The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-03-20
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
+ Monday, March 9.
Y DEBATE
On the Documents communicated by Mr..
HENR RI Conciudcd.

t--t u u u N Il
On the Dor i,nisnks communicated By Mr..
HEyNRY-( conctuded.) 81
: Mr.. RANDOLPH said that although he
was of opinion that the suggestion of the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr Wright
was entitled to greater weight than was al
lowed to it by the gentleman from Georgia.
yet he would submit to the consideration of
thc gentleman from Maryland and of the
House, whether. in n government like ours,
documents of the nature of those read this
morning publicly, audibly and articulateiy
read, in the presence of several note takers,
to say nothing of the notes taken by gentle
men themselves; whether it was possible,
even il desirable, that the contents of these
papers could be kept from the public eye
Was it not better that an authorised & cor
rect transcript of them under the sanction
of the House should be sent to press, than
that they should be mutilated, and presen-
ted to the public with no more similitude to
the original than the reports, which passed
60 the great mass Of the nation, Of the acts
and proceedings of this Houses Ours is
government of the people, and ought to have
no secrets. 1t is a government, which from
the very nature of its origin, cannot hse that
dispatch and promptitude of action, to the
success of which secrecy is SO very valuable
and favorable. On the whole, then, altho'
he conceivedthe suggestions of the gentle
man from Maryland entitled to the highest
respect, because he thought they did honor
at once to his heart and understanding, yet
perhapsyit would be as well to send these
papers to press although he believed that
she opinion of a discreet and select COM
mittee of the House on the subject would
not render the decision less mature Or less
safe.
But there was another aspect in which
these papers were to be viewed. 1t they
were worthy of being communicated to the
House by the Executive, under the discharge
of solemn constitutional obligation, they
are or ought to be worthy of being acted up
on by u.s. Although the author Of this in
formation had been, and perhaps justly,
branded, by gentlemen of all descriptions OF
party, with the epithets of traitor and spy
and although the evidence of person stan
ding in his peculiar situation ought to be re-
seived with many grains, he might say even
pounds, OF allowance, it did not therefore
follow that a committee would not have il
IN their power to extort from him, directly
or indirectly, Information which might be
valuable to the community. 1T he could not
give it himself, he might either Intentionally
or Internationally lead committee OF this
House to sources whence it might be procur-
ed. AS member of the Committee off. r..
anxiety to take his share of this barthen-
some and in some respects inyidious duty ;;
yet, asa reference to that committee had
been mentioned, he certainly should rot
shrii,A from the, discharge Of that Peion of
DUTY devolving on him, in case the House
should give thar direction to the papers.
In some respects the character, lie would
not say of a portion, but Of the whole pation
was implicated III this stsair. The inforna
sion was either OF srcl character as ought
never to have ben submitted to the House
such as vas unworthy of notice; such as it
wouia>b be compromtment Of the NATIONAL
Character to sanction ;sor:else it was Of cha
racter which, demanded hat they should sift
it, bolt it to the bran that they should call
the individual before them, if lie was to be
found within our jurisdiction that he should
be called upon to say to whom, in what
manner, and in what character he had de-
velopcd his views. When he said this, he
aid not give any pledge that upon his Glen
fy's) testimony, he (Mr. r. would condemn
men Of high minds and fair fame. You
yourself, MIR. Speaker, arc too much (said
Mr. R.) in the practice of sitting evidence
not To know that we may reason from things
false to things true; that the falsehoed Of
witness is not unfrequently an unerring clue
10 truth If, sir, he should have il in his
power to bring into question the character
If any individual in this country, it Will be
competent to the party Thus implicated, Ell
ther by fnir presumption Or direct testimony,
70 rebui any such implication or presump~
,ion or testimony still deeper viii so very
far to uphold and tx these mpu;atioBs.---
You, sir, are too well read m the history Of
the, country from which we spring, not TO be
conYcrsant in all the plots, from the PoPish
treasoDs in the reign Of james the First,
down 10 those ofth Rye-house and from
Whence perhaps to the plot Of Col. Despard
This witness, to be sure, stands before us in
most questimablep Of view. He evi-
de1tly undertook service in its nature not
sy any means egyiable, not generally estce-
med most honorable, with a view to reward.
he points out specifically the nature Of the
reward he expected. 1t was in the power
OF government at once the most corrupt
and most wealthy perhaps in uic world, by
not very unreasonable douceur for the ser
vices Peifnracl forever 70 have stopped
she lurking 81 tits political CeJ5cfus. That
saycTnmcht must have Buch underratcd.
Is sershes. Bolts ,h,s alp Was il Dot