Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-12-09
CONGRESS-.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,

resentatives yesterday; bu! that little
was important and interesting; for so
consider every thing that helps to lead to
Development Of the opinions and feel
iugs of Congress on the subject of South
America. Mr.. Robertson, Of Louisiana,
rose aud proposed resolution to request
the President to communicate to Con-
gress" such information as he might pos
sess and think proper to communicate re-
lative TO the independence and politica!
condition Of the provinces of Spanish
America"
In support of that resolution, Mr.. Ro-
bertson addressed the House in a speech
strongly demonstrative Of the ardor with
which he entered into the interests Of
that gallant and oppressed people who are
now struggling for emancipation from the
letters of Spanish despotism. What he
said at the outset, | SO indistinctly heard,
owing to my distance from him, and the
low tone of voice in which he spoke, that
| could OILY guess at tie general COM
plexion Of il. The scope, however, Of
his speech was this: That his sole object
in offering the resolution was to obtain
for the House information respecting facts
connected with what was going forward
in the Spanish PROVINCES, and their actual
situation, in order that the feelings and
opinions of Congress might be directed
by correct knowledge of facts, and that
their judgments might sanction the senti-
ments which their hearts SO warmly APP
proved The information he wished for,
was possibly in possession Of the ezecu-
tive-for il was well known that respec-
table accredited agents had been sent to
this country by several, if not all Of the
new governments, and it was certain that
they were neither silent nor idle while
they were here. Yet nothing communi
Gated by them had yet TRANSFERRED, either
to the public or TO Congress. lie did not
wish to urge violation of our neutrality,
nor did he propose any particular mode
OF conduct: He desired barely that this
House and The people should be informed
whether the Spanish provinces, or any Of
them, were independent, or we're strug,
Cling for their independence whether
they governed themselves, or bad been
yet entirely reduced to submission. In
the issue OF the contest between the pro-
yinces and their tyrant, the whole world,
he said, was iuterested-all the nations
of Europe felt for them, and how much a
stronger interest must not We have in
their success, who ale their neigabcrs-
who, from similarity of conditions, must
inevitably sympathise with them, and
whose example they are endeayoriug to
initiate.
In reply, Mr.. Forsyth said, that he
was too well acquainted with the state of
the public feeling on this subject to op-
pose the resolution but his experience
had taught him that Of enquiries some
were useless and some dangerous. On
the present occasion he had not the least
objection to all being known that might
safely be known; and he presumed that
the President had already gone that
length in the Information he had given to
Congress. MIR. F. submitted it to the
consideration Of the honorable mover,
whether his resolution was not too CON-
Prehensive, : ID whether il ought not TO
be qualified with an exception of such
information as the President might think
it incompatible with the public interest to
communicate In this way he proposed
that the resolution should be modified,
without which modification he could not
consent to vote for it. Mr.. Robertson a.
greed to this in consequence of which
Mr.. Robertson struck out the words
" think proper TO communicates" distin-
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