The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-07-28

1ast OF q partiZan speech signify To The hap
Piness OF the people Zoo much speech
IS rs pernic'ous as too little. If the circle
OF felicity in the bosom of the community
is not circumscribed, where is the evils
But, then, this pamphlet tells US, that
" On the momentous Question OF war with
G. Britain the right of public debate, in the
face OF the world, and especially oftheir con
siitueuts, has been denied to the Iepresen-
tatives." Here it is Admitted that the
right Of debate was not precludcd, bu, tina.
only, it was not permitted e. in The face OF
The svorid and especially OF their eonstitu-
ents." And because they could not talk in
the face Of The 7vortd, the federal gentle
men would not talk at all. Now, when &c
consider that ali congressional arguments, to
be efectiVe, must operate to the conviction
of the representative body alone, it would
seem that debate with closed doors would
be the most desirable of all things for a good
logician because, in that case, he would
have members by themselves. and might
instii into them tie persuasive deductions
Of his reasoning. Ii, therefore, the federal
gentlemen did not like this closed door OPP
portunity of debate, it shews that their OBJ
jcct WAS not to convince the Understandings
OF the representatives of the people, and
thereby prevent the war, but that their de-
sire was TO influence the passions Oft the pco-
to debate when the doors were shut; but
the federalists themselves " declined dis
cuSsfon." This admission is fatal to their
argument.
Atpage 4, of this federal address, will be
found the following confession: "The intei-
ton TO wage war ahd invade Canada, had
been long since ohenty avowed. The object
of hostile menace had been oSseufatiousiy
announced" The reaaeris desired to mark
this passage, and to impress it en- his mind
that the federalists acknowledge the deter
mination to go to war had been, for a long
time, announced oheniy avowed by the
majority. Indeed, every body must remem-
Der the fact; for the avowal was treated
with much ridicule by the opposition both
Ia and out OF Congress. Well, then the
resolution to so to war with Great Britain
was avowed; the federaIists admit that il
had been, long before the secret ha,r offhe
session, avowed 0heniy and 0Stehtcfioxslv j.:
yet what did these same federalists 60 when
that avowal was made? The doors were o.
pen then; they might have spoken in the
face of the world and of their constituents
at that time. Did they do sos No, They
were dumb.
1t was their marked policy to be silent.
The truth OF this is notorious. At WASH
inSton, when the doors Of Congress, gyere
open, when the question of war was fully
announced, when the Committee of FOREIGN
Relations made their report in part, when
every measure proposed on the side of the
majority inc Oitabiy led to war, what was
the conduct of these federal addressers then
Why-let them blush if they can.-they
were carricaturing a legislator that stood up
for the country they were giving countc-
nance to two or three caricaturists at
Washington, who were employed to depict
MIR. Porter on the back of a terrapin -
L ms was the occupation of honorable mel,
when the doors OF Congress acre open-yes
s3en, In the tace of the world, in the face
OF their constituents, and when the subject
OF war was stated" as for debute" The
republicans inUited discussion they spoke
on the topic: and spoke so much, without
being answered by the opposition, that a
republican member, q think it was Mr..
lroup OF Georgla,) threatened to call the
EteOtoH: question on his own political
friends, it they did not decline further
speaking, seeing that the federal represen
tatNes had decided not to speak at ALL
nus, the federal gentlemen not only" de-
clined discussions" when the doors were
shut but they " declined discussion when
tile doors were open.
When the question of war came u1-uot
tor diScuSSfon--these very same men. who
had svaUed the right of debate at the pro.
per Pcrlod OF the SeSSlon---thcse very same
men, who, Tor at least six months, had had
TAR opportunity to speak 10 the subject.
complained ottyranny, because, when the
moment to act had arrived, that moment
to which the majority had uniformly poin.
tea from the commencement of the session
the opposition were not allowed to waste in
ldie debate the precious time of Congress
and array, by infiammatory harangues. i
party on u doors, against The constituted
authorities
Ana what greater occasion was there for
discussions at last than at first None
ihe addressers Cat page y confess that :"
80 one TeaSonfor GOdT gva8 ii1timatcd, 6ut
6"ch as zvas u a nature finbHc ard nocorf-
Gus Ii all the reasons for war were no.
torlous before the doors of Congress were
shut, and the federal members refused to
discuss the question then, with what face
can they cogure up necessity for subse-
queht debate, and cry out danger to free.
dom from temporary secret session -
why, II they would not speak when the
SUBJECT was open for discussion, did they
think 1t tyfanncal to close the doors upon
them when the question was proposed for
decision
Yet, in fact. there wa. no infrinoemrr.
OF the right OF debate. The Pamphlet does
not say there was. 1t comedies that the
federal gentlemen NIGH have spoken ON the
subject OF war both in open and secret seq
sion But they would speak on neither oc-
caslon. They complain then, of their own
negligence. If men Will not speak when
doors are open, and will not sneak ,vbcn