Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-01-14
CengreG Of the United States.
IN SENATE,
THURSDAY, Dec. 81.
DEBATE
On the subject ofthe Territory Vest efMe
Peraido.
[M. Pobe's Sbesch cencudSd:


There are other at least plausible grounds
upoo which this bin as All original Yropo.
s,iou might be supported entirely indie.
pendent of the cession. Spain is indebted
to us a Large amount for spolia;ions COM
mitted on our commerce and as there ls
no government at present towards which
the ordinary proceeding can be pursued to
obtain payment, could we not on the prln-
pl. of the attachment law, as an act of self
Justice, seize on this territory ia secure sa
tisfaction
AS this measure has been emphaticallv
called an act of robbery and war, it may
OF be amis TO consider the political state
Of the Spanish colonies in relation TO the
Spanish government in the hands OF the
Junta, and the new dynasty about 20 b. es-
tablished by Bonapsr,e. 1t may be said
perhaps that the late alienation Of the Spa
rish crown AID The revolution in Spain
have dissolved the ties which connects tn m
with the mother country. On this point
will not de,ain the Senate. II the French
arms shall be successful in Spain, of which
I believe few entertain much doubt, and
the Junta shall be driven from Old Spain
to any Of the colonies, their po!iiicsl cha
rae,er mnst cease, and they can no longer
claim the exercise Of any Jurisdiction or
sovereignty over the colonies. The colo.
MES are not bound together by. any political
bonds, unconnec'ed with the mother coun
try they are sub ect to the mother coun.
try, but ,he moment she is conquered they
are at liberty to provide for them selves. un-
lrss Indeed the emperor of France or king
Ioseph can claim them. France, in en- Off
cial expose, anG king Joseph, by proclana-
ton, have declared their Willingness that
these colonies should become independent,
provided thew do not connect themselves
with Great Britain. If France therefore
shall, which is probable, conquer the
mother country, We are fully authorised
by her public declaration to the world, to
acquire, with the consent of the inhabitants,
not only West but East Florida, Cuba, or
any other province WHICH we shall deem it
expeaient to connect with the Unted
States. This bill may be justified. indie
pendent Ct title, by the law Of self preser-
walton. Have we any assurance that che
Spanish government will maintain their
neutrality in ,his territory, if we should be
involved in a war with either France or q.
Britain? Can they, or will they prevent the
march Of an enemy's forces through that
territory into the United States: No sir,
we have every reason to expect the con.
trary. Considering how vulnerable we are
from this territory, its present state aud
the aspect Of oar foreign affairs, it appears
to me we are authorised TO take possession
oft as a measure Of national security. 1t may
be objected, that taking the property Of
Others by force tends to relax the morals
of the people, By destroying that criterion
of right and wrong, the observance Of
which is SO necessary to the purity of our
republic; and I am ready TO admit that
We oAght to proceed upoa this principle
Of necessity and expediency with the great
est caution, and never to act upon it but is,
extreme sad rviden, cases. Had we co.
lony on the coast of England or France ST.
nilarly situated, We know they would not
hesitate: Whsn we reflect thar our pro-
perty is seized by almost every nation !;
that the Laws and usages of nations are dis
regarded by nearly all Europe that their
conducr has been lately marked with de.
gree of pesddy and rapaciiy one xampled in
the history of the civilized world that
they have in fact become states OF Earbary:
II appears to nae We cueh, not. as resar DIS
them, to be over nice or squeamish upoa
questions of this sort. Shall We sit here
with our arms folded till the en.my is a,
our gates? If we waste our time in dis.
eusslug ahd refining abstract questions Of
right and wrong, we shall lose our indie
peedence, and we shall deeerve to lose it.
I bad hoped this bill would have passed
without much debate. know the people
are tired Of long SPEECHES ard dscunent..
This oodnsss for lengthy discussion. has
even drawn upon congress the reproachts
Of the iadies-Ehey brgin 20 say--isss salx
-ncsre actioo.