Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-01-04
C ON G R E SIS.
HOUSE, OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Tuesday, december 10.
DEBATE

'as x DEBATE ~
ON THE Joint RESOLUTION y,
approving the ,con1h,et of the ExHItiVe
irelaiion to the refusal to 'recsioe any
jsahsr communication from Francis ss.
Telson. o.
i. coNTIkUEo.l &ast S.
III committee of,shs whole Mr.. BAssEr
: IN thu chair- v% -
ar. 1ohnssa's speech conchldsa.]
: ] do not think, like some members, that
this IS rational challenge, defiance of
war "a provoea.ion to hostility. No, sir, it
is sntetsn declaration that this nation has
& been abused and insulted; and that we will
maintain the honor and the rights of the
people, although it should cast a shade Of
disgrace over the fameof a foreign minis.
t,r. The dismissal OF Jackson is the exercise
VI a sovereign RICH. recognised by the laws
ofnations--and Great Britain has no cause
ofcomplaint on that account. And should
it be made pretext for aggression, I pro-
claim it here, proclaim it to the people
whom / represent and to the American
people, that approve and applaud the con-
duct of the president in his dismissal of Mr..
Jackson the British minister, that in SO do
ing, he has maintained the honor, yindicat-
ed the rights, and spurned the insults offer
I'd to an independent and patriotic people.
He acted with decision not with rashuess--
with alust resentment, not with PASSION
We may continue to pursue wavering
CO &c until our liberties are destroyed by
liayit;ng foreign aggression, our forhearance
has already drawn down upon US the con-
tempt Of other powers, and to this policy
we q ay attributes many of the wrongs we
have suffered. You are treated with con-
tumely on the ocean, your cuizen are i'm
pressed and held in perpetual bondage
,Yeur commerce is destroyed, your flag was
torn down and scattered to the winds of
heaven in foreign ports, on the fourth of u-
ly, the day fyour independence--and now
at our own door, at the seat of the federal
government, foreign minister looks your
president in the face, and charges him with
falsehood, and we are told to submit to it. i
am DESTROYS to see this nation grow nothing
can stop its growth. But when hear mem
bsrs talk about the growth of this nation,
and declare that we cannot or ought not to
j resent the ten thousand wrongsAye have suf.
fsrcd, II has often reminded me Of swine
confined In a pen--giye it corn enough to
eat, and the animal viii grow fat, although
you kick and cuff it tor, your amusement.
ltis vulgar comparison, but suitable TO
: such arguments, Let us reeollect, that, like
,he.aninai we may grow in fairness; but that
!atness may soon be the spoil of others by
slaughter. ~. ...~.
: I was surprised to hear the gentleman
from Rhode Island Mr.. Potter make war
speech against France and Great Britain. IF
tha: gentleman is sincere, will he vote for
strshs measures of retaliation against both :
II so, Twill join him. He speaks Of those
wrongs as having been sommi,ted continu-
ally for sfteen years. Did hevo,e or would
he have voted for. letters Of Marque and
Reprisal by sea and land against both ma.
sions last winter If so, We should have
voted together. But this i'll COMFORTS with
declarations of men in high Office at that
time, that we had no cause Of war with Eng.
land, ard that we should unfurl the repub-
lieah bsnners against France. IF we can.
not contend with other nations upon the
ocean, lstus be independent upon our own
soil for our tenpsrising policy has already
given pcpulatityfo the British ministry, and
Il wiilyensure 10 assert that no war that
possibly could sat this time be waged
-ssainst 80 would be more calamitous than
she pfssstire WI have felt for several years
E..,sss 4he fsssx,.f s>y<.-a .e IS EsirNhAs MI