the change in our relations is attri-
butable to change of sentiment in this SO
vernment? The argument is not correct.
If she stands on better footing now, it is
not owing to change which we have made,
but to a change in the French system, and
an alteration in her own; and shall we not
resist the French government because, if
Great-Britain should see fit to accept the
terms she has once refused, it would place
her In better sitnation Yet this seems