The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1813-07-07
CONGRESS.
HOUSE or REPRESEN7ATIY
DEBATE ON MR.. wEBSTER'S RE-
SOLUTIONS, CONTINUED.

ton which the gentleman from South Ca
roiina regarded as so exceptionsble, con-
veying as he supposed an insinuation
against the.president highly disrespectful
ana unwarrantable, was the very part he
most wished to retain. Those words ex-
plunged, the pith; the essence Of the reso-
tuition was extracted and nothing would re-
main to be acted on. 1t would be euuiya-
lent to rejection Of all the resolutions, be-
cause the first resolution was the pivot up
or which the rest turned--take that away
the key stone of the arch was removed
and the whole fabric must necessarily
fall.
Mr. H. said he had not the strength if
he had the inclination, to wade through the
volumes OF documentary evidence which
gentlemen seemed inclined TO drag into
the discussion, to defend their consistency
and Justify the measures preceding and
connected with this war-nor was this the
proper stage of the discussion to go into O
general view Of our foreign relations, and
particularly the negotiation with the French
government. To begin with the late Sc
cretary Smith and dissect all that was writ
ten by that gentleman, then to pass to MIR.
Moproe's correspondence with MIR. Fos-
terj to proceed next to an examination of
all that came from the dukes of Galore
and Bassano, MIR. Russell, MIR. Barlow, MIR.
Pinkney, the marquis of Wellesley, and
lastly, from the youth to whom we're COM
mltt ed our coHcerns as charge DIES affairs
In England, would be to lose ones self in
labyrinth OF diplomacy, from which it
would require the enterprise and wit of
Iheseus, aided by the clue OF an Adriadne,
to be extricated.
MIR. II. could not but express his sur
prize that any opposition should be made,
by the friends OF administration to the re-
solutions under consideration; that it was
indeed to have been expected that an early
opportunity would be sought by the gentle
men themselves, to remove from the pub
lie mind injurious and we'll founded suspi-
clons against the executive, spread every
where and daily acquiring strength-that
1t was to have been expected that such an
opportunity would have been earnestly
sought and eagerly embraced, to vindicate
the honor Of administration, by refutinp-
one OF the most insulting and outrageous
lmputations of falsehood, fraud and impos-
ture, ever submitted to by one indepen-
dent power from another. That il 4uas to
have been expected, the guardians of the
national honor would have displayed quick
and lively sensibility 10 whatever affected
the character of the country, and that their
own share of responsibility, and a iuat
sense of what was due to themselves, would
have suggested to gentlemen on the other
side, the necessity Of some cxculpatory
course, some voluntary proceeding to wipe
away the stain cast upon their characters
by the presumptuous tool of foreign des-
pot. Should the resolutions be rejected,
the public is bound TO believe, the peo-
pie inevitably will believe, either that the
important document which we ask to
have laid before the nation, was suppress
ed for the most corrupt purposes; or, that
rather than risk the displeasure of France,
by exculpating the executive and itself,
this house prefers TO sanction, nay recon-
mend, negative vote, a continued con-
cealment OF evidence, suppression of
declaration exposing the !" courtly in.
sincerity" the duplicity and fasehood of
France.
Mr. Hanson said, that he wished to dis.
miss from the discussion all the rubbish
and trumPery which might be raked toee-
Their In the department OF state, and bYo't
TO bear upon this questionable wished to
discard all extraneous matters with which
1t might be attempted to cucumber the
question, in order TO direct the attention OF
the people from the true subject of enqui-
ry. Let us, said he, simplify the question
and present it in form calculated to meet
the apprehension of every man, not having
an unaccountabIe obliquity of vision, or
tortured by distressing density of intel
Iceland how stands the question ? Sim
ply and plainly thus: shall the chief ma
gistrate of this nation rest under the foul
lmputation of having done a decd at the