Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-06-15

Omitted States to issue certain proclaim,
ton and recolect that the present procla
nation is relative to proclamation. andl
hinges entirely on it switch proclamation
general Washington was not required to
issue by any law of the land, find thar n
that time the gentleman from Penusyly an,
and another gentleman from Pennsylvania
an ancient colleague Of his, GMl. Smia,
and several other members of the prestr |
Congress were then members of the hou.1
OF representatives. and it appears. on lid
journal that On that very day the commit
Of elections did report that the credentials
Of the gent!s men entitled them to ,heirsea,s
am consequently 20 suppose their presence
except | were to suppose (what / have no
right or disposition to do) thatthe was al
reelection ofduty on their part, and thar The !
were absent from their seats. The yeas
and nays indeed were not taken but or
Friday the 26th, the house resolved IMAM.
mously to address the President Of the q.
States in the words following-I DO NOT
mean to fatigue the house or myself with
reading the whole OF it, but will read ex.
tracts.
The United States having taken no part
in the war which had embraced in Eurone
the powers with whom they haze the most
extensive relations, the maintenance oe
peace was justly to be regarded as one of the
most important duties Of the magistrate
charged with the faithful execution of Re
laws. We accordingly Witnessed with ap
probation md pleasure, the vigilance with
which you have guarded against an inter.
ruption of that blessing, b. s9ur pyociama-
ten, admonishing our citizens OF the con.
sequences OF illicit or hostile acts towards
the beligerent parties and promoting
by'a decAafGsi2g q the existing Legal state If
things, an easier admission Of our right to
the immunities belonging to our stuation.' ~
Now here, SIT, is q vote Of appreciation
proposed on the subject Of proclamation
which the president of the United States
was called upon by no law II the land to is
sue, and on the execution Of which duty in
a manner COMFORTING with their sense of
that duty, depended the appreciation or di:-
appreciation Of this house--and surely, slr,
If it was competent for the house of resen,a-|
tives in the year 1898, to the gentleman
from Pennsylvania, and other gentlemen, !
now members OF this house, to appreciated
the conduct Of president Washington in is
suing that proclamation, which be was nosl|
required to do by any specific statute, IL isl
surely at least as proper now to approve tiseI
conduct of president Madison in case inl
which it was bis special duty to do it
Where there is variance between the twoI
cases, it is in favor of the motion which II
have the honor to submit. But perhaps Il
shall be told by some of those youthful spi-
rits who have lately made their appearance
in this house, that this is precedent taken
from federal times, and therefore ought not l.
to be relied on by good democrats. But
sir, it unfortunately happens for those gen
tlemsn who would thus eeade the force Ct
it, that in the very zenith Of democracy, al
precedent perfectly analogous oreven s.rong-F
er than the one now contended for, was en-
tered upon our journal. At the second
session Of tbs 7lh Congress (the first which
convened after the election OF Mr. J-ffersoaf
to the chief magistracy) the house Of repseI
sentatives were moved to come to the fol- y
lowing resolution, in relation to the obotluc
ton of the navigation Of the river Mlsslsi 4
sppi and of the right Of deposit at New
Orleans by the Spanish governments OF Lo"I
islana.
g Resofved, That this house receive with
great sensibility the information of disPo1
stion in certain officers of the Spanish go1
vern,nent at Newt Orleans, to obstruct thu
navigation of the river Mississippi as SCI
cured to the United States by the soleml
stipulation: 81
"That adhering to that humane and WISE
policy which ought ever to characterize