Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-02-23
SPEECH
SPEECH
OF THE
HON. JOSIAH QUINCY,
Delivered in the II. Of Representatives
January S,
ON THE .NEW ARMY BILL.

January S,
on THE NEW ARMY BILL.
~, CONTINUED.
The men who now, and who for these
twelve years past have, to the mistor'
tune of this country, guided Its councils
and directed its destinies, came INTO pow
er on a tide, which was raised and sup
porte,. by elements, constituted OF brl
'tish preiudices, and British antipathies'
The parties which grew up IN TINS ma
ton, took their origin and torm' at the
time of the adoption Of the treaty. neso-
cia,ed by Mr.. Jay in 1894. The opp'-
sition of that day, Of which the men no"
in power were the leaders, avalled thcm,
selves, very dexterous!y o! the relics OF
Of that hatred towards the British name
which remained after the revolutionary
war. Bv perpetually blowing upon the
embers of the ancient passions, they
excited fame in the nation, and oy
systematically directing it against the
honorable men who at that time con-
Quoted its affairs the strength ana H.
f,uence of those men we're impair
ed. The embHrrassmeEts with FRANCE
which succeeded in 1898 * 1893, were
turned 10 the same account. OhtSrtu-
nateIv, those who then conducted puolc
affairs, attended less to the appearances
Of things, than to their natures; and
considered more what was due to thelr
country, than was prudent in the state o.
the prciudices and jealousies OF the peo'
ole, thus artfu!ly excited against them
They went on in the course they deem
ed risht, regardless Of personal conse-
oucnces, aud blind to the evidences OF
discomfort which surrounded them
The consequences are we'll known. Inc
supreme mower in these United States,
passed into the hands which now pos
ses it in which it has been contlhu-
ed down TO the present time. This trans'
fer of power was effected, undenlaoiy'
principally on the very ground OF these
preiuiices and antipathies, which exist
ed in the nation against Great Britain
and which had been arttully tomented
by the men now in power, and their aa-
herents, and directed against their pre-
decesso,s. These pre- udices and pas
sions constitute the main pillar OF the
power Of these men. In my opinion
they never will permit it TO be wholly Ia,
ken away from them. They never Will,
permit the people of this country to look
at them and their political opponents
free of that iaundice, with which they
have carefully imbuca the vision OF 'helf
own partizans. They never Will consent
to be weighed in a balance OF mere me-
rits, but will always take care to Keep
in reserve some portion OF these brltis"
antipathies, 10 throw as a makc-"elSht
into the opposite scale, whenever they
find their own sinking. To continue,
multiply, strengthen and extend these
props Of their power, has been and st'Il
is, the object OF the daily study, and the
nightly vigils of our American cabinet
For this, the British treaty was permit
ted te expire by its own Limitation not
withstanding the state of things WHICH
the treaty of Amiens had produced In
Europe, was so little like permanent
peace, that the occurrence OF the tact
on which the force of that Limitation de-
pended, might easily have been qnes'
toned, with but little violence 10 the
terms and in perfect conformity with Its
spirit. For this, a renewal OF the treaty
ofl794 was refused by our cabinet, al
though profered by the British govern
ment. For this, the treaty OF 1907, ne
gociated by Messrs. Monroe * Plnkney'
was rejected. For this, in 1911, h'y
thousand dollars were paid out OF the
public treasury to John Henry, tor the
obvious purpose of enabling the Amer,
can cabinet tc calumniatc their polltcal
opponents on this very point of British
influence, upon'the eve of elections, &C
curing in Massachusetts, on the event
of which the perpetua.ion OF their own
power, was materially dependent. Mr..
Speaker, such men as these, never Will
permit state OF things to pass away, So
essential to their influence. Be 1t peace,
or war, arrangement, or hostility, the
association of these British antipath'es,
in the minds Of the mass ofthe commu.
nifty, with the characters OF their poll
teal opponents constitutes the great ma
gazine Of their power. This comPoses
their whele political larder. 1t is, like
Lord Peters brown loaf, their 6ecE
mutton, zeal, venissn, hatridse, flumb-
Pudding and custard."
From the time ofthe expiration ofthe
British treaty of 1894, and the refusal
to renew it, the American cabinet have
been careful to precede negotiation with
some circumstance or other, calculated
to make it fail, or at least, to make
successful result less certain. Thus in