The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1831-03-10

IN otner ages and other times justice vii
be done ss hope to both, when the pas
sions Of the moment shall hsve su6sided
and when We too who may now have oul
prejudices and personal collections shal
be gathered 10 our fathers. Then, per
haps, some mems repHtAtion and fame viii
not depend upon what they might have
said sesinst the purity of JamcS M0nroe'i
chararter, but upon their being born in the
same rsAte, and living in the SHINE age with
him.
But, Mr.. Chairman, there are other OBJ.
jections 10 his claim which Ought to be con.
sidered BY sodne one, before the merits Of
II are examined, 80 well from tssv peenIiar
character, N the quarter from which they
come. ! muet confess ! was surpYised to
hear such objections from such source;
from men who to do them justice. ought
to say, for the last ten or twelve years
bayc watched the Treasury with Argus
eyes, but men from my knowledge ofthem
! did suppose were not willing TO arraign
without good cause, the motives or conduct
OF others. Sir, heard with regret the
gentleman from Ohio, Mr.. Whit,lesy cay,
that because we had received from the citi
zcns Of Albemarle county, Virginia, the
county in which mr. Monroe was born. and
from the citizens ofthe city of New York,
where mr.. Monroe now 10, petitions urging
upon tis the necessity Of considering and
examining his claim, and nothing more that
those citizens were mr.. Monroe's creditors
and were consequently actuated by snis-
ter motives. Sir, this must have been said
without much reflection, il was well e.
nough for the gentleman because he op.
posed this claim in 1926 20 oppose il now,
but he ought nj least, more especially IS
he had no proof Ia the contrary, to have
had charity enough, TO have believed that
the citizens Of Albemarle and of New
York, might have been sctuated by motives
different from those which he has thought
proper TO nscribe to them. He might have
supposed that il was known to them. mr..
Monroe bad ns he thought claim, on hon.
est and legal claim upon the u. States, and
all he wanted was a fair, dispassionate and
legal investigation of'this claim; aud when
he had satisfied himself Of this he might
without any great tax upon his own mind,
supposed that the citizens of Albcmarle
who Know mr. Monroe best, because they
hive known him the longest, and have
bean more closely connected with hihthsn
any other portion of this country, the citi
xen MS Of New York who know what mr..
Mcuroc now is in regard to his pecuniaSy
concerns, from seeing him with them, and
by this are also reminded Of whnt he once
was. might without being h,anfpcsd BY
such motives IA the gcntlcman nas iscrsb
ed to them, have srnt tV us the petitions
which are now on the Gle: ofshs House in
his behalf.
Mr.. Chairman--If,he gentleman from
Ohio 10 warranted in his supposi,ion from
what he wonld call testimony, upon what
ground do we stand who may differ from
that gentleman. on the merits Of this claim
--undcr what imputs,ion does majority
Of both houses lie who in 1926 voted for
what was then allowed mr.. Monroe--the
same insinuations which have been made
against the citizens of A Albepsrle and New
York. and there are the same grounds for
them, can be made against us.
hope, mr.. Chairman, that the gentle.
man from Ohio, from further reflection will
conclude that what he has said was gratui
,ous, uncallcd for, and by evidence before
us, unwarrsn,ed. We are required to
mcet another objection made BY the gen
tlemau from Ohio presented as lrgal one
Rr the Act of 1896 z. .nr. Monroe is TO be
paid the sum of ofmoney byvugr Ktf rrt uted
in full for all his cluims sgsinss the CnRss
States; and because IN the passing Of that
Act, in reference to the phraseology of
which, mr.. Monroe said nothing and could
not say any thing, because he knew moth.
ing, Congress thought proper to use the
language now in use, in reference to oil
our enactments in regard to claims "in full
satisfaction and discharge ofall the claims
Of Jsnes Monroe against the United
States" whether II were 40 or not, ne is
thereby precluded the right TO present tho
claim now before us. Sir, to every bar.
gain, contract or agreement; to every lease,
relinquishment or release, ] have always
been taught to believe there must be at
least two parties--one to give or execute,
and the other TO take or receive, In pur.
suance OF terms previously arranged and
agreed on--when did mr. Monroe, or any
one acting in his behalf. any friend OF his,
say for him, that appropriation for bis ben.
eft the time mentioned, should be a full
and complete liquidation Of his claim 20
no time, never--so far from this being the
cssc, tho gentleman from Virginia, mr..
Mercer, under whose psternal charge the
claim Of mr.. Monroe then was, As Il now is,
declared TO the house, that % far from the
sum then appropriated being in full dis.
charge Of mr. Mcnroe's claim. 80 great, a.
he supposed, would be his dissatisfaction,
that he did not believe he would take whs,
was allowed him: he did take Il, but not st
any time with an acknowIed Cement il was
| in fun satisfaction ofhis claim--sll his acts,
all the acts Of his friends from that time
to this. showed that the amount appropria'
tod was not to his and thsir minds, satis.
faction of his claim. AZ the next session
hiS friends from AlbemsvIs pesi.ioned us
10 his behalf. Tor the bslsaee, and this %.
ti,ion, if not gotten up Of his instance, DO
not believs il wss--it is fair 10 presume ives
not presented sgsinst his wi'l--sir from
that time 10 this, there has been a ptiiion
before Ne in favour Of James Monfoe--does
! lk.s t.,k t.kn 4 veioo,,.s Il "A ant nj x1af lin