Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-03-10

I
ed, was that the withdrawal Of minister which was
tanamoun, to declaration of war had not been made
positive but only contingent, and had been suspended
contingency not unlikely 10
But he should pass the subject OF war and would
suppose ulat the suspension of diplomatic intercourse
to be followed by commercial nntercoursc the
second OF the alternatives and what would be cha
raeter Of that ofpoicy, Would honorable mem
bcrs adopt this alternative without first rejecting ma
tnrey on the advantages and value of the trade no
s9osistng between The two natons Had they consider
cd ITS amount Our exports to the French domnions
during the last year amounted to l4 900 0O0 in round
numbers, whlle our imports amounted 10 little less than
that sum This was the direct trade that must be sa
crlnceda trade to the value of fourteen millions
and fourteen millions in. But was that all, No Our
total exports exceeded 100 millions and if we should
plunge into war with great maritime power would
not the whole of this vast export trade be put
the utmost hazard' Exposed the absolute certain
y ofgreat losses: No. He wrong. This destruction
would not fall upon it, but why not To the answer to
this question he invoked the special attention of gentle
men from the Northern and Eastern States States which
owned the navigation of this country. He would tell
them why because England and Holland possessed
large commercial marine, and the moment non-inter-
course was declared that instant the transfer would take
place OF our whole export trade from American shipping
To- mat oil those great commercial and maritime States
Yes, our trade would have alternative for escape
and one only, and that the humiliation of all our
navigation He put to gentlemen from the Northern
and Eastern States, to choose between these alter
hauves-no trade or no navigation. One the other
must be the result
Mr. A said he spoke with warmth possibly with vehe-
mence but 1T was because he believed that Of the
greatest interests ofhis country might involved in the
deliberations of this day. His own State indeed was
as little interested in this question as almost any other i'm
the Union, of the trade and population How our
exports went abroad ofcomparativey little moment
TO her Her citizens would probably not have pay
even an Augmented insurance What they had to eX-
port would seek the transport of British bottoms
But IN the event of either alternative of war or nonin
tercourse where should we have to look for that crowd
o hasts winch now were seen bristng into forests in
the ports OF New England and New York? How many
would continue TO have American owners'
Our ships indeed would not rot they would still ira
safety lint
they would bear at their head not the aant sripes
and which had waved victorious in so many con
test, but the emblem of the British Lion This indeed
might be the to which the South would direct
ITS view but how would it affect the North the East,
Mr. did not stand there egslate for the South alone
lie represented New England while he represented
Virginia. and it alike his duty and his honor to pro-
tect the interests and consult the security of his entire
country.
Having stated the alternative presented TO the
country, in all negotiation be discontinued viz the
humiliation of trade or war with our ancient
and earliest ally he proceeded inquire why this state
OF things was TO be encountered? What the consi-
deraton held out to us? For what all these ties of
interest and OF sympathy, which had for many wears
bound the two nations together be at r1piured
and all the blessings of peace and mutual intercourse
put 10 hazards lie almost ashamed the re-
ply to these inquiries 1t for the sake of five mil
lions of dollars due portion of citizens-an old
debt long since considered desperate by its owners and
much ONT transferred years ago from the original claim
ants for two or three sllings the pound insurance
Offices and spectators. Yes, it Tor such debt that
all the high respons blities which he had alluded wore
to be incurred We were invoked TO enter into
contest which would put Government in the attitude
OF sheriff or marshal who backed a writ He insist
cd that, IN this view such execution ought on motion
to be qIaShcd Because France did not refuse pav-
ment OF the debt: she disputed only to its amount
She was ready and willing to pay three millions of the
hve III was, then, Tor this contemplate balance of two
millions of dollars that Congress was invoked to plunge
the country into the of commercial si-
critices Now, Mr. a. would take it upon himself
to assert, if follow that there was not to be
found in all the records of history blocd and smearcd
as those pages with blood, (ndeed they confined
tensive and cuaitc consequences had ever been in
Cured for widely so immeasuraby dispropor-
tonate to the effects which follow it, Should
such result occur should certainly have pccular
ty in the annals of Republic, crafty the oveTbo
ing zeal OF the gentleman from Massachusetts mir
Adams) for blows. But in the annals of romance
the records of such contests those of Sir Lucus
y Trigger, who went to war end misundcrstand-
ing, but to PTerem it, this would have parallel in
The whole compass of civilized life.
And the House invited risk the provocation of
war such as this, comprising he had almost said the
rdlcue OF mock, with the tragic seriousness of real
war; en- chat RGMeP In the Tevcrcd, the sacred of
the NATIONAL HoSoR. Mr. A. would make no profess
SONS OF readiness to sustain the honor of his country any
more than to vindicate his ownhc should leave that TO
be inferred from his actions he chose that the rcad
ness of the country to defend its honor should rest upon
The same ground Let it rest not i'll the zeal with which
twas affirmed, but in the evidence of history: not on
legislative resolves but in deeds He was willing 10 put
that question the evidence afforded by the last war
But II that insufficient evidence he might mount
yet hgherhe might resort to the record of The contest
Tor our lndcpendence-none brighter in the munrious
annals OF the worlds hisloryto the high and isolated
TACT, That those StaCs when in their colonial cond
ton, with all the bonds Of ia and colonial dependence
and attachmcnt,a the ties of consangulnity and
common origin, bound about their arms and what was
more, around their heartscntercd into a war with the
greatest Power in The world that Power their mother
country, for what was then thought by many vision an
abstraction; but with them a question Of honor as
wen az liberty. These were the records TO which we
might point and point securely to vndcate Tie National
Honor from requiring these small and meagrc Resolves
toauihencae It, But there after all question of
National Honor involved in the present far he
meant things had yet gone? Mr. said he perfectly
well knew the floods, the storms the tempest OF denun-
CATION to which lac exposed himself when he asserted
the negative. But lac should not hold bi,nself worthy
part of which lay Courage) did he shrink on that &C
count from the assertion OF Truth lie knew, that in
taxing such ground, and encouraging such hazafd he
should have at least esteemed and hOnorcd coadutor
and Trend, honorcd in the region from whence lie came
esteemed wherever else he was known, Mr. Gilmcr i
mputaon. lie declared his convictions that no question
oil National Honor was thus far involved, threat
ened with being compromised.
Ia what did national honor consist? I'm ntemperate
language la menace No. Bnt he would tell an0rv
gentlemen in what it did consist National honor con.
sisted hfst III doing justice to ALL alike TO the hunblest
ana the weakest as the most powerful and exalted .
secondly, in exacng Justice If it was not true of va
or That the better part Of il discretion il was neither
true OF honor more than yalor in its highest exercise
mat ethcr rejected discretion. Valor did not require
giant struck even uniustly, that you should rush to
De trampcd IN the dust honor that you should dis
card all care Of other aud higher interests when The s,
lfcon of just claim as withheld But in what was
idca, That the national honor was put al hazard i'm
iact founded? How did such thought occur in mere
matter oi account and settlement Of money claims n
was founded m the notion that the French Government