Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-05-19
Mr.. RANDoLpH'S sPEECH--coNTINUED

r.. RANDOLPHS SPEECH--CON
Tam sorry, sir, to worry the patience of the
house-but / understood the gentleman who
usually sits on my right to make some allusion
to the declarations made by me during our
secret session-certainly to none which
rnadewhen the doors were open. How the pro-
ceedings of this house In secret sesslonbeGane
public ii is not forme to say. lean only de-
clare that I was in no wise privy to the act; &
I believe those gentlemen who will take the
trouble TO read the debate, and see the mlser'
able figure which the few remarks made cut
there, would have absolved me from having
any hand in making these proceedings pubic.
As far as they have gone to the public, / have
felt myself individually injured and aggrleyed;
but | have no hesitation IN repeating, when
the doors are open, the observation to which
presume the gentleman from South Carolina
referred / shall not stop to enquire how tar
such an all0sion was in order. did say, when
the doors were closed, and from the source OF
nv information have no more doubt OF the
fact than have that Mr.. Barlow has gone our
rnir;ster to France--for did not see him gr,
and it may be a false report-that had the
hest reasons to believe that, from his first
conline TO this country, the French minister
had pressed the American government to cut
of all supplies to the Spanish peninsula ana
that our government had resisted that pres
sure. Why, sir, is there any man VINO knows
any thing of the designs or policy OIL tue
French Emperor, that thinks ne is so httie
sensible of his own interest as not to nave oe-
sired 1t? Can it be believed that Monsr. Ser
rurier was sent here without powers and with
out instructions to press our government 10
put an end to trade between us and the opa-
nish and Portuguese Is the French Cabinet
SO little enlightened as not to endeavor TO at
tain that object so desirable to France, when
that endeayor could cost them nothing! What
) did Say Iuar rrIeS0s sss'.'r -
made, and believe the precise expression was
hitherto eluded," or parted, by an argu-
nsent that might satisfy even Frenchman ).
that if the Emperor wished not to excite the
universal execration Of the people against
France, he must not touch our trade to SPAN
and Portugal; that the people OF this country
would send their vessels wheresoeyer they
could get market. stated these facts,and
Istated them on my own responsibility The
gentleman from South Carolina has different
approximations. presume the gentleman has
had an opportunity of Investigating the subject
and ascertaining whether such propoSitlon
was ever made The gentleman bows assent.
Without trenching on his privileges would
be glad to know whether the gentleman qua
lilies that denial by the term Official {! be-
cause. sir, know rather too much OF dlpio-
macy to believe that there is black and white
for ii, that there is any correspondence on JfLc
on the subject do not believe 1t but
have no more doubt of the fact than should
have if YOU (Mr. Speaker) or the gentleman
from South Carolina himself were to tell me
he had received it from the President or from
Cabinet Minister. Lean have no more and
ifthe information of the gentleman iron. South
Carolina came from the same source as that
8 which / possess, all have to say IS, that one
story has been told to the gentleman from ,
Carolina and a different story to myself. But
/ presume that that cannot have been the
fact. AS the old people say, u stands 10 rea-
son that such proposition should have been
made by Mr.. Serrurier. 1t was too desirable
an object to be overlooked. Why hot ask !!
He could but meet with refusal, and then he
wonld be as we'll off as before. Why not as
4 well press our government on that point as to
mil an end TO the trade of St. Domingo! We
know that our government was SO pressed and
acceded to the requisition. / was one who
mined In so doing, not becauae France wished
Il. but because thought all the slave holding
states were deeply interested in cutting oHall
sort of communication with that devoted ISL
and. 1t was upon that ground and no other
that voted for that law.
with respect to submission, know of no
.,,sc;es of submission to the pretensions of
az heli;qerents more complete than the En-
haroo Il is direct and unequivocal submis-
~ the interests and wishes of France
n ms III trade between us and Spain, and Por-
sa@s shonld be at an end. It's direct and
uaequiyocal submission 70 Inc oro eat ~ ~
Council, because they tell US we snail not 50
- France, and we will therefore so no wnefe.
" \ 49, from an enemy not