Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-01-19

cusslon ofIopIcs n0tDecessaTly involved IN inc
oues,ios before the House. Mus h had been SAID
respecting the moti,es Of the gentleman from
OHIO, Mr.. Sloane. With them the House had no
concern. They had no right to descant upon
the motives which may ac,uale any .nembei In
the discharge Of his public duties. they are
confined 10 his own brras,, (which no human eve
can penetrate. They are only known TO Inc
Great Searcher Of hearts. Mr.. 5. said he wonie
not have introduced this resolution. de hao
no knowledge rha, such measure had been
contemplated But the resolution Was oetore
them. No gentleman opposed lis passage; oui
the single question was, whether we shall nave
more or less information; part or the whole.
The part opposed TO be striokea out calls TOT
copies, and copies only, of official orders and OIL
fcial correspondent and In the contingency
Of none bring found in The Department, the max,
ed statement Of the fact Of their absence. WIN
he not trust the Secretary to make such states
meni. is il not the insarable practice, nav, IS
il not necessary. when an officer Is called upon
fer records not in his possession, Tor MN 70
return a respectful answer, stating that simple
truth2 The gentleman declares That he wish
es all the facts and all the doc umonts. ! ne re-
solu ion offers 10 him the very objects oil his de-
sire, official copies Of public records. ne sure
ly then will not, upon reflection, insls, on re-
jecting lh,m
Mr.. Randolph said, he would state what he
had TO say as srirflv possible. If he could not
throw any light on the subject, he would not. 10
use word which belonged 10 tn" gentleman
from Maine, obfuscate it. He thought the
House, under all The circumstances, ought not
% act at all on this matter, and why! Because,
disguise il as much rs yos will, or,can, II Il i
mater as settled, or as was SAID IN another de-
Lucrative BODY, on another occasion, as noto>
rious IS the sun at noon day, that the prt sent
state of public feeling at ,hismomsn,, through
out the country-and what are we (sald Mr..
r. y but The artery which shows the condition
and the sanity Of the heart-was such that II
this game wa, once commen' ed,no mater what
may be the motives Of those who commenced
it-lhere will be no end. He was bound not
only by hs rules and orders Of the House, and
tha. sense Of decorum, which here or elsewhere
ough, 10 ha,eiss pro2-r inHuence-but from
The rsidebce before his senses, 10 believe that
the motives Of the gentleman on the other side,
were not those which some seemed inclined TO
impute TO him.
He coBcurred with the gentleman from n.
Carolina,witl whom he had been long acquain,.
ed, and whom he would designate as the Re-
vrrend gentleman from North Carolina. He
applauded him for preaching up the doctrines
Of peace. "Biessrd are the peace makers
But he was 10, for those who preach, d up the
doctrines Of peace TO their cnemies during
time of war He would ask If The House could
not imagine case in which il was not ompe-
tent for any member TO bring forward motion
upon motion, so as TO produce discussion as
TO every par, Of the public conduct of an indivi.
dual We would scarcely do, as some had
done, probe into the recesSrs OF private life;
but NAV we not bring forward motion after m D
ton, and get al all which relates to the public
life Of an individual? He would tell the gen.
,leman from Ohio, not for his information, but
tsaid Mr.. r. for The inf,rm at'on # hose who
sent me here, ha' you may bring forward a
motioa ching diplr mstic Intercourse. Then
comes The pro and the con, and then there is
another blow OUT. Again, you may touch The
expenditure Of public money. His doctrine-
and it was one which hr had always puaued,
and which h. always would pursue, was obsfn
prineipiiS There are occasions ennugh-on
bills, as expericn nee has shown US, for man 10
know how much he Is or is not part'zar. IL
this game is b, gpn.whrre will il end. Except
ing the apr ,priation bills, which he supposed
We should all agree 10 pass, we should do no.
hing more Bot we should set here until the
end nf he Presidential term. Ifit is begun on
one Slu%, II VIII Dc gone On WIN ny tpc Olh'T
As soon as you see your adversary begin to
trump, you will trump too. He thought Hoyr
had taught gentlemen this: The table Of The
House s flood,d. We mus, do, what all are
not at all tunes inciin to do-and what some
are never inclined to do-do rig.;t, fearless Of
const ouences He had promised when he set
out If he could not shed any light on tho subs
ipct, he would not MAKE il more ndistincl. H.
d.; not expect er an,o dare lucem;b but he thought
we might get such information as would only
obscure the Judgment and inf1an,e the minds
eve Of the House. Without therefore wishing
W forest al debate, or to put ii out Of the power
of any gentleman to reply to him, he would
renew the motion to Law the resolution on the
table. Ye' he would promise to withdraw The
motion if any friend requested it, or If any
adversary wished to reply TO him. lie was
disposed to accommodate friend, and he was
still more Inclined to give to an enemy any op-
portunily 10 answer. This was one Of the cas-
IS IN which he considered himself particularly
called on TO extend a courtesy 10 an adversary.
Mr. Weems said he hoped the gentleman
from Virginia would aereabi, 10 his promise,
withdraw his motion He called on him to