The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-11-25

and Washington approved Of the treat
there was clear aud decided MAJORITY in Ii
house Of representatives hostile 20 il, an
apparently resolved 10 withhold the appropTis
ton necessary 70 carry Il into effect IL W.
/ during this discussion that Mr.. Fisher AmC
i delivered his famous speech--lh heard part
! il il was, indeed, most powerful appeal {
4 the passions. II was said. and perhaps truly
tlthat even Washington himself exeEted b
\ personal influence on tire occasion; an
thereon, for the first time, THAT know Of j
ifhe U. 6 the people were excited TO tnsirug
Etkeir representatives, and claim il as a right
1 Meetings we're extensively held and man,
sorts OF instructions forwarded, that wen
tseemingly in opposition a. to the private
l Opinions Of some Of the nembersas well as Q
a majority of those whom they represented
that opinion aud majority being really oppos
led 10 the treaty. believe that ] speak under
standingIy aad might venture to mentor
particular cases il pleased. Many question
lof various character. bat bearing on the trea
| ~, were decided, and the right Of Che hous,
| to withhold the appropriations IL it pleased
Iuassnaintaiaed by De. Gsifatin, and vel
remember he was severely attacked for hi.
depression, that it was the constitutions
prnripIe Of the house Of representatives, = Il
hold the purse strings" even il the wheel.
OF government should be stopped" though be
was supported in his opinions By the late
president Madison, the present venerable
dacou, and by Mr.. Giles and nearly all the
rest Of the democratic" members or con
rress. The famous, or infamous Co5bea, wh
then or soon after prided himself on being
believed q be in the confidence and pay OF
the British government. caricatured Mr..
Gallatn in a print prehxed to a periodica'
work published BY him, and called the " Pc
Iitical Censor" The friends Of the treatE
lLgined by few who believed it was ezPedi
est 70 carry it into effect, circtinlstanesd a.
gnngs iOers, it having been approved by the
Ipresi5ent, by and with the advice and con
sent of the senate, coordinate br inches Of the
governmental resorted TO several indirect
means to operate on the man question. but
failed until the 5oth April 1896, when the fol-
lowing resolution was decided:
Resolved, aS-the opinion of the committee,
Lof the whole that il is erpedienL to pass the
laws necessary for carrying into effect the
treaty lately negotiated between the United
States and Great Britain"
This was Unexpectedly passed in the AFR
natNe--5I to %. One or two persons who
had originally opposed the appropriations,
were suddenly indiSpOsed and could not at
tend, and several " chopped round" as the
sailors say, suddenly under the cover Of H.
sfructions, protesting obedience 10 the will OF
the people. Every member present from
Maryland, except old General Sprigg, vsted
lin the affirmative, though at least three OF
them we're counted on as being as firmly op-
posed TO the treaty as he was--and there was
leae vacancy, One Of these was rejected by
bis cpnstit0ents AZ the next election. on &C
count Of bis vote; second never regained
the confidence of his party, or again went 10
congress third succeeded in reinStaiing
himself One that was absent, happened to
have the pleasure Of an acquaintance with
some years afterwards-he had been gallant
soldier in the revolution, and was one of the
most amiable Of men; but was not returned
to congress, and to bis dying day, that absence
" hung heavy to his heart" In the hfty-one
yeas there are the names Of many afterwards
distinguished as "federalists," but ia the forty
eight nays, cannot call to mind any one who
did not retain the reputation Of " democrat
among them were Madison, Macon, Giles,
Gallatin, Baldwin, Dearborn, New, Varuum,
Hampton and others, equally well known in
their day, and all who yet survive Of them are
yet called democrats" Notwithstanding
the starting place of parties was at the adop-
ton of 4" Jaws treaty." il was mere difference
Of opinion with Washington on single point,
and question of ezpediency. No regular op-
position was made to the measures Of bis ad-
ministrstion, and the lines of parties were not
fairly drawn until the campaign TOR the next
president VS. opened. II was 20 doubt the
fact, that large majority of the people of the
United States was opposed TO the treaty, and
il was said by persons who were believed "a
know, that Washington himself bad agreed to
receive it with great reluctance, bot, having
adopted his course he was not to be diverted
from it, and he accomplished what BE thought
The good of the country required. But snrely
he was the only MAJ il tie nation who could
have got that treaty through. The love and
reverence Of the people for hirn, induced ma
nv to give up their prsrafs oplninns wholly to
him: proceeding that. in this ease, was not
so important. but which have no desire to
seea recurrence Of II has destroyed the lib
critics Of many nations for few have had a
Washington at their head.
| believe that this is faithful political his
tory of the arrayment of parties in the Unitec
States, under the names by which they were
long after designated. Ii is brief detail
yet 4 may call up some things 70 recollection
and especially impress it on the house OF rep
resentatives, that that body holds the purs,
strngs'-that no provision Of the constitution
will admit Of the drawing Of one dollar freq
the public treasury without their appreciation
There is safety in this consideration; and
as the senate was wisely designed to act a.
check on the haste Of the house, 50 the hoHs,
may serve as check on the power OF the sen
ate, even in the making or treaties.