Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-12-03

al tho events alluded 10, but To cover
them sill deeper, ard bury all u't'u,
knowledge under mass OF p'oi'xity an"
detail, lIs saould ieel it ais duty, on
some future OCCASION, to make motiFh
To the house, rcls,ivc to the SUBJECT 81
the repart - and 10 enable him 10 DO thls
and In give the house possession OF the
whole subject, he trusted The report win
all the documents. which the csmir tee
had recommended 20 ,. printed i, should
be Published.
Mr.. Gro.venor withdrew his oppose
ton to the printing ofihesc papers.
Mr.. Johnson said, tue house would
70 m It's Judgment OF the manner III
which the commi,tcc had discharged
| their duty, from the documents collect
| cd BY j, and preseu,ed 10 the hon.e' and
from ,he xiu;cmcn,s OF fact and The con-
! illusions which they had drawn there
! from. The conmittse had deemed II
their duty, and that dn,y they perform
! ed withnu, favor or affection, to speak
| lreel, epon all Subjects s:.sing rom thc
TRANSACTION, tho devclopemens oil which
r al been cem,ri,tci 10 thetn, except on
the, .aIiiau question oi military conduct
! They had collected all he facts that bad
| GENE to- their knowledge In reiauen I"
the military movements ana had 'ht I
proper TO leave, fer the decision OF thosr
I equally qualified w'h taem'ei'e> t"
| Judge, wtat better might have been
/ doe II the committee had erred III a.
~ of their opinions, those opinions ~erc
.ubi.ct 10 II, will OF the hnu>s. In "a
is,ion 10 the metc military q.ssiinH,
whenever the proper efpor'rpuy pre-
..n,ed itself, 6e wes not cIsposed u
.i,hhold either censa,e 81 praise when
j, should appear 10 him so be due lie
would venture 10 say. whatever C'her-
cnre of op,hioa might arise on t:ose
pain.s on which tie committee rad moi
expressed sD opinion ON those on when
!, had expressed an opininn. its views
would receive the sanction, not only OF
he house, but OF the whale world. In
relation 10 him.ea, Mr. J. said, he c!;im
cd no ether merit than having toi'ed
] 9Th the rest oi'the committee in max
ing Up an opinion on the subject, sc.
I MIR. Webster said, he hoped he WIS
no, understood 70 ssc, thai tie ecniie.nan
from Krrruckr,the Chairman OF ihs cou-
mittec, hid no, exercised great diligence
IN drawing up the report. What he cb-
jec:ed to MSS, the principle adapted by
The committee, in .ubisi,,ing 10 this
hou.o the result of i,eir enquiries. with
out any orin;nn rron the causes nj ohr
la,e .i:sgraccs. The horse. in appoint
inc the commi,tee, exercised q part a
its general poasr ct enquiry, and d rb'-
less Tor the purpose f 'ssrniae ~he-
hethrr any officer, anena5le n It's p'w.
ers, had bee, grii.y Of mal-canduct, in
relation to the IS ~ IN, civ. Surely
IL was the intention ef he house TAD, tic
commi,,ee Should repnrt, npon ,iew
of all the f-c,s, wheihtr the means had
been provided SO necessary Tor defence;
| uheitcr these cans hid bcen used ahh
ordinary discretion. ard bravery, or "he
Their in tee conduct nf tue n'cn whom
the people have constituted the gnar-
dams %, the puzzle honor, diSgcsce had
! beqn Inflicted rp-n the nation more deep.
pcrmanei,: and fatal, than the VIEW ruins
al tie capiral.-This. Mr.. SpsakcJ, |
had suppos ~S''he er.nd object ~hich
| III house had IN view whent. commit
tee vas constituted. But, Sir, upon
,h,s gre, poin, the report is silent
| MANY facts are no doubt reported, but
spread Us they are. end entirely uncun-
! ncctod, il vii. re certainly difficult for
the members Of this house, and quite
+, i'm nossihls for the ntassGf the people
NJ no look to US rs the guardians oil their
| honor and the avengers ct tneIr disgrace
| to form any Garrett opinions, or come g
aav { conclusion. Ia this respect thr
repor, is wrong in principle, ard viii
prove utterly iliusorY. would notap
pcar from the report what opinion the
commit,ce ente tanned Of the conduct Of
those exalted agents, who were concern
cd in the important transactions which
Pended in the ruin Of the capitol, in tie
contamination Of our disgrace. 1t will
appear by the report, that the enemy,
two months, or neosiyso, after the 60
vcrnmen, bsd fully convinced them
selves Of his iatention to invade This dis
,rict.lasded Fifty miles OF, marched with.
oat hindrsnce t. Blsdensburg, there dis.
persed the forcs which had been pre-
pared to resio him, without bringing
more than twelve hundred Of his men
into battle, and then proceeded to the
city and DESTROYED the public buildings
Pat it would not, he thought, appear |
from the report whether oil this had
happened necessarily, and as matter o.
course, or whether it was owing to grea'
f.ul, or great negligence in those who's
.h.,u IL max To hare nresenipd liz -