The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-04-13

vide aud prompt Infusion 10 liberal doc
trnes pf public law. II would certainly
put II ont Of our power L. CO PLAIN of All,
policy these States might adopt. hon esel
uulr'cndly toward onr Interests aud hove
yer vicious ~ pfinciple.
Such are the views of the committee
Wit respect To thu -e,eral classes of sub.
cts, wtch will be discussed At this Con-
gress. II is a very ab.inus reflection, thai
our atteudance may bav. powerful sfeel
81 giving a character to The Assembly itself
Onr presence is particularly rque-led by
onc Of the new states, ~ho hase Iainsd III
the initiation, on the ground OF 1.-THE I'M
pOriauce aud rrsprctabdty' which would
thence attach 10 the Congress The COM
mlttre do not reser the posshilIt. thai.
under any circumstances, the Congress
could become an inconFe nent or danger
Uus assembly. But, # II be thought by a
ny one, that evil consequences are likely IN
How from II, the prospect of such conse-
quences would fnroish new reason. Why
We should be represented Al il. Whate-
yer opinions may be held of the rxrrdien
cy "fsucn meeting IN ITSELF It would seem
that there could he but one opinion as To
Wv uNlN VI NlliI dilfHudHft III Tie I Fss
TO correct the prrncious tendency which II
may hr feared Ia have. To neglect tn at
| trnd the Congress, because II ms II con-
hlnalinn of unirleDdly aspect, you'd be 10
neglect the ordinary preparations of de-
fcnce, precisely because there vas danger
Of war. Viewing the Congress al Panama
! IN this unfavorahr hight, ttor which, howe
yer, the committee apprebend there Is no
! rcasOn,) no administration of the Execu-
tive Government wondlstand justified 10
the country, without takigg measures most
promptly {" be informed ri lis proceedings.
! II not invited To send authO ized aud accfe-
dtrd MINI lers, 1t would have been Their
duty To send private political agents.
Tue Committee have felt il their duty
to consider tho question, chiefly on strict
< ounds Of political eKpedrncy, aud in re-
ference To the plnClple of our diploin.tic
Intrrc ursr. Thry h we,rr accord in sen
tlmcnt with the President, that sufficient
Iuducrmrnt to accept the invitation would
have been, "to meet IN The spirit of klnd-
ness and friendship, an overture made IN
" that splut by three SISTER Repubhcs OF
I" this hemlspbcrc.' Ii will mol escape thu
consideration of the lIouse, that the con.
duct OF the United States, towards he new
Republics, has ever been regulated by thu
lnaxims OF a flank aud liberal policy. Had
we acted towards them. even as VIZ ha,e
felt It on duty to act to ard Europe, our
course would have been essentially dlftr-
rnt. Had our feeling towards them brtn
the same as those which our political "a
theirs have lnculcated toward Europe, "
should certainly nave regarded il rather as
an evil than a benefit, that 81 man, new
Republics, OF which the greater part mus
he po"rrtnl States, are Using into exist
encr on the same side Of the water as our
selves. W. are hencetOrward 10 be with
out that which has forllerly been re. "a ded
rs the great buIwark of our natlonl srcn-
rty, our geographical distance rom every
other powerful State But W. have not
hesitated 10 break down this buIwark. W.
have gone to meet aud wrlcome the new
RrpnhIlcs. We have ourselves assisted To-
exchange weak colonial for powerful sovt-
lesu nrlEhbore. A. Tar as il depended on
us, we have Ctnstn 10 place the regions on
our lmmrusp southwestern frontier, be.
oeath the government of vigorous repnbli
can institutions, instead Of having them un-
der the safe aud enrrValing despoilsm of
! Spain. In the Judgment of the Commit
| tee, this has been a sound. a great. an aua-
picious policy. II was not rashly adopted
1t was long deIibrrated, well weighed, aud
| at length received lis sanction IN the unan-
lmous voice of this House, and the aecla.
marions of the People. From this pole,
| il is now too late to recede. We cannot
! now do much to obstrnct the growth the
new States; We can do every thing to con-
clllate and attach them, or to eslrange aud
| disgust them. The first course will pro-
mote the general cause of liberty, will per-
petuate friendly relations between the two
great portions of this continent, 10 the mn-
tual advantage of both and will render us
more apd more independent of Europe
| The latter course will tend TO revive in the
New World. the false aud pcrnicious max
! ms of the Old TO teach neighboring Re
| publics to fix on each other tho fatal name
of natural rnemlesi la create plratlCal and
! border wars to generate systems of ex
! cnsnn; and, tl1ally, to establish, in this
hemisphere. those political principles aud
habits which have caused the downfall of
So many foreign States, made so many o.
theirs stationary and langnishing, s. check
! ed the growth of all. We are now to con-
slider, whether we will take the first step IN
an uufriendy and repuIsive policy, by re-
fusing to accept the courteous invitation OF
three most respectable neighboring Cow
eruments, rendered in 4 manner equally ere.
ditable TO their drcacy, and Hatterlng 10
the U. States. Nothing but a certainty Of
pernicious consequences 10 result from our
Attendance at he Congress, would, in the
opinion of the Committee, he suflicien, to
ia fifty our refusal to accept such an inyi-
tatIUn.
Az our attendance at the Congress in
stead of being prejudicial to the public in
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