Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-01-15

pared state of the United States to enter upon an
other campaign.
These two circumstances, according to Mr..
hhett, warranted the conclusion that the gentleman
| from Massachusetts was opposed to the war
Mr. Adams was permitted 10 reply by The unan-
nous consent Of the House, and for nearly hour.
IT'S reply was mainly reference to historical facts
ana they were listened to with deep interest by the
| House.
Mr.. Adams expressed his sunrise that after the
gentleman from South Carolina had made a false
charge against him, and after he had denied this
charge, That lie should have persevered in making
It until the present hour lie had expected at least
after what had occurred in the House. that the gen.
tlenen would have said no more about it. But the
chlrge made now is precisely as unfounded as the
other and this, like the other, Mr. Adams would
lain hope, was made rather through ignorance than
| from any malignant intention.
h MIR. Adams then stated that he left the country
! three years before the war commenced-that lie
was appointed by Mr. Madison as minister to Rus
STA. the day after the President of the United States
\ took the oath of Office. While in Russia he SUD.
ported to the utmost of his ability the policy of Mr.
Madisons Administration. His position abroad
was Important for the country. England was at
war with france at the same time she was at war
with US, and Russia became the ally of ENGLAND
and 1t was after the war had commenced that Mr..
! Adams was requested TO have an interview with
| Count Romanzoff, which was asked as from the
Emperor Alexander. The Russian Government
stated It's regrets at the collision between US and
England, and the desire of that Government TO re-
Store peace between US, for which purpose the Rus
sian Emperor rendered h S services
| Mr.. Adams, in behalf of our Government, &C.
copied the friendly offer, 50 far to communicate
| 1t to this Government by whom the offer was ac-
cepied and Commissioners were sent out to St Pc.
tersburgh to act for the United States-the Com.
mssoners being Albert Gallatin who was taken
from The Treasury Department. and Mr. James A.
| Bayard, taken from the Senate. Mr.. Adams was
the third Commissioner.
The two arrived at ST. Petersburg where they
learned that England declined the friendly ip,erfer-
ence OF Russia, but that she was willing to open
negotiations at once upon this subject. Our Gov.
eminent accepted this offer, and the three Commis-
sloners already sent out, with two others, common
ced negotiations for peace at Client 1t was here
that MIR. Adams wrote the letter to which the gen.
tleman from 5. c. had referred.
lie had said that lie heard the country was not
| prepared for the campaign, the gentleman had
quoted but that gentleman hal only referred 10 one
my Of has letter, but took quite enough to serve his
purpose. IT, however, he had read more, he would
have found that in that same letter he maintained
that unprepared rs we were, we should come out
OF 1t with glory and honor to the nation.
Now SAID Mr.. Adams, the gentle nan from South
Carolina, instead of recanting the false charges he
made against me the other day, as he was bound to
do as a Christian and a gentleman, revves them
upon such frivolous testimony as that he had quot
ed It. was not the first time that he had been ar
ralgned upon this floor as a cuprt in regard to his
course during the war, and once upon time he re-.
membered to have been arragned by a South Car
ollna gentleman. After a statement of his career
that gentleman came to him and said that he was
wrong
Mr.. Adams gave an interesting account of the
Convention for the treaty of peace at Ghent and
particularly in regard to one of the articles of the
treaty of peace He had labored with all his DOW.
er, as one Of the Commissioners, to obtain a sue
cessful peace and one of the articles of the Con-
vention was that the British Government should
make remuneration to the South.
lie defended this claim during the two years he
was Minister to England, and afterwards, when
Secretary of State, and exerted all his powers to
bring 1t to an amicabe issue, as it was by refer.
ence tor arbitration to the Russian Government,
who decided against England and in our favor.
And yet the gentleman from S. c. not ohly false
" charged him with being opposed to the war, but
opposed to the South also. And all because he had
expressed himself in favor of giving the notice to
Great Britain. This notice he had pronounced a
peace measure. He repeated now that il was a
peace measure, and that there would be no war
! The President and the friends of the Admfnistra
ton would be found backing out before thew wonld
go to war upon this subject.
MIR. Yancey called Mr.. Adams to order, but the
House almost unanimously allowed him to 90 on.
and he further replied TO Mr.. Rhett and remarked
that there was occasion for panic IN conse
quence of any thing he had said. He denied that
he for war; No man could have more real
sing sense Of its horrors than himself but war
would not come. -
In conclusion, Mr.. Adams left the subject by de-
claring that peace would be preserved and the
gentlemen from s. c. by declaring that he ,canted
nothing more 10 do ioih him.
Mr.. Rhett briefly rejoined, declaring that he
meant no injustice to Mr.. Adams that he was war
ranted in the differences which he had made, and
that he wanted as little TO have struggle with the
gentleman from Massachusetts as that gentleman
desired one with him.
Mr.. Holmes said he should seek to pour oil up.
on the troubled waters and put end to this str q
OF intellect, by Introducing Il resolution GRANTING
to the Washington Monument Association any por-
ton Of the public lands in the city not now occu-
1 pied The resolution was reud and passed. at once
\, ;Lhe Speaker announced Reports to be in order
Contested Seals
Mr.. Hamlin, from the Committee on Elections.
made Report, concluding with two resolutions
the one declaring that Mr. Cabell the uinp mem.
Der from Florida was not entitled to his seat, and
the second declaring that Brockenbrough, the claim
ant was. The resolutions were laid upon the IA
! BILE, and counter report was received giving the
right OF the scat TO the sitting member.
The Oregon Question:
| Mr.. Iancey, OF Ala, moved that the House re-
solve itself into Committee of the Whole The
motion prevailed, and the debate was resumed up
on the question Of the Dotice and the whole Ore
gon question was debated upon its merits.
Mr.. Yancey expressed himself in opposition to
war at this time, and therefore in opposition to gv
ing the notice this time, because he rerardod il
as war measure. He advocated the American
claim to the whole territory, and believed that il
was to he secured to us by the delay.
Mr.. Caleb B. Smith, of Ia, made a very able and
eloquent speech against giving the notice at this
time and in favor of committing the power to the
President to give the notice. The responsibility
belonged to him, and he would not take il from him.
The country, however, ought to be defended at
once, and placed in condition to meet any emer.
gency that might happen, but we were now in no
condition for war.
Mr., Smiths speech commanded great attention,
from the fact that he was Western man. and one
! of the Committee on Foreign Relations Il was