Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-08-20

that with this view, convinced Of M exuefii-.
eucy Of the bill, was slsO imprsssesf withthe
necessity. Of its immediate adoption: that Il
was time. not for deliberations bht for sc-
ton and thar wished the bill In Stead Of I'm
gerps through the ,dilatory pi ocsss ~ ordina-
~ legislation. might pass through N the sts-
ges 0fits enactment ina single dsg. With these
views decided majority Of the Senate CON.
CURED. The rule which required that bills
should be read three times on iirke different
days, was suspended; all notion Of post
ponement were discssd died., aud.ttle bill was
passed in the Senate by vote of e to G. .
My allusi0n to the recommendation Of the
executive vpon his responsibility; 3nd to nv
confidence in it, was pdrposely mdte in pen
erai terms but II had reference totSe reasons
which had been assigned to me u,tAAcdtnrnit-
ttsf, by the chairman. deemed 'ictsss Arce,-
sary to specify them. because az bsseohserv-
ed, the opposition to the bin upon its merits
was exceedingly feeble scarcely calling for
an answer.
Ab0nt, two months after the embargo had
been enacted, and while it was bearing with
severe pressure upon the commercial, naviga-
ting and fishing interests Of the north, Bir.
Pickering wrote "A letter to the governor Of
Massachusetts, for communicated 10 the ie-
gslature, denouacing the executive and con-
gress of the United States, for passing the EN-
barge; and calling for the intesPosiiion Of the
commercial states to save the country from
ruin. The governor sent il back TO him, with
| letter of rebuke for expecting him to make
such communication to the legislature. Mr..
Pickering, apprehensive, as he says, That he
should not obtain his object through the gov
ernor, sent copy TO his excellent friend,
George Cabot. tSINcE PRESIDENT OF THE
HARTFORD CONvENTIoN) who after waiting
few days, finding that the original was moi
communicated to the Legislature, sent a copJ
10 The printer.
The governor Of Massachusetts, in bis an
swer to Mr.. Pickering, had stated that my
opinion had been and still was in favor of the
embargo. Dir. Pickering replied, aud 10 terms
supplied by his feelings at the time, charged
Inc with having in the debate on the eimtnfgo,
expressed a sentiment which resolved The
whole business Of legislation into the will Of
the executive. To support the charge, he QUO
ted several words, which he said | had used
in the debate, and which detached from this
Context, and from the explanation | have now
given, oight deserve all the severity Of his
commentary.
In the same letter Mr.. Pickering explicitly
admitted that had never given him the slight
lest cause of offence, and that in five years of
service together rs Senators from the same
state. Though often opposed in opinion. on ma
"n moment any personal difierence between
{" u.s." notice nav this admission me,rly To
mark The period and the manner 10 which tins
mutual respect and forbearance between us
ceased, and to whom il WAS Justly imputablr.
Il On my part II did not cease even then. Ii
was impossible to have framed charge more
destitute of foundation; more easily rcfuied /;
or more open Ia the chastlseneut of severe re-
taliaIion. Yeti took no public notice of il /;
nor shall now so further beyond the simple
declaration that Inerer expressed or JeA he
sentiment imputed to me by Mr.. Pickering,
than To observe, that If had uttered it, and had
been understood in the sense which hs has Civ
en- to my words, it was his duty, and the duty
of every Senator present, WhO so understood
me, not only to have had my words taken
d"wn al tlft time, but instantly to have called
ME TO order for using them. The words as
Dir. Pickering processes TO have understood
them, were undoubtedly in the highest degree
dsordery decisive pro0ftii they were
not generally SO understood is found IN the
circumstance, that no exception Was taken 10
them at the timr. i, is rule Of the Senate
and of all equitable delibrratiye assemblies, thai
exceptionable words shall not only b., taken
down at The time when spoken, but that ne
who speaks them shall Immediately be called
to account for, tn rctract, or To explain them
Had this rule been observed by Mr.. Pickering,
when called upon ~ explain Is hat ueant by
reference to the recommendation of the exc
cuiee, upon his respons biIity, and TO the oh
er reasons, which he might have, and which
had no doubt were satisfactorily should haze
had The opportunity of giving the explanation
herein contained, aud OF showing that my
words imported no sentiment even Of mpt0
per Difference for the opinions or wishes of the
. executive. But il is also a breach oforder, Il
refer by way ofcensufe, at one time, to wOrd-
/ spoken at another; aud rule equally just thai
: no member shall be- called to account ia any
other place, for words spoken in The Senate.
These rules are founded upon principles which
every man of fair and honorable mind feels
himself bound TO observe and they apply with
peculiar force to debate with closed doors,
, which is in its nature secret aud confidential.
The error Of Mr.. Pickering's charge con-
sIsts 10 his connecting my expression OF con
| fidente in the rec oninendati. OF the execu-
tive. which assigned as one my reasons
for agreeing 10 The act, with my argument foI
the necessity Of despatch, which was founded
; in the nature Of the act itself, aud iie porien
toUs crisis Of the times.
!, The reference TO the recommendation q
the executive was made in answer To the Oh
Jection that the documents sent with the mes
sage did not justify the measure recommend
ed 10 it. Knowing that there were other rea
sons, and referring TO them for the jus,ifca
lion OF my own vote, both in committee auc
IN The Senate, In favour OF the bill, nothing
could have been farther from my thoughts, .:
nothing would have been more in conflict with
the whole tenour of my conduct through five
years ut active service rs member Of ihr
De 'ate, than the utterance Of sentiment o
subser'ienc, to the iciu, or even TO the io'she!
|, of the executive.