Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-28
ALEXANDRIA,:
THUHSDaY, L4.NUaRYs2s 1919.
FROM Our CONSEQUENTLY WASHINGTON

: . "
or three days, respecting the debate on the
Seminole war, and general Jackson's con-
duct 10 Arbuthnot and Ambrister. Almost
every one thinks that it will he soon time
to put an end to it-and though Mr.. Siors
kept attention alive for good while, today
with continuation of the speech began
yesterday, and Mr.. Barbour RECALLED the
house for a considerable time with MS inge-
aious observations, many people, towards
the close of the sitting, expressed their ear
nest wishes that the discussion may not be
carried much farther. They say, andl
sincerely concur with them, that to the
points which have already been urged on
either side, little or nothing can be added;
and that on the whole, the house had better
proceed to something else--or 10 use
gamblers phrase, pu, the box about. If it
were not for the unaIterable confidence |
have in the interchangeable steadiaess of the
sex, should begin to fear that the ladies
themselves will grow tired of it, if the de-
bate shall be continued for many days long
er.
Were the whole Of Mr.. Storrs's speech on
the two days reported well, as it probably
will, and presented to the public in one I'M
interrupted draft, it would be an important
paper In my brief sketches cannot con-
vey an adequate idea Of some Of the promi-
nent points. He insisted, as he had done
on Saturday, that Spain, the parent state,
was the object TO which we should have
had recourse for redress and he quoted the
case of Pierce, who was murdered in our
own waters, and asked the house whether,
upon that occasion, we had flown to arms ?
No, we demanded redress from Great Bri-
tain, as it was our duty to. do--and as we
ought TO have done in the case before the
house. He knew nothing in history, he
said, with which the execution Of Arbuth-
not and Ambrster could be correctly paral-
lelled, but the murder of Palmer, who was
also tried by court martial, and upon char
ges of the same kind. Hllen the armies of
France were devastating Europe, they sci
sed that poor printer at Muhlenburg, and
upon avague charge Of instigating The enc
m,es Of France, aud instructmg his coun-
trymen by his writings, was put to death
transaction which, however abomjnable,
we can never, with any sort of decency,
pretend to censure. This great officer, NJ.
Storrs said, came to us with the imposing
title Of conquerer-but what had he con-
quered? Pa miserable band offugitiyes. If
The blaze of IndIar towns could confer this
title-why he had it-pour out your liba-
tons TO the brim How keenly must it
wound every considerable and proud Ame-
rican, to see the laureis of New-Orleans
withered by the deadly nightshade OF the
other Finally, be considered tie execu-
ton o. those men as violation OF all law,
Justice aud humanity-and he would, for
his own part, say that he washed his hands
of The blood oft.
Mr.. Barber, on the other hand, endea-
vored TO defend the transaction in more
forensic mode of argument, justifying gen.
Jackson by the authorities laid down inlaw
books, and by apt and ingenious quotations
from Vattel AID other eminent writers on
public and national law. Short as the time
allotted to me now is, cannot omit mem
tionins one point, well worthy of conside-
ration, which he put 10 the house. twas,
that if the house of congress should, by its
decision on this question, cast censure upon
the conduct of gen. Jackson, il would ope-,
rate as a perpetual invitation to the savages
to carry on war against US. And be judi
ciously observed, that if the whole merits
of the case, taken altogether, did not a.
mount to a full Justification of gen. Jackson,
it was so very little short of it, that the
house could not be justified in casting the
slightest censure upon han, &c. &c.
Wednesday, January 81.
! The debate continued yesterday to late
hour, without any sensible diminution of
zeal or vigor, Mr. Mercer displayed great
eloquence and ardour in long speech, the
object of which, generally, was the crimi-
nation of the whole OF the proceedings in
Florida, by our armies, and particularly to
call up the feelings anu The justice OF the
house to a proper consideration OF the
wrongs Of the unhappy aborigines Of this
country. He insisted that in our late trans
actions with the Greeks and Seminoles, we