Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-04-14
Congress OF the v. States
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
MONDAY, MARCH n.
DEBATE

A "'""e "N "PyfOVIfHUOH yof tfe OnLJH ana
one gears salary for a Minister TO DasnOs
4yres
The House being in committee Of the
whole on the bill making appropriations
Tor Tie support OF government for the year
Mr.. CLAY rose, under feelings Of deep
er regret than lie had ever experienced on
any former OCCASION, inspired, principal
ly, by the painful consideration that he
found himself, on tlie propositiou which
he meant tn submit, differing from many
highly esteemed friends, In aud out of
this House, for whose Judgment he en-
tertained the greatest respect. A know
ledge of this circumstance had induced
him to pause, In subject his own convic-
lions TO the severest scrutiny; and io re-
volve the question over and over again
But all his reflections had conducted
HIM to the same clear result: and much
as he valued these friends, great as his
Difference was for their opinions, he
could not hesitate, when reduced to the
distressing alternative of conforming his
Judgment to theirs, or pursuing The deli
berate and maiured dictates of his own
mind. He enjoyed some consolation. for
the wanto their cooperation, from The
persuasion that, If lie erred on this occa-
sion, he erred on the side of Tie liberty
and the happiness of a large portion Of
the human family. Another, and, if pos
sible, indeed a greater source of the re-
grei 10 which he referred, was The utter
incompetency which he unfeignedly felt
TO do any thing like adequate Justice 10
the great cause of American indepen-
dence and freedom, whose interests he
wished 10 promote by his humble exerii-
ons, IN this instance. Exhausted and
worn down as he was by the fatigue,
confinement and incessant application
incident TO the arduous duties of the
honorable station he held, during
four months session, lie should need
all that kind indulgence which had been
SO often extended TO him by The House.
He begged, i'll the first place, TO correct
misconceptions if any existed, in regard
to his opinions. He was averse from war
with Spain, or with any power. He
would give no just caus Of war 10 any
power-not 10 Spain herself. He had
; cen enough Of war, and of lis calamiiies,
" hen even successful. No country upon
earth had more interest than this in cul-
flvating peace, and avoiding war, as long
as II was possible hOnorably to avoid it.
Gaining additional strength every day,
ourDumbers doubling in periods oftwen-
ty tive years, with all income outstripping
all our estimates, and so great as, after a
war in some respects disastrous, to fur
nlsb results which carry establishment, If
not dsmay, into The bosom of states lea
lous OF our rising Importance, we lad ev-
cry motive for The love of prace. He
could not however, approve, in allrespects,
oi the manner IN which our negotiation
with Spain had been conducted. If ever
a favorable time existed for The demand,
on The part of all injured nation, of in
demnlty for past wrongs, from the ag-
gressor, such was the present time
impoverished and exhausted at home, by
the wars which have Iiesolated the PENN
snla, with foreign war, calling for inii-
ultely more resources III men and money,
than she can possibly command, tins is
the suspicious period for insisting upon
jnstlce at her hands, in firm and decid-
ed lone. Time is precisely what Spain
now most W. ants. Yet what were We told
by the President, in his message at the
commencement OF Congress! That Spain
had procrasiinated, and we acquiesced
IN her representation. And the Secretary
OF State, IN "A late communication with
MIR. Onls, after ably vindicating all our
rights, tells the Spanish minister, with a
good deal of sang froid, that we had patti
emily vailed thirteen years for redress
OF our Injuries, and that it required no
great effort to wait longer! He would
have abstaIned from thus exposing our
Intentions. Avoiding the use Of The Ian
guage of menace, he would have requir-
ed, IN temperate and decided terms, in
dennlty Tor all our wrongs for the spo-
iistions upon our commerce; for the in
terruptIon of the right of depot at New
Orleans, guaranteed by treaty; for the
insults repea eddy offered to our flag; for
the Indian hostiIities which she was
bound To prevent; for the belligerent use
made OF her ports and territories by our
enemy, during the late war-And The in
Simultaneous liberation of the free cilizeH
OF The Unlied States, now imprisoned in
her JdiiS. COnicmporaneOus with that
demand, without waiting for her final au-
sWer, and with view To the favorable o.
perdlIon OF her councils, III regard 10 our
own peculiar interest, as well rs in jus
tIce TO the cause itself, I've would recog-
nlze any established government IN Span
ISL Amenca. He would bavc left Spain
TO draw her own differences from these
proceedings, as TO the ultimate step which
Tins country might adopt, If she longer
withheld justice from us. And if She
persevered III her iniqmiiy, after we had
conducted The negotiation in the manner
he had endeavOTed TO describe, he would
then take up and decide the sonmn ques-
ton OF peace or war, with The advantage
of all The light shed upon il by subsequent
events and The probable conduct of Eu.
rope.
Spain had undoubtedly given us album
daHt and just cause of war But, il was
moi every cause Of war that should lead
10 war. War was one Of those dreadful
scourges that so shakes the foundation of