Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-09-13


he took this 70 be on where to lean apparently to the side
of humanity is an act Of as great injustice and cruelty to So
ciety as the Legislature can commit
Mr. r. said this was not like question Of redeemng our
countrymen from slavery Barbary Tipo but it was
question whether this Government would lend its countenance
to that class Of men who concerned in the expeditions Of
Miranda and Aaron Burr He, for one, would not consent
to it, and those persons who above the dull pursus OF civil
life had enlisted under these leaders, might ake for him.
however he might feel for their situation men, the lot which
thew themselves had selected He said he considered Thorn
as voluntarily expassd from this country; and among the
articles of commerce and manufacture which might be con-
tempaed encourage by bounty and premiums he confess
ed for one that the importation Of such citizens these was
not an article OF traffic which would with any encourage
msnt from him. E9a te4 t4 4sg
II appears me- sir Continued Mr.. R. that in passing
this resolution shall hold up premium to vice for lhs
proposition Dc agreed to, when new Miranda or BUR-
forward with his project be will tell his consprators
they will have nothing do should the matter turn
out adversely, than put up face and tell Congress that
they were inpoluntaily drawn into tan extraordinary
mode, be sure, Of volunteering. to go against their will
These Involuntary volunteers will DO told that they will have
nothing do but to throw the whole weight Of the blame
the original Of the expedition, and Congress will tax
their fellow creatures who (poor sous had not enlarged and
liberal minds and with the dull pursuits of civil
f for redseming them, clothing them, and bringing them
back again society wish the committee to take the
thing into consideration As and Christians conduct
to be governed by rule representatives Of the peo
pie, other considerations proper There in the pro-
posed interference justice there may be much mercy but
is mercy which carries cruelty, il deliberate the most
perncous Of all possible species of cruelty, along with it,
believe sad hey that there exists proper disposition 10 the
Executive interfere where American citizens wrongfuy
treated abroad. And shall forward and open the
public purse and ourselves the responsibility Of
that which the President refuses d. and thus share
chooses upon consequence Of instead Of letting
it fall simply and individually upon him. in case be chose
to incur No, sir have disposition to pass this
resolution TO take the responsibility upon myself In short,
should have been glad instead Of telling that these
unfortunate and missrabeor who unfortunate
and miserable The truly guilty THAT the members that
committee, or the respectable chairman himself had come
forward and shown the claim Of these petitioners the pecu
liar patronage Of the country So far from any disposition
bring them back would allow drawback bounty the
expectation Of every Of similar principles.
Mr.. RANDOLPH was followed in this debate by
Mr. EMorr, a highly respected Representative from
New York, who, in supporting the resolution, re-
lied mainly upon the allegation that these men
were drawn invohxntarily into the expedition
pressing this point as follows:
Mr.. EMorr Had Mr.. Smith or Gen. Miranda gone to
these and said, We going expedition against
laws Of the country, and if taken you will be punished
under the laws Of country the other" il extremely
improbable that they would have engaged. 1t is not likely
that Miranda Gen. Smith avowed their purposes and told
benz that they were going expedition hostile 10 its
nature and sgains the laws Of the country because object
was revoluonze nation in amty with the United States
impossible that these should have known the
Of tho expedition, when known the Government
here, however public This circumstance to is conclu-
sive chow that these young did not know it. There
might have been persons who did plsass Mr. Ogden
who furnished the ship. Others but is impossible to
men, who soldiers for carrying
the expedition, knew the Of 1t. am convinced
that these persons, all privates or the officers
cuied did know why they did enlist that the corps
for the purposes to which was actually designed
Mr.. BAcos, of Massachusetts, came next in the
debate in an ingenious and able speech to show that
these captured men had been seduced Involuntary
engaged, in the expedition against the Spanish
provinces. The following extract will show the
general tenor of his argument
Mr. BAcos observed that the conclusion which the gentle
from Virginia mr. Randolph) had drawn rested upon
the idea tina, the gully. If they guilty. they
certainly ought the benefit Of the nterpcsion
the Government, of the United States They had no claim
the United States when considered criminals
Who had Voluntarily engaged in this services The report
the committee did state this to be the acknow
ledge sad Mr. that they guilty in respects hav
ing innoeeny ransgrssed the laws. f they guilty
the eye Of justice, contend they ought have relief
The report If the committee that under persuasion
that the facts set forth by the petitioners ue they
induced to submit this resolution The COMMITTEES had
evidence which they deemed competent prove that these
were not guilty In what respect then, they
to be compared to Aaron DUR No man will say that he
did coed his expedition with his eyes OPEN that
he could plead ignorance The fact in relation to these men
appears to be that they nvegled that their offence
involuntary, not respected engaging in what they
thought the service Of the United States but as to going
abroad against their they were forced into the
service Therefore, with great truth it might be said that
they were scourged to the service. II this was the fact
the committee appear have believed ask in what their
differs from that Of men taken capves by the Agerines'
Mr.. MACON, of North Carolina, spoke more than
usually at length (for him) on the subject. The
pith Of his argumen. is contained in the following
extracts:
l. for my part (sad Mr. MAcox,) will give
Of money Of the pockets of those whom represent for
the relief Of those who would enlist with Mianss any
other foreigner Gentlemen may talk about the innocence
Of these men do moi believe that they Innocent