Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-02-09

HO,ESE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
FRIDAY, Janaary 20.
DEBATE ON EXTRA SESSION.
IcoNTINUED.l

aav he hatl fell himself called upon to make
some remarks in reply to his coiieague,Wh
addressed the house yesterday. The task
was not then pleasant one. In ms suose-
ouent remarks few days since, the genie
man took occasion to tell me very courte-
cusly, that / hat,. been barking at his hee,s,
and that he would not pursue my course.
Though these sort of personal COLLISIONS are
extremely disagreeable, yet his observa-
t;ons will not deter me FROM following that
course, which my duty may dictate. as
representatives from the same state, | nave
since entleavored to avoid all needless col
Is;ons. with a gentleman standing IN such
. relation with myself, and should not again
have placed myself in opposition TO him,
bnt for the extraordinary remarks when
fen from him yesterday, to which, sir' |
consider it nv Indispensable d1tY Raffii sVt e.
YOU IN reply. It WIS the temper Of his re-
marks, their tendency if not their design,
thepeculiar time, aud the temper of the peo
pie il, one section of the union, that impress
ed my mind with peculiar regret at the
ground which he thought proper to assume.
As 70 the temper of his remarks, Ineed net
exhibit i any further to the house, it has
Eeen sufficiently noticed as to their tenden-
~cy it cannot be mistaken; there is some
thing, however, more particularly striking
as to the time; what are the circumstances
under which they were offered? What are
the circumstances In which this house has
found itself for some time past? Sir, for
some DAYS we have had a general aspect of
union III the house, considerable harmony
CO parties, anumber Of questions have been
taken that savored very little of party feel
ings, and the political atmosphere had sub
sided into state of much apparent tran
guilty, until agitated by thethunder of the
gentleman. Was not this desirable pros
pect | confess for one, sir, that | have
seldom found alls occasion on which | more
congratulated myself, but it would seem as
though my colleague feared that this state
os things might conduct us and the nation
to some happy result. Did he therefore
think it necessary, that a fire brand should
be thrown on this floor, to excite agitation
In the house, and alarm, division, and dis
cord among the people? hope the gentle
man had no such intention, but that such
WAS the tendency of his remarks, no one
can differ with me in believing. AS to the
time and occasion which he chose it is well
known, as the gentleman observed, that the
legislatures Of many Of the states are about
to assemble. Yes, sir, they are, and a
menest others that of the state which the
gentleman and myself have the honor in part
to represent, about the, time that the
speech of my honorable colleague will ar
rive there. The temper of that portion
of the union is already sufficiently excit-
ed.
That they have already manifested strong
symptoms of disafection, that they have
heretofore given intimations ofviolent mea-
sures cannot be concealed. Did the gentle
man lear that they would not be sufficiently
agitated, that they would not at once, be
ripe for the most desperate measures? Did
he fear that unless he added little fuel to
the fame, that it would NOT burst out with
sufficient fury to produce his favorite crisis
Did he fear that this portentous crisis of
which he spoke in an oracular tone, would
not arrive with sufficient celebrity. i call It
his fayorite crisis, because one Of bis argu- /
ments in opposirion to the bill, was, that he
feared 1t was calculated to allay the passions
of the people and defer the arrival of this !
crisis. Am therefore incorrect in suppos-
ing that he halls the prospect of it as a de-
sirable event! Certainly l think that the
conclusion cannot be mistaken. What was
TO be the precise nature of this crisis nv
colleague did not exactly explain to us. I
know not distinctly by what means it is TO be
produced, or what are its ultimate objects.
For one, SIR, deprecate it, it win probably
be a crisis of disunion | dread it, and will |