The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1813-07-23
CONGRESS-.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

Mr. GRosvENoR rose and spoke substan-
TALLY as follows:
Mr. Speaker-I cannot suffer the ques.
ton to be taken without offering 10 the
house my reasons for supporting the reso-
lusions-in doing this, sir, /, like the hon
gentleman from South Carolina, NAV be-
come Toarni /; yet as can never admit that
such warmth furnishes any liccnce to him
1of personal attack; or improper language,
so shall claim no such licence my self, by
condescendjng to initiate his example. I
nave, Mr.. speaker, advertcd TO the exam
pie OF the hon. gentleman, for the purpose
OF informing him, that boisterous language
on this floor by way of defiance, threat or
intimidation, will no longer have its won,ed
effect
wish that hon. gentleman and every
other gentleman on this floor distinctly to
understand, that their threats have no ter
rors Tor us. They pass by US like the idle
winds which we respect not. Sir, i stand
here the independent representative of
tree peoplc--upon all topics which come
before this house, shall evera speak what
| do think" restrained by nothing but the
rules OF decorum which are here establish
ed, and which it may become every gentle
man TO observe.
L stand upon my own personal right,
which will yield TO no man. / stand up
on the freehold of the constitution, from
which | will not be driven without sirue-
gle.
Sir, have no. doubt that this house has
perfect right to the information demand
ed by the resolutions. How can we speak
or act upon subjects, inseparably connect
ed with our foreign relations, if the execu-
tive, the only organ of communication with
other nations, may be suffered at his sove-
reign will and pleasure. to withhold from us
all bis correspondence BY admitting such
course OF practice, the president has had
the dcstinies OF this nation in his hands
nor is 1t strange that this house, that con-
sress and the nation have been hurried
from one restrictive measure To another,
and finally into an unnecessary ard a wan.
ton war. Sir, ] have not the slightest
doubt that TO this constant habit of execu-
tive secrecy, to the garbIed ectracfs Of let
tiers from and to the French government,
which dciorm our journals and deceive the
public; TO the deep darkness which
shrouds our intercourse with the arch ty-
rant more than to any other cause, may be
imputed all our present dangers and Gala
mites. Let this house, let this country no
longer be forced TO feel its way in thick
darkness when the light and the day are
within its reach.
In England, it is true " his majesty can
do no wrong "--and when his ministry draw
veil over their conduct, they step boldly
forth and demand the confdence of the par
lament and the country, secure in The pro-
lection of the king and the majority. But,
sir, am utterly astonished when I find
gentlemen who buster much about the pu-
rity Of their republicanism, who are i'm an
absolute political fever when the theory or
practice of that corrupt, despotic and
treacherous" nation is even bintelat, should
now wish TO Introduce here a practice pre-
cisely similar. Tie foundation of our
whole system of government is reShonsibih-
ty. The president and most of his depen-
dents are by the constitution obnoxious to
the animadversions of this house. And
every ofiici man in the republic is respon-
sible to the people. Let this responsible
,y never be destroyed or evadcd by suffer-
ing any officer, be he high or be he low, to
draw permanent veil over his official con-
duct-and If he attempts it, let this house,
planting itself upon the constitution, raise
its arm, tear asundcr the pernicious cover
ing and expose the naked truth to the view
of the people. In the pure age of our re-
public such was the theory and the prac-
tice under our constitution.
But it is said thatDo reason is assigned
in the resolutions for the call--no purpose
designated for which the information is re-
CURED.
Sir, 1 bad considered that this objection
was settled forever in the session of 1896.
The president then refused the information