Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-03-28

they nat only refused to ASSERT their m
dependence, but indignantly rejected IT
Could such conduct as this, Mr.. Lowndes
asked, be considered as a valid claim to
independence
In another point Of view MIR. Lowndes
maintained the proposition before the
house to be exceptionable. lie depre-
Gated expressing options in one branch
uf our government to influence ah'ther
branch. 1t impaired the confidence ="
foreign nations in our government oy
| holding out 20 them the idea that me
branches Of which il was composed were
| divided against each othe~, and against
the executive; while, according to the
! constitution, tie executive was the OBJ
iect to which foreign governments were
"a look for intercourse. This would be,
to certain extent the effect Of passing
this pi ooosition, which, while it would
therefore be So far hurtiul, could tpos,
sibly produce any benefit whatsoever to
S,anish America. If the house wished
to express an opinion at all upon the oc.
casion, the only proper mode d doing 1t
was By an express resolution Assured
ly an pprorriatIon bill ~as MT an act IN
which to incorporate ID; for the principle
had long been'es,abishcd that no ques-
ton OF a doubtful nature, and still less a
vague opinion, ought not to be adellt cd
| into bill o. this nature.
Mr.. Lowndes admitted that we had
right TO recognize government which
had declared itself independent, and even
10 90 TO war about it; but lie did not
thiul { at We were bound in duty, as had
bsen SAID. to do either twas not eve
! nv right that ought to be exercised BY
No; reco IN ling the new government We
could not be said 10 do H. ,tlce; nor
| could it he said that we were bound by
anv positive claim or duty to recognize
them. In case Of the conquest Of coun-
try tue conqaerors had not, by the law OF
nations. claim on other nations to he
recognized as possessoIs OF the 'afd -
When the French took Genoa or hdno-
yer, neither they nor any others ever
| dreamt Of us being the duty OF the Other
| sovereign powers Of Europe u recognize
them.
Mr Lown1es owned tat he dld be
lieve the recognition OF those pc pies IN
dependence would net cause a deel IRA
ZION of war b. Span. That was point,
however. on which they could not b. Ger
tain. |, ought - be enough, however, TO
know that il was doubtful, 10 prevent u;
|! nm doing an useless act. In ike man
=, h. did not believe that the bae re
cosnition would luci;e EHg and to declare
wa, assins, US but he thought that a
ar with Spain might produce a war
with England, aud on this PoiIt ne dI,a-
greed with tas spraker-Ensland would
not with rarqsiiity see Cuba aad Porto
! Rico IN ouc pOsse5.l'n. As TO any pol't-
c.! advantage from It lie Vas bot san
guine; Tor he could see no reason Tor
| thinking that the South Americans viii
b. easily separated from England-facts
indeed spoke against that h"p', fer at
Venezuela thu government lad already
made DETERMINATIONS in favor Of English
vessels.
NJ. Robertson spoke in favor Of the
amendment.
Gen. Samuel Sui h SAID he had 10 no.
ton OF becoming the adviser OF tie execu-
! tive authority /: his du'y then Was a, a
preventative, aud hat only would he
OF ought he to do. Commissioners had
! been sent 20 La Plata aud Chill that
showed that the president meant TO &C.
efFtctuaIIy when they returned, AID the
house in common dece' cy was burnd 10
wait Tor tina, eyent-Sacu,d tie hs1se,
then, he asked, act preeipitately on their
own vague misiuforGa'ion and net paa.e
till they had circamst4ntial intelligence
| TO guide them He stated facts to snow
! thai the establishment, Of south American
INDEPENDENCE w0aId materially lnjIre