The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1810-02-14
MIR. SAMMONS'S SPEECH,
IN THE BoUsE or REPREsEvT.a7TEs
APPROVING THE CONDUCT OF The Exxct-
TIVE IN THE DISMISSAL OF
& FRANCIS JAMES J.dcKSO,E


dence, TO speak hui tae co,:,se th.s. debate
has taken, niakss it my Indispensable duty 10 .
my constituents, to give my opinion. a mem
Der from New-Yoyk, (Nlr. Gardcpior) has
appealed to the picnbers from that Slate IN
particular, how they could reconcile il 10 their
friends, relaGees and neighbours, If they yot-
ed Tor those resolutions now under cs,psidera.
ton, ap1 invited discussion. Ahhough,
hayeShot been in the habit Of speaking In
prSlick, being Called on in this pubicA rnais-
ner, shall proceed to give the reasons On
which my opinion is made up. When tbas
is dene l shall inform my colleague who my
fsends, rc.atfvcs, and ncig gkbossrs were IN ths
re evolutioa.--T This viii not do to crafty the
gentleman from New-York but such of my
constituents as may read his speeches and
other speeches tor three weeks past of two
or three hours at a time, lest they should
think had made up nay opinion on theirs.
No, Mr.. Speaker, not ON their opinion nor
their lengthy speeches, but on something
mure substantial, on the documents of the
correspondence between our government and
Great Britain, communicated to this house
by the President--on this information alone
Judge. The correspondence is plain it
speaks for itself: every citizen can read
and Judge for himself, and will be more like
ly TO form a correct opinion, than from the
most eloquent speeches delivered in this
house. 1t would therefore be superAuous to
make much explanation. Sir, appiobate the
conduct of the President in the dismissal of
1 Mr. Jackson, inasmLch as a most violent and
outrageous insult was offered to the honour
and dignity Of the nation by Mr. Jackson.
What, Sir shall we let the President stand
alone No: he stands as President of the
United States, and In that capacity he is to
perform the Executive duty, agreeable to the
constitution and laws of our government, and
as ssch the nation ought to support him.
hope the time has not arrived when foreign
| Minister with insolence shall charge the Ex.
| ecutivs with falsehood. That was the true
meaning of his language--and when he WIS
requested to desist, he again insisted on il as
| matter Of fact. If the President had re-
| ceived any farther communicatisn he would
forever have lost my confidence, and ! be.
| Iieve that of the nation. l will support the
| Executive in every Just and lawful act to pro-
I tect the constitution, laws, and independence
I Of our Fedstai Republican government, At
! present As representative, and al any time
| as militia man, As have done before, a
| gainst any foreign enemy or--domestick fac
| ton. If we are patriotick Americans, we
had rather part with our lives than our liber-
! ty, which has been acquired by the blood Of
thousands of our fellow citizens in the revo-
| luton.
Our business here, is to look to ourselves
| and our interest; to protecti it, not 10 destroy
1t. We here much talk about the Great Ma
| poleon and the success Of the French. Cur
business with them in reality, extends no far
4 <b.r <hon IN maintain o,,r vafion.l csrh%e N
| gaint their encroschments, and whenever
that subject shall be acted ON, l shall act on
| the same principle as do in relation to Eng
land let US do one thing first, or else fear
we shall do worse than nothing. Is it our
business, or can VIC direct the French in their
relations with other nations The Great
| Napoleon, a. he has often been termed in
T. this House, is In the rover Of the GOD OF
| armies, as an ak OF hammer in the hand Of u
workman. Thus far and no farther shall he
60 Since his numerous armies failed in the
Island of st. Domingo, have thought that
he was not destined for conquest in this quar-
| ter of the world, if such an attempt should
be made We hear much of our weakness,
| and it is insinuated that this country would
become an easy prey to France. If we con-
| slider the distance between the two countries,
we shall be convinced France could not carry
OH war with prospect OF success. But,
say gentlemen, the English navy stands a bar
in the way between us and France. say, if
| we give our national rights and independence
20 this bar, (the English navy,) we have
nothing worth contcnding for. IL VIC con-
| tend for liberty and give it up to England,
France could not take from US what we did
| not possess.
As this resolution is matter Of difference
between this country and England, shall
conine myself more to that subject. We
hearit repeated again and again in debate, the
| great power ofths British navy and much::sald
| of our inability to oppose it. differ in opin-
ion with gentlemen on this point consider
| the British to be in most terrible situarion.
1t has been the opinion of political writer's,