Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-04-01
SPEECH OF Ma. EPPES,
IN the y. S. House of Representa-.
tives, February 9.
ON THE
Bill supplementary to the act con.
corning Commercial Inter-
course, &c.
course, &c.

inc Fenei OF our own CITIZENS, was un-
der discussion, subjects not at all con-
neeted with its merits were brought
into vi-w. A gentleman from New
York [Mr Emmot1 presented to the
House on that occasion his view of
our foreign relations, and exercised
all his ingenuity to shcw, as is but too
often the practice here, that the go
vernment Of the United States is ex-
clusively wrong, and the government
oil Great Britain, exclusively right.
1t seems that In this enlightened age,
new dntics are assigned to Repre-
sentative. Under the pressure of e
very injury which foreign insolence
can infiict; Representative is consi-
dered as discharging his duty, if with
line spun web he can present under
a Suspicious aspect either the motives
or the acts of the Executive branch of
his government. No nation, ancient
or modern, unless in the last stage Of
corruption. can be produced, where,
as In the u. States, periods of ditH Gull
ty have been seized by the Represent
tatives, and the weight of their tale nts
exclusively employed for increasing
the public endorsements. The
speech of the gentleman from New
York, however well he may have CO.
vered It under mildness Of manner &
a hne spun argument, is designed to
convey to the people an idea, that the
Executive has manifested partiality to-
wards France in the late arrangement.
The gentleman tells ", that while the
Minister OF one forgeign nation was
denounced here for an implied insult,
the letter of the Due de Galore to
Mr.. Armstrong is passed over almost
In silence that the Secretary of State
In letter TO General Armstrong, tells
him thar the President thinks i, unne.
cessary to make any remarks on it.
The gentleman ought to have gone fur.
ther & stated the whole fact; that the
letter OF Gen. Armstrong in answer
70 the Due de Galore was approved
by the President: that by the approval,
he adopts as his own, the language and
sentiments of that letter. The Letter
of General Armstrong by the appro-
val of the President has become the
act OF his government. For the sen.
timents contained in that letter the
American government is responsible
and not General Armstrong. The
firm, manly and eloquent reply Of &C.
perai Armstrong to the Due de Ca
dore staods precisely on the same foot
ing as If it had beers originally written
under the. directieps of the govern
ment. General Armstrong did not
wait for INSTRUCTIONS. He repelled, in
q STYLE COMFORTING with the dignity of
his station, the charges of the DUO de
Galore. The President, through the
Secretary of State, approves his letter,
adopts Il as his own, and saws he has
nothing to add. Well, indeed, sir,
might he say SO, because the minister
had already said, in style as pleasing
to his country as to his government, all
that the occasion demanded. But, sir.
the gentleman from ". York cannot a.
gree with his colleague, in consider
ing the President of the United States
correct in issuing bis proclamation.
Why, sir, does the gentleman dfsap-
prove of the Presidents proclamation 3
Because says the gentleman, the letter
OF the Due de Galore of August. was
not a repeal of the Berlin and Milan
DEGREES. 1t is mere promise that
on certain day they shall be with
drawn. When, sir, the President re-
ceived the declaration of Mr.. Erskine.
the British Minister, that on a parti-
cular day the Orders in Council would
b. withdrawn, and issued proclama-
ton founded solely on that declaration.
his conduct was warmly approved by
men ct all parties. The gentleman
from New-York joined in the burst of
applause heaped on that Executive
act. Was the letter of Mr.. Erskine a
repeal ofthe British orders (! Unfor-
tuuately we know practically that il
was not. Was it such repeal as the
gentleman contends ought to have IA.
ken place Of the Berlin and Milan De-
orces, viz. under the sign Manual of
the Emperor! No, sir, it was iust such
a letter as that of the Due de Cadore.
In both cases the word Of the minis.
ter was taken as pledge, and, on ex.
snining the two letters. so far al the