The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-07-17

| llcase. After delivering his sentiments on
the motion which he contemplated to make,
MIR. X concluded by submitting it to the
/ 6ousc.
1t behoves me 20 admit that when pre-
scented my motion " under the compulsion of
the House"--the Speaker did reply "that
1t depended upon my own pleasure 10 with
hold oroffer it - which reply is not stated,
1t seems, III the g fragment" and apears 10
Constitute one of the omissions, my part,
OF which Mr.. Clay complains. Reader!
WAS net unconscious Of the omission at the
time, but 1 had no disposition to inform the
world, that mockery was added to the IN
justice with which had been treated; nor
can comprehend the interest which Mr.
Clay can feel i'll making the fact public.
| mere was 10 compulsion, mark you -
1t derended entirely upon my own plea
sure to offer the motion, or to withhold il" &
take my seat in silence. In like manner,
there was no compulson used upon those un-
happy people Of old. who obstinatclv and
Perverseiy imagined themselves to be eX-
lied from Rome. They were only iltcrdic-
ted the use of.Erc and Of gvctei' so long as
they &honla remain there. No compusion
at all, IN the case 1t depended entirely
upon their own pleasure, whether they
would go or sfay'-and yet these Maynard
| objects of the tender regard o. the majority
Tor their rights, fancied themselves under
compulsion. and vented their party spleen
oy leaving their homes in disgust.
| When the decision was given in favor of
Mr.. Calhoun's appeal Ia the chair, and the
motion was submitted il writing, MIR. RAN
dolPh asked if he was st liberty TO proceed :;
The Speaker decided that he was. Mr.
Randolph did accordingly proceed for about
| d minute, when hc VAS again called to or
DER, and the Speaker, declaring that he had
given hasty opinion, reversed his decision.
From this an appeal was taken b. Mr.. Il.
but Withdrawn out OF respect to his friend
Mr.. Macon-who said, that she had no
doubt the decision Il reduce the motion TO
writing and submit it against which he had
voted) was wrong, bat the house having es-
tablshcd''-Herc Mr Randolph interrupted
him C said that out Of respect to iis friend
he would " ithdraw his appeal. This he
did under q mistaken idea that Mr.. Macon
would support by his vote the subsequent
decision of TIE chair. He regretted very
much the withdrawal of the appeal, when
he afterwards discovered that he had mis-
man was about to have given.
| 1t viii not escape attention. that the facts
stated in the " fragment of Mr.. RS. speech
are few and scarcely accompanied by COM
ment. Let me reCapitulate them
| ]. The call to order by Mr.. Wright !;
Whereupon the Speaker decided that Mr..
H. was at liberty to proceed, and accord
iingly he did proceed, cat least one hour"
/ by Mr.. Clay's own statement.
2. The repetition of the call to order, bv
MIR. Calhoun. when Mr. X. was again sup
ported in his right to the foor. by Dr. BIB
). Mr. Calhoun's second call TO order :;
Whereupon the Speaker reversed his own
and Dr. Bbb's decision
| q. The Speakers declaration that it was
not necessary to take the vote 'fto consider. -
and that Mr.. Il. was at liberty u Continue
his argument and his retraction and re
versal OF that opinion
! Let any man read Mr. Claws letter to the
Editor OF the National InteliigenCsr; and
then pronounce how far these facts are de-
MED or disprcved?
shall not defend the, speech against the
charge OF irelevancy ofthe arguments to the
motion, brought against it by Mr. Clay. 1t
shall defend itself Neither shall I stoop to
repcl the insinuation conveyed in the fol
lowing passage of the letter" even after
| it 1.-THE motionl was reduced &c writing, il
was believed not to be the one originally
contemplated by the mover" Such insinua
tons it is III the power of any man, to make.
A witty writcf-one Of the most shrewd OBJ
servers upon human lite aud character has
said, that a certain class of politicians
should speak imPcrSonally, to avoid COM
prominent" Thus, one of this race ought
never to say" IL hear, or / am told, so and
so ~ because the question immediately &C
ours, avho told you l.? And he may be called
upon for his authority--But put it imper-
sOnalIy, IL is said, il is reported, il TO 6efieU-
| ed, and he is quite safe from any such disa-
grecable consequences.
/ The manner in which Mr.. Clay speaks
OF my being acquainted with the projected
measure, inasmuch as 1 am member of
the committee of Foreign Relations, is cal =
| culated to make an impression upon per-
sons unacquainted with the state Of affairs
at Washington. Most certainly " on the
S0th OF May IL was not expected by me
at least, or any body else with whom [ con-
Ncrssd, that any such measure as " dscla-
ration OF war" would emanate from that
committee" On the contrary, "n was eX-
! pected" that confidential message would
! be received from the President, recon-
manding the measure, and the CHIEF Of nv
Information was derived, at second hand
from Mr.. Clay himself, who, in one OF his
| morning rides to Geo. Town day or two
before, communicated the intelligence 20 one
Of my colleagues, from whom l received it .
/ The authority was good--the thing hap.
pened accordingly. The Presidents mes
| sage was referred to the committee of Fo-
reign Relationship them, to a sub commit
tee of three (of whom l was not onc) and all
tho agency which had in the transaction
| (cven subsequently to the 1st of June) was
to help to make up quorum, whilst the