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COLUMBIAN

AND

Balance,

REPOSITORY.

Political.

FOR THE BALANCE.

46 HAIL SACRED POLITY, BY FREEDOM REAR'D !

66 HAIL SACRED FREEDOM, WHEN BY LAW RESTRAIN'D!"

BEATTIE.

HUDSON, (NEW-YORK) TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1803.

ON THE IMPOLICY OF A SPEEDY ADMISSION OF ALIENS TO A PARTICIPATION OF THE RIGHTS OF SUFFRAGE.

OUR

No. III.

UR cameleon politicians, thoroughly skillful in the art of veering and Shifting their opinions and fhaping their courfes, as party occafions demand, have diftinguished themfelves during feveral of the last years by the warmth and copious effufions of their zeal in behalf of foreign emigrants. No means have they neglect. ed, no arts have they left untried, to allure the affections of thofe frangers toward them felves, and excite their refentment and inflame their animofity against the federalifts. The late federal adminiftration was loaded with reproaches for its alledged hoftility to aliens. The law that made a fourteen years' refidence in the country a prerequifite to an admiffion to the rights of fuffrage, as well as the alienlaw, has been denounced and execrated by the democratic party, as a fyftem of oppreffion and tyranny in the mean time, the fraternal embrace has been conftantly tendered even to the vileft outcafts from Europe; and many a heart that, in other refpects, is as cold as the rocks of Spitzbergen, has been feemingly melting with compaffion for this portion of " oppref oppref fed humanity."-Let us trace back thefe fox-like meanders.-Let us compare thele interested party politics with the fage unbialfed opinions of former years.

It is well known that the federal conftitution met with a ftrong oppofition from many of the leading characters in this ftate; and that its final adoption in the ftate convention was obtained, with much difficulty, after feveral fevere ftruggles; but it is not perhaps fo generally known, that the anti-federal party, as it was then called, objected to the federal conftitution by reason that it did not contain an effec tual fecurity against the introduction of foreigners to an agency in our national councils. This, however, is a recorded. fact.

The flate convention that difcuffed and finally adopted the federal constitution, July 26, 1782, offered thirty two articles of amendment; and exprefsly" enjoined it upon their reprefentatives in the Congrefs, to exert all their influence and ufe all reasonable means to obtain a ratification to the faid amendments to the conftitution." The 5th article of those amendments was in the following words :"That no perfons, except natural born citizens, or fuch as were citizens on or before the fourth day of July, 1776, or fuch as held commiffions under the United States during the war, and have, at any time, fince the 4th of July, 1776, become citizens of one or other of the United States, and who fhall be freeholders, fhall be eligible to the places of prefident, vice-president, or members of either house of Congress of the United States."-In a circular letter from the faid convention to the Governors of the feveral states in the union, figned, "George Clinton, prefi. dent," are thefe expreffions; "Our a mendments will manifeft that none of them originated in local views, as they are

fuch, as, if acceded to, muft equally atfect every flate in the union."

From thefe documents it appears that it has been the opinion of the democratic republicans in this ftate, that the liberties of the nation would be greatly endangered from the emigration of foreigners to this country; and that, to leffen this danger, it was neceffary to exclude them forever, by an exprefs claufe in the conftitution, from eligibility to the places of prefident, vice-prefident, or members of either house of the Congress of the United States. This opinion, they declared, did not originate in local views, but was fuch as muft equally affect every flate in the union."

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We afcend from this high authority to an authority which fome may deem paramount to the conflitution itself. Mr. Jefferson in the Notes on Virginia, pub. lifhed 1801, fpeaking of the population of this country, fays; "Here I will beg leave to propofe a doubt. The prefent defire of America, is to produce rapid population, by as great importations of for.

eigners as poffible. in good policy?"

But is this founded

"Are there no inconveniences to be thrown into the fcale, againft the advantage expected from a multiplication of numbers, by the importation of foreigners? It is for the happinefs of thofe united in fociety, to harmonize as much as poffible, in matters which hey must of neceffity tranfact together. Civil government being the fole object of forming focieties, its adminiflra.ion must be conducted by common confent. Every fpecies of government has its fpec:fic principles: Ours, perhaps are more peculiar than thofe of any other in the u

niverfe. It is a compofition of the freeft principles of the English Conftitution, with others, derived from natural right and reafon. To thefe, nothing can be more oppofed than the maxims of abfolute monarchies. Yet from fuch we are to expect the greatest number of emigrants. They will bring with them the principles of the governments they leave, imbibed in their early youth; or if able to throw them off, it will be in exchange for an unbounded licentioufnefs, paffing, as is ufual, from one extreme to another. It would be a miracle were they to Rop precifely at the point of temperate liberty. Their principles with their language, they will tranfmit to their children. In proportion to their numbers, they will hare with us in the legislation. They will infufe into it their Ipirit, warp and bias its direction, and render it a heterogeneous, incoherent, diftracted mafs. I may appeal to experience, during the prefent conteft, for a verification of thefe conjectures but if they be not certain in event, are they not poffible, are they not probable? Is it not fater to wait with patience for the attainment of any degree of population defired or expected? May not our government be more homogeneous, more peaceable, more durable? Suppofe 20 millions of republican Americans, thrown all of a fudden into France, what would be the condition of that kingdom? If it would be more turbulent, lefs happy, lefs ftrong, we may believe that the addition of half a million of foreigners, to our prefent numbers, would produce a fimilar effe&t here."

Such were the fober thoughts, the avowed fentiments of our leading democrats, at a time when they were in a manner frec from the bias of party views and objects;

at a time too when the liberties of this country were ten-fold less endangered from the influence of aliens, than at prefent.

ONE OF THE PEOPLE.

IMPORTANT,

ON the fecond day of this month, [Feb.] Mr. Grilwold moved in the Houfe of Reprefentatives of the U. States a refolution to inftru&t the committee of Ways and Means to inquire into the transactions of the commiffioners of the Sinking Fund, for the year 1802.

The debate on this interefting fubje&t will be given hereafter at length. In the mean time it may be proper to flate, that in explaining the objects to which the inquiry was to be directed, Mr. Grifwold stated, that the commiffioners had received, under the act for the redemption of the public debt

in the year 1802, the fum of 7,300,000 dolls. to be appled in that year, to the difcharge of intereft and principal of the public debt and that they had applied oniy dolls. 6,530,007 84 to that object, leaving an unexpended balance in their own. hands of dollars 769.992 16.

That the commiffioners in making up their accounts, had charged dolls. 4,065,738 47 for intereft on the public debt, whereas it had been flated in the Trea!ury account that the intereft amounted only to dolls. 3.947,190 75 and of course there must be an error in one or the other of these accounts.

Balance Closet.

LIBERTY OF THE PRESS.

No. V.

WE are induced to notice a communication which

has recently appeared in the Richmond (Vir.) Examiner, merely to shew to what paltry shifts the servile editors of democratic newspapers are driver, to prop up and support the cause of their masters -a wretched, a detestable cause, which, like a house built in the sand, is tumbling into ruins. Let every man, into whose hands this paper may fall, divest himself of party prejudice, and answer candidly whether a cause that requires such arguments to

is not both wretched and detestable.

Speaking of the late prosecutions against the junior editor of this paper, the Examiner says,

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"These were profecutions under the au thority of that ftate not under the au"thority of the United States; conducted on the principles of the Common Law; not on the principles of any act of our "Congrefs. Now there is no principle of the Common Law more clearly fixed

That during the year 1802 the commiffioners had received the fum of 10,298,290 support it, as are contained in the following extract, dollars 88 cents, of the public money to be applied to the debt, but by their own report they had rendered no certain account of the application of more than 7,817.607 dollars 84 cents, leaving a ballance of 2,480,683 dollars 4 cents unaccounted for in any other form than by an eflimate of remittances for Holland, which had been purchafed in the year 1802, and which the commiffioners eftimated at 2,365,842 dollars 80 cents, which remittances Mr. G. fuppofed ought not to have been reported on eftimate, as the commiflioners knew the amount, but that admitting this eftimate to he correct, there flill remained a balance of dollars 114,839 44 for which, no account had been rendered.

That the account of the public debt of the last year did not, in feveral particulars agree, either with themfelves, or with the accounts of the prefent year-that in the accounts tranfmitted to the house during the last feffion, it was in one account stated that the intereft upon the Dutch debt a mounted to dolls. 476,931 and in another account that it amounted only to dolls. 458.00--that in the account of the fecretary at the last feflion the inftallment upon the Dutch debt for the year 1802 was flated to be Guilders 3.550,000; and in the account af the Commillioners the fame inftallment was flated to be only guilders 3.360.000.

That this bufinefs had been conducted exclufively by the secretary of the treafury, who was accountable for the fairness of the tranfaction, and the correctness of the accounts, and though he did not know, that there had been any abfolute mifapplication of the public money, yet he did not know that an individual, who was entrusted with the management of more than ten millions of dollars might, by contract with his confidential friends, and in many other ways, avail himself of the ufe of a large proportion of this enormous fum, without expofing himfelf greatly to detection.

[Gaz. United States.]

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or more extenfively known, than that on "a profecution for a libel the truth of the libel can. t be given in evidence; and "the reafon affigned by the books is, that "the libeller, if he knew his charges to "be true, ought, inftead of libelling, to

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profecute the offender. This, if his "purpofes were upright, he would invariably do. It his patriotic fpirit be fired by a public wrong, by a breach of pub. "lic law, let him compel the offender to

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expiate his crime under the fcourge of "the public law If the Prefident of the "United States has violated his oath of office, his oath to defend and obferve the conftitution and laws of the United "States he is liable to impeachment; and "it was Mr. Crolwell's bufinefs as a pa

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triot, and a man, to adopt that mode of "proceeding. If the Prefident of the United States, aided Mr. Callender in "the propagation of libels, he is fubject to a civil action at the fuit of the party. aggrieved, and to a ftate profecution, on "the principles of the Common Law, for) "the violated dignity and peace of the

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flate; and on this branch of the subject, "it was Mr. Crofwell's bufinefs to have "wielded the authority of the flate, and "not the pen of a libeller. But whatever be the reafon of the Common Law in "this cafe, or however found or weak "that reafon, the principle itfelf is as

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clearly fixed as judicial precedent can "make any principle, that on an indiment for a libel, the truth of the libel cannot "be given in evidence. The flates Attorney, therefore, in the cafe of Crof well, was not only juftifiable in refufing

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"permiffion to the defendant to give the "truth of the libel in evidence, but he "would have been guilty of a breach of

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his official oath, if he had given that "permiffion to violate the known princi"ple of the law which he was endeavoring " to enforce."

We confess that some of the above sentiments are more entitled to ridicule than any thing else; bu since the writer of them seems to have been seri ous, we shall treat them with all convenient gravity It is needless to contend that it is not a well-known principle of the common law, that the truth of a libel cannot be given in evidence. It is the knowledge of this principle, that induces us to believe that the common law construction of libels, is incompatible with the principles of pure republicanism. It is this very circumssance that convinces us, that our Attorney-General, and his supporters, are not republicans, nor friends of the real liberty of the press.But let us examine the Examiner's new democratic doctrine. We call it new and democratic; because we have never heard of it before, and none but a democrat would advance it now.

If the president of the United States breaks his cath and violates the constitution, says this sagacious Examiner, he must not be libelled-that is, the truth must not be told of him; but he must be impeached! He must not be arraigned at the bar of public opmion-but he must be compelled to “ expiate his crime under the scourge of the public law." And by whom? Why, truly, by a village printer-2 private citizen-who is about as able to check the fu

of a whirlwind, as he is to impeach the president, or "weild the authority of the state." But a short -time since, the democratic party entertained high notions of the bar of public opinion, and of the voice of the people. When the federalists were in power, our consistent democrats could not brook the =least restraint upon the press. Nothing short of its unlimited freedom would satisfy them. The Sedition Law, which permitted them to publish the truth, excited all their ire. And if the common law had been put in force against them, we know not bat open rebellion would have been the consequence. Then, forsooth, the democratic printers must have the liberty of publishing what they pleased concern ing the government that the "sovereign people" might be informed of the wickedness of their ru lers, and be enabled to write on their ballots, "turn them out." The national executive and legislature, were accused, again and again, of violating the constitution. The federal officers were charged with plundering the public treasure, and with then com mitting the horrid crime of Arson, to prevent an exposure of their iniquity. And yet, no "patriotic" democratic printer then thought of impeaching the president, or weilding the authority of the state-which (according to the Examiner) they would invariably have done, "if their purposes were upright."-But now Mr. Jefferson, "the man of the people," is president. The case is totally alter ed. If be should violate the constitution, or commit the worst of crimes, no printer mast be permitted to announce the fact to the world. There must be no remedy but impeachment-and this impeachment must be commenced by some obscure individu

al, in a remote corner of the union.Oh, what consistency! What reason! What profound wisdom!

If we considered ourselves under any particular obligations to the Attorney-General, we should vol. unteer a defence against the illiberal attack on his reputation as a lawyer, and his integrity as a

man,

which the Examiner has inadvertent ly made in the closing sentence of the paragraph above quoted. He says that the AttorneyGeneral "would have been guilty of a breach of his official oath," if he had permitted Croswell "to give the truth of the libel in evidence." Now it is well known, and the democrats here have made great boasts of it, that the Attorney-General did give such permission in one of the suits. In the other, it is true, he refused. Therefore, if there was a wrong and a right way of conducting the business, he is justly entitled to the full credit of pursuing both.But, since we owe the Attorney-General no favor, we leave him and the Examiner to settle their own affairs in their own way."

The Mobocracy of the State of Rhode Island. A sensible writer in the United States Chronicle, Providence, after mentioning the political, as well as other, advantages arising from the free schools in Massachusetts, proceeds to speak of his own state as follows::

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But how different is the fituation of Rhode-Ifland, where, as yet free fchools "are not generally establifhed. Here the "bufinefs of education is left to chance. "Thofe children alone are inftructed, whole parents are bleffed with affluence "and riches. A great part of the middling and all the poorer claffes of people, which form, by far, the majority, "live and die almost as ignorant and illit erate as the Hottentots of Africa. This "is too true to be paffed over in filence. "Though it is far from my wishes to dif "clole to the world, the faults and defects "of others; yet the careleflness and inat"tention of the inhabitants in general, on "the prefent fubject, require me to in"troduce a fact, which my feelings would "have otherwife gladly led me to fupprefs.

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About two months ago, I was an eye-witnefs to a painful fcene, in which "two men were called upon to write "their names and to read an important

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paper; but both replied, without the "leaft fhame and confufion, that they "could only make their marks, and that they never read a fyllable in their lives. One of thefe men poffeffes a large real eflate, and is defirous of being confid"ered as a fuitable candidate for public office. The other is equally wealthy, more ambitious, and has a large family "of children, which he is fuffering to "approach the meridian of life in the fame cloudy atmosphere of ignorance and ftupidity, in which his own talents are impenetrably obícured."

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This fully accords with other accounts of the state of Rhode Island; in which the intelligent and virtuous citizens have been frequently borne down by the most gnorant and profligate ;-led on by crafty demagogues, who to exalt themselves, flattered their vanity. Hence the legislative and judicial acts of Rhode Island have often been such as the best men in that state beheld with shame and confusion. And this will soon be the wretched condition of the states in the union generally, unless free schools should be multiplied and planted over the whole country, and all proper means vigorously used to increase the stock of knowledge and virtue in the great body of the people.

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This circumstance of the vast increase of Mr. Thomas's list of subscribers the year past is the more remarkable, as the Aegis, which is among the first democratic papers in this country, was established in his neighbourhood, about a year and a half ago, under the auspices, it is said, of Mr. Lincoln the Attorney-General of the United States.

Mr. Thomas's father, whose typographical ingenuity and enterprize in business have been exceeded by none in this country, has been called the A. merican Baskerville. He was familiarly associated with Dr. Franklin, and published an energetic whig paper during the American Revolution. Some months ago, as has been before published, he was removed from the office of Post-Master, by Mr. Granger, who was in leading-strings, or perhaps playing with his rattle while the former was boldly vindicating the liberties of his country.

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Agricultural.

[A Pittsburg paper gives the following directions for raising bailey, a very useful kind of grain, which might be cultivated with great profit in this part of the country.]

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To

O infure a plentiful crop of spring barley, the ground fhould be ploughed deep early in October, fo as to expofe the greateft poffible furface to the meliorating influence of the winter frofts, fnows, and rains: thus one ploughing at this time is worth two at any other feafon. The feed fhould be procured of the very beft, and in quantity from two to three bufhels per acre, obferving that the poorer the foil, the great quantity of feed will be required. When you have prepared your land for fowing (which will rarely

wooden roller, drawn by one horse, which
will caufe the grain to plant and tiller:
as your crop progreffes, weed it two or
three times by hand.-If thefe directions
are carefully followed, you may count on
having one third or one half more pro-
duce than is generally obtained in the com-
mon way where they are wholly omitted.
Joined to this, if a dry season enfues, your
crop never fails, and your fpring will be
found better than your fall barley."

Monitorial Department.

To aid the cause of virtue and religion.

----

AN EXTRACT

From the proclamation of his Excellency
Gov. STRONG for a day of public fast.
ing and prayer, throughout the fate of
Muffachusetts.

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B

Y the advice and confent of the Council, I appoint Thursday, the be well effected under two or three plough-feventh day of April next, to be obferved ings) and that you find it fufficiently fine, fleep all your feed for twenty-four hours in pure clean water, at two runnings; the fir water to remain on for twelve hours, then to be run off, and the fecond to be put on, to the depth of fix inches over the furface of the grain; in both wettings, during the fleeping, you must frequently fir it in the tub or veffel, fo as to cause all the feed weeds, oats and fmall corn that are in it to arife to the furface, all which will float and fhould be carefully fkimmed off-After your feed has thus fleeped twenty-four hours, run off the fteeping water, and to let it drain twenty-four hours; against that period fift fome dry wood afhes fine, and mix them with your feed in the proportion of one to four; by this means it will foon become dry and fit to fow, which fhould be at least by the middle of April, unlefs the feverity of the teafon might at that time prevent it. Early lown barley is uniformly found to produce the beft grain and largest crops. Your feed, treated in this way, and fown, will appear on the fifth day above ground, and on the tenth fhould be rolled with a

*"The roller may be made of the round part of any tree fawed across, to the length of fix feet. The diameter at each end of the piece fo cut, may be from fourteen to eighteen inches, with iron gudgeons placed at the center of each end, then an oblong wooden frame refled on them, fufficiently raifed to take a pair of jhafts for one horfe, and to be placed on the center of the frame."

as a Day of Fafting and Prayer, through the Commonweath and requeft the Minifters and People, of the different religious denominations, to affemble in their refpeftive places of worship on that daythat we may offer unto GOD the penitent plications for the bleflings, that are necefconfeflions of our fins, and devout fupfary for us; and befeech Him, that through the merits of the Redeemer, we may obtain His forgivenefs and be enabled to render ourfelves well pleafing in His fight, by prefenting him the fervice of pure and humble hearts. That He would profper the United States, and preferve and itrengthen their Union-That thefe who are in authority in the National and State governments, may rule with juftice and impartiality, and make the laws the ftandard of their actions-That the People, by a careful attention to their relative duties, may render to every man, in every ftation and character, the efleem and refpect which he juftly claims-That every denomina tion of Chriftians may prove the fincerity of their faith, by fuch a temper and conduct as the religion they profefs was intended to inculcate and produce-And that we may all regard each other's circumftances with benevolence and compaffion; and be divine clemency, to exercife mutual charinduced, from a fenfe of our need of the ity and forbearance."

APHORISM.-Bid farewell to all grandeur if envy ftr within thee.-Lavater.

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Columbian Eloquence,

[From the Gazette of the United States.]

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.

Tuesday, Feb. 15.

Upon reading the minutes of the preceding day, the following entry was found to have been made by the fecretary:

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Mr. Rofs flated in his place, that he

had several refolutions to fubmit to the confideration of the fenate, on the infraction of the treaty by the government of

Spain, in withholding the right from the citizens of the United States, to depofit their produce in the Spanish territories; upon which, while he was proceeding in fome introductory observations,

On motion made and feconded, the thut. 'galleries were cleared, and the doors were

The above entry on the minutes, Mr. Clinton of New-York moved to flrike out, and the motion was carried.

After fome of the ordinary legislative bufinefs of the fenate had been difpatched, Mr. Nicholas moved that the galleries be cleared, and the doors of the fenate were opened and the fenate adjourned. clofed till two o'clock. They were then

A great number of the ladies and gentlemen had attended in expectation of hearing the debate refpecting the Mifliflippi,

continued.

Wednesday, Feb. 16.

After the reading of two or three bills, on which there was no debate, Mr. Breckenridge moved to have the galleries clearaccordingly. ed, and the doors clofed, which was done

At one o'clock the doors of the Senate were opened, and in a few minutes afterwards

Mr. Rofs rofe and faid, that two days ago he had the honor of flating fome of his opinions to the Senate refpecting the alarming condition of our affairs upon the Miliflippi: that in a very interefting part of his enquiry he had been called to order: that the Vice-Prefident had exprefsly determined him to have been in order, and alfo declared that there was no confidential information before the Senate relating to the late aggreffions upon our rights in the Mifliffippi: yet, notwithflanding this declaration of the Vice-Prefident, as explicit as it was corre&t, Mr. R. faid, the doors were actually clofed, and all further public difcuffion at that time prohibited. Yef terday the doors were again clofed. He faid that it would be well recollected, that when this extraordinary measure was re

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indignation ? Go then, take the guardianfhip of your rights upon yourfelves, truft it no longer to thofe who have fo grofsly abufed the power they have had over itreinftate yourselves in the poffeffion of that which has been wrefled from you and withheld by faithlefs men who confefs themselves no longer the owners of the country over which they are exercifing thefe acts of injuftice and outrage. Ne.

forted to, he had given notice that he would not proceed further in the difcuffion, while the doors were fhut, and that he would refume it whenever they fhould be opened. From that time to the prefent he had remained filent, but now, when a majority of the Senate had refolved that this difcuf fion fhould be public, he would proceed to finish the remarks he had intended to make, and then offer his refolution. He could not, however, avoid expreffing his ac-gociation may, perhaps, be wife, but this is knowledgment to the majority of that bo- the effectual meafure to fupport it; when dy, who had decided that this debate fhould it is feen that you have determined to fupbe public, for, although fome gentlemen port your juft demands with force-that might be defirous to flifle, and fmother in you have already taken into your hands an fecrecy, an enquiry like the prefent, he ample fecurity for future good behavior, firmly believed that there would always be your ambaflador will be refpected and atfirmnefs and independence enough in that tended to. But what weight will his rehoule to meet in public the inveftigation monftrances have in any country of Europe, of every fubject proper for public delibe- when they hear of no military preparations to vindicate your pretenfions, when they learn that you have been chafed out of a poffeflion confeffedly your right, that you have been infultingly told, begone, you fhall not buy, you fhall not fell, you are fuch a nuifance we will have no intercourfe with you!

ration.

Mr. R. faid he would not return to a repeution of what he had formerly ftated, it would be fufficient to mention, that he had urged the importance of our rights in the navigation of the Miffiffippi founded in nature, and acknowledged by compact: this was the great and the only highway of commerce from the western country to the ocean; that the Spaniards after a long execution of this treaty, have now flagrant. ly violated it, and fhut us out from all intercourfe, and from the right of depofit; that they have plundered our citizens up. on the ocean; carried our veffels into their ports and condemned them without the femblance of a trial; our feamen have been caft into prifon, and our merchants ruined: thus affailed upon the ocean and upon the land, by a long courfe of oppreffion and hoftility, without provocation and without apology, he knew but one courfe we could take which promifed complete redress of our wrongs. Experience had proved that compact was no fecurity; the Spaniards either cannot or will not obferve their treaty. If they are under the direction of a stronger power who will not per mit them to adhere to their flipulations; or if they of their own accord inflict thefe indignities under a belief that we dare not refent them, it was equally incumbent upon us to act without farther delay. The aggreflors are heaping indigni. ty upon you at your own door, at the very borders of your territory, and tell you, at the fame time, they have no right to the country from whence they exclude you. I they act thus without right, why not enforce yours by taking poffeffion? Will you fubmit to be taken by the neck and kicked out without a firuggle? Was there not fpirit enough in the country to repel and punish fuch unheard of infolence? Is not the magnitude of the intereft at ftake fich as to warrant the most vigorous and decifive 'course which can exprefs public

Where is the nation, ancient or modern, that has borne fuch treatment without refentment or refiftance! Where is the nation that will refpect another that is paffive under fuch humiliating degradation and difgrace? Your outlet to market clofed-next they will trample you under foot upon your own territory which borders upon theirs!!-Yet you will not ftir, you will not arm a fingle man ; you will negociate!! Negociation alone under fuch circumflances must be hopelefs. No,-Go forward, remove the aggreffors, clear away the obftructions, restore your poffeffion with your own hand, and ufe your fword, it refiftance be offered :-Call upon those who are moft injured to redress themfelves; you have only to give the call, themfelves; you have only to give the call, you have men enough near to the scene, without fending a man from this fide the mountains; force fufficient, and more than fufficient, for a prompt execution of your orders-If money be an object; one half of the money which would be confumed and loft by delay and negociation, would put you in poffeffion.-Then you may negociate whether you fhall abandon it and go out again.

You may alfo then negociate as to compenfations for the fpoliations upon your trade. You will have ample funds in your own hands to pay your merchants, if the Spaniards continue their refufal to pay. You will have lands to give which they will readily accept, and affift in defending. In this way they may all be indemnified; by negociation there is little hope that they ever will.

It may be faid that the executive is purfuing another and a very different courfe.

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The executive will certainly pursue the courfe defignated by the legiflature. To' the Congress has been confided the power of deciding what fhall be done in all cafes of hoftility by foreign powers. There can be no doubt that, by the law of nature and nations, we are clearly authorized to employ force for our redrefs, in fuch a cafe as this: That we have a juft.right to take fuch measures as will prevent a repetition of the mifchief & afford ample fecurity for the future quiet enjoyment of the violated right. If we leave it entirely to the executive he can only employ negociation as being the fole means in his power. If the right be not abandoned what is to be done? I know, faid Mr. R. that fome gentlemen. think there is a mode of accomplishing our object of which, by a moft extraordinary proceeding, I am forbidden to speak in this houfe, I will not, therefore, touch it; but I will afk honorable gentlemen, especially thofe from the western country, what they will fay on their return home to a people preffed by the heayy hand of this calamity, when they inquire, What has been done? What are our hopes? How long will this obftruétion continue? You answer, we have provided a remedy, but it is a fecret!!! We were not allowed to speak of it there, much lefs here. It was only committed to confidential men in whispers, with clofed doors: But, bye and bye, you will fee it operate like enchantment; It is a fovereign balfam which will heal your wounded honour, it is a potent fpell, or a kind of patent medicine which will extinguifh and forever put at reft the devouring fpirit which has defolated fo many nations of Europe. You never can know exactly what it is, nor can we tell you precifely the time it will begin to operate-But operate it certainly will, and effectually too!!! You will fee frange things, wait patiently, and place full faith in us, for we cannot be miflaken.

This idle tale may amufe children. But the men of that country will not be fatisfied. They will tell you that they expected better things of you, that their confidence had · beea mifplaced, and they will not wait the operation of your newly-invented drugs; they will go and redrels themselves.

I fay allo let us go and redrefs ourselves; you will have the whole nation with you. On no queflion fince the declaration of independence has the nation been fo unanimous as upon this. We have at different times fuffered great indignity and outrages from different European powers; but none fo palpable, fo inexcufable, fo provoking, or of fuch magnitude in their confequences as this. Upon none has public opinion united fo generally as this. It is true we have a lamentable divifion of political opinion among us, which has produced much mifchief, and may produce much greater

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