The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-06-23

teo otatcSt as am AFRAID. and Co verify and
IN my conscience believe, there are now gen..
tiemen who have no disposition to express
appreciation (Jecause they feel money Of the
late conduct OF the President of the Unite,
States--these gentlemen then moved to strk
Dat these words-(the words in NaGc in TN.
above resolution)-which passed in the ne +,
gative, yeas 80. nays SO. Mr.. Randolph
here read the names of those who had voted
tor or against. Now. he said, he wa. not al
aid surprized, that the gentleman from Con-
necticut MIR. Dana,) and others who did
not feel that confidence in the late President
therefore voted against expressing it: and
how also, he presumed, the gentleman would
vote, as others would, according to the sen
timent he felt. But, said Mr.. Randolph. sue
who did feel confidence, and had none of tina
pnHctilious repugnance, at.expressing wha:
we felt, and could not see any thing in prin.
cipie against expressing it, (not having y
that time, the benefit of the lights shed on
TINS subject by the venerable and reverend
gentleman from Pennsylvania,) voted in the
negative So much upon the question, whe.
ther there ever existed a case in which this
fiouse undertook to approve the conduct Of
the Executive of the United States in a de-
ilcate and critical juncture, particularly o.
our foreign affairs; the evidence which
nave produced is conclusive and the fac:
IS, that 1t we get rid of this motion after RI.
,precedents which have been cited.--I q,
not say that they are binding do not fee,
them so; II thoughtit wrong, should yot :.
against 1t without reference 10 former pre-
ceoent--but IT we do become all of sudden,
and in this particular point, so very souea.
mlsh-the fact is, that the President of tn.
United States, If endowed with half the ne
netrafion which lpresuIne he does possess.
must take the hint he mist feel that there
exists in this body, q Misrepresentation of hi.
Conduct, although there be no disposition to
express that Misrepresentation. For, sir. we
should not have TO go Far back to serk TO-.
precedent, to- find case where, in point Of
practice, decision is condemned, and in
point OF vote upheld. s
We have gotten all Of sudden, Sir. into
sort e phobia of abstract proposition we
near great deal of passing votes. out of
which nothing is to grow. ] would ask the
worthy gentleman from Pennsylvania
would not put that question to any othermem-
Der, but the worthy gentleman from; Penn.
sylVania, because understand his ground
to be, that there does not exist the right. IL
there exists the power in this House, to en-
ter into series OF propositions which lead
TO no law.-Now, sir. at the last session, when
member gotu and moved that the thanks
OF the House be given to the. Speaker, sor
tne talthfui and able discharge and so forth
OF ms dutIes-that was not intended TO ori
Sinate a bill; nothing was To grow out of it
except a very unpleasant situation to the
fiouse and the gentleman in the chair
Would the gentleman from Pennsylvania
then nave commended, that such motion was
inaariiissioie, and therefore ought TO be indie
hn!teiy postponed? IF am not much mis-
informed, there was a motion indefinitely to
postpone that proposition, which WAS mega
rived. Then it seems, sir, that we have an
unlimited power of coniplimenting ourselves.
tnat we may be guilty of self hattery to any
extent-for what is the Speaker of this house.
In fact, but ourself? He is the creature O:
the House; they make him. When they
compliment the Speaker, they compliment
their own sagacity in selecting person so
competent to the discharge Of his duty. For
what does the Speaker say, when conducted
10 the chair? That he will. discharge thu.
duties Of his office .agreed6iy TO the 7pishe.
81 the House; for which, i presume, he re-
celves the vote of thanks, ..-e.
: Now. IN this case tae President of the U:
States has discharged the duties of his Office.
" not aGrseahly to the wishes of the house,
cerkihiy aSreeabiy to mine; and therefore
would express my approbation-why. that
IL NAV stand on the journals as an expressi-
on OF my opinions; although, let me tell you,
Mr. speaker, that some twenty or thirty
years hence, when the little chickering's Of
this day are past and forgoiten, that vote
will be of value. 1t will tell-it will weigh
nedViiy In the estimate 81 the character OF
the person IN respect to. Wllou, 1t is passed:
for, when we go back to tha Journals. and
look at the administration of Gen Washing
ton twenty years ago, do we think of the lit
tie party disputes of that timer We scarcelv
give ourselves trouble to consider how mea
were moved to their actions tits of conse
quence to posterity too. What will the his
torIan do in relation to the transactions Of
this administration He viii find that the
hrst act was to restore harmony and inter
course between the United States and TO
reign MACON. Is he to be met at the thresh.
hold, is this conduct to be qualified by vot.
upon your journals, from which he will inc
vitality draw this inference-that although
there did not exist disposition openly To
condemn the ministry, there existed ma
jority OF different way of thinking, and
who therefore got rid of this Question as dex
terously as they could No, sir this vote (I
hope shall be pardoned for saving sol diff
fers to its advantage from the vote for retur-
ming thanks to the speaker Of this house at 4
the end OF the last session Of Congress. II y
is a vote out Of which some practical good is to
grow-a vote by which the president of the u.
states is to be strengthened in the conr -
which he is now pursuing, and encouraged &
lnvigorated in persistng in that course here
after. 1t is not mere motion in course, like
a motion Tor a vote OF thanks to the Speaker
OF the House of Representatives, which is az
last considered as a matter of form. and has
ceased to be source of any thing but unplea-
SAINT sensation to the house for believe that
fssf.,. q r. IL