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1 Liecjhjo.il rassa dollars per tsar, ' RALEIGH, N. C. -PUBLISHED (wkeklt) BY LUCAS AND A. IT. BO YL AN. 6 g2 50 CENTS IN ApVAVCS. r Vol. 17. FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1812. No. 839. v. - ... , .'..; . . . . '- ' I THE i Congress of the United States . From lite Fhiladcfph Register. SECRET DEBATE ON THE EMBARGO. ( ' ' CONTINUED. . Mr, Clay saul those who voted for the former embargo, are bound now to vote for war. It ougkJ to have succeeded the termination of that mea 'sure,' which would hive' beeri the policy. He said, he was at issue with the gentleman as to the public sentiment That it is with us,' is proved by the- glowing and patriotic resolutions of fourteen legislatures. He said there were no divisions in the southern and western states Federalists and IU'pTttJieans wer Ued for war. ed the fire and spirit of the honoraWe speaker, he thought we should do well tobe considerate. . He asked whether we are prepared to assail our ene my or repel her attacks? He asked, whether it is wise in an unarmed nation, as we are to com mence hostilities against one so completely pre pared? ' M r. Randolph then said he wished to state to the committee a detail of what happened before the committee of foreign relations in a conference with Mr. Monroe. " Mr, JVdgtry objected to it, as not in order, and the chairman said he thought it irrevelant. Mr. Randolftht said his object was to shew that the proposition for this measure originally came from that committee nd was not intended as a war measure. He thought it revelant, as it was competent to shew that the ideas of the speaker , would ask what has become of the licenec bill a are wrong. ! gainst trading under licences to France, a mea- Mr. Seybert said, that in voting for the several sure which was recommended in the President's important meaTures which congress have agreed I message at the begining of the session ? He aid, to this session, he ielt himself pledged to go to war; that he was in tavor 01 an emuargu a precautionary measure and precursor , tc war. When we voted for the 25,00 men,, he supposed , the executive intended War but he has now such information from a friend in whom he confides, as leads him to believe that fcffensive operations are cot Tneant; We ought to be better prepared be fore we engage in war. He had - observed in the "Baltimore papers, that the British have ordered a squadron, and 20 000 men for our coast. ,-, Mr Sfnilie expressed his surprise at the obser vations of his friend and colleague : He did not know from what quarter he had obtained his in formation, that the president does not mean War. . f r . 1 Does lie believe he has all this time been deceiving the legislature ? He had heard but one sentiment war unless great Britain relents. The President j lad always supposed that embargo mult precede war the only difference has Deen as to tne time, vhich has been finally compromised. The em bargo is intended as a war measure. He would assure his colleague it was intended by both the executive and the committee of foreign relations. That being how up, he would observe, that at the beginning of the session, he was not so warm fori war as mstfy were, but he wavfor commercial res. . trictoS' He was not lor the 25 ,000 men ; but as theAouse have determined otherwise, he would ow go to war If we now recede We shall be a ,'ri'ni oach amonsr all nations. J. Ht,JtmJplM.miijtjHVl appear that the em. bargo is not preparatory to war, inai is to sv, u Vas not necessarily so, and of course not oi the character which the speakerhas considered it. From his minutes (arning other facts) it a;,;. car ed, that Mr. Monroe said to the committee, th?.t the president thought we ought to declare war be fore wre adjourn, unless Great Britain recedes, f which there was no prospect-that there was con venation about an embargo. Mr. Monroe was asked by;some of the committee, whether the pre aident would recommend it by message, he an. swered that he would, if he could be assured it Tould be acceptal)le to the house. He, also said, Mr. Barlow, had been instructed to represent to the French government our sense of the injuries received, "and to press upon them ourdemands for reparation ; that if she'refused us justice, the em bargo would leave the policy as respects France, and indeed of both countries, in our hands. He was asked if any essential alterations would be inade within 60 days, in the defence of our mari time frontier or seaports ? Mr. M. answered, that pretty considerable preparations would be made. He said, New-York Was now in a respectable state of defenceJ3Ut not such L wtoj-esist a Ifbrmidable fleet but, it was not to be expected that such a kind ol war would be carried on. It was repli ed, that we must expect what commonly happens i wars. Mr. M. said that although a great dis tress and injury might take place in, one part of the union, it WOUW notessenuauy aic.i uic WU lation or resources or union at large, As to the prepared state ot tne coum.r, ..c .u,. m . . a declaration of war, the president woulU not fed himself bound to take upon himself more ifiarrhis, share of the responsibility. Mr. M- said, the un prepared state of the country was the onl y reason whv ulterior mcun.. . . . - "- ' . . . 'A nli.t h c)n , ly' uicenui iiifc. w . about taking is too high a price xo pay xorne consistency or gentlemen, who think they have gone too far to recede it is too expensiveto bol. ,m in this wav. He asked what will be -I, . . . t . i Dll urt.B " I' - .u. .:.k.,5rtr, nf these neople in sixty day t Tour note into the bank,, and see how soon it will be out. What wiU be the condition of this unhap. .-.a..a rmintrv? What would it have nTr 60 V20, 365 days past? He had.hoped Dcr" .-m. the old story of the dog worrying Sic cat" &c;realid. Arehe quence of having been goaded by the presses', to plunge tho people into a war by bringing them first to the whipping post and then by exciting their spirit. He would assure the house the spi rit of the people is not up to it at this time : if so, there would be no necessity of these provocatives to excite this" false spiriW-thts kind of Dutch courage. -If you mean varx if -the spirit of the country is up to it, why have you been spending five months in idle debate. The Speaker (Mr, Clay) called, Mr. Randolph to order, for charging the house with spending five months in idle debate.- The Chairman decided that the expression was aot out of order. , Mr, ffrf&ftrappealed. ,; , The decision of the chairman was confirmed ayes 50, noes'9. Mr. Randolph proceeded, and said he would in. form gentlemen in this house, that he had know d gentlemen not inferior in gallantry, in wisdom, in experience, in the talents of a statesman, to any upon this floor,who have been consigned to oblivion for advocating a war against the public sentiment. Did we not then say to those gentlemnn, the war they advocated was against the public sentiment ? In two years from this time, the people will tell you that you rated your consistency at more than it was worth, more than we are willing to pay for it that your disgrace is not our disgrace. What said the people to the projected war twelve years ago ? That they would not pay their money and sacrifice their property for your consistency. If it would hot discover a want of decorum, he ; ne understood tne snip nannioai, wnicn was laie ly captured by the British, sailed under one of; those licences, lie does not mean to palliate that capture ; but is it strange that Great Britain should capture our vessels, when we have notified her that we' are about invading her terra drma. He believed the way war will happen, it it does hap pen, will be by Great BritainVattackinglfncT per haps destroying some of our seaports, which it is calculated will render it popular in this country. The plan is now to lay an embargo and the rea son is, we have have had cne, and it has failed, This appears to him to be a now scqtutur. Messrs. Gtundy and Cathoun said they were not impressed with a recollection of the facts which occurred before the committee cf foreign relations, in th same manner as . had been stated by Mr. ft ,. mi not reeffitcct tht A4r. VIon roe said the embargo would leave the policy, as respects both belligerents, in our hands. Mr Jcrier said he was in favour of an embargo, as a measure which ought to precede war ; but it is very important that we should be prepared before we commence the war. He did not, "believe it was possible to commence it with safety within four months from this time. Such a measure as an ombarpo would be of immence injury to the state of New -York, n account of thcitUour which had not gone to marltet. The committee rose and reported the bill with out amendment, and the question was, shall it be engrossed for a third reading ? Mr Stow then-expressed his alarm and aston-iTirn'-nt at the course we were taking." He said thetuintry was wh.'ily unprepared to . enter into a war within" the- time which had !)een men'ioned. J-ie waratd gentltnen of thcif danger, and the ru- ii'j.-wt-.cli threatened our defenceless towns, ine aut r:t) '.vhtfh he had cited ought to have more weight : iheiTlve hearsay sf some youhg members. : in this hou.-.e. The. elections of the maritime! parts of tlie.ro'intry will put your places into the possession ot vcur poli ical adversaries. You may be assured you tread on deceitful ground. The intelligent part of the community at the north are against the war. There is no calculating the inju. ry it will he to the state, ol New York. Mr. Bxlisc;i spoke in favour of the measure, land! respecting the injuries . we have receivsd from u. Britain. The question then was, On what day shall it be read i . - Mr. Grundy ttiweu it be read imeSlately. Mr. Muan proposed to morrow. Mr. U'uncu said, tit then beine halt past 7 o clock in the evening) he had notbeen able to take ahy-pari in the debate ; thWfie-measurewhich had been thusr hurried.was extremely interesting to his immediate tjonstituents, and he was very anxious to express his sentiments upon it but he-was so fatigued with the tedious sitting, that he was unable to do- it this evenidg, and hoped ihe house would indulge' him until to morrow. He would not condescend to debate such a question j in the present state of he house, and he asked for the ayes and noes on Mr. Macon s motion which were agrted to be taken. Mr. D. R. IVilUama said he wa3 desirbus to grant the request of the gentleman from Massa chusetts. ; It was in his opinOn a very reasonable one. 1 he deportment ot the other side ot tne I , a 1 ...... .! .... ., . very gentlemanly towards the majority and Sii, said he, Will you now refuse to give them an op portunity to express their sentiments upon a mea sure, which, in their view, is so important i He said that policy on the part of the majority ought to dictatethe , indulgence asked for. The majori ty now-tand on high ground what will be. said, and what, will be the consequence ofa Jeiusali We shall lose the. ground on which we pow stand. the minority had acted with ' more propriety than he ever knew in in a minority. Mr. iri-Ai objected, although he .was willing acknowledge the minority had conducted with opriety. j to ni-oDri Mr. Aefeon said it appeared to him, that .accor ding to the importance of subjects, so is our pre cipitancy. Is the minority thus tobe dragooned into this measure 5 Epi one, he visled to rctlect upon it. The first intimation he had of this mea sure, was the Message. If it is intended as a pre cautionary measure, as the precursor to war, as sorac gentlemen have treated it, it is a ques'ion oi doubt in his mind. He thcught it-better to arm our merchantmen to grant letters of marque and repcieal and repytal our nan importation-law. We have already suffered enough under our res. trictive systerrt,Jf we pass thebill to-night, it' cannot be ala until the other biatich act upon it. When we are going to war, it will be well to know that we have the spontaneous support ol more than one half of the community. -Mr. jHnton said heould have voted for the mo tion, if the genrieman had not asked for the ayes and noes; but as he appears desirous- to marshal : one side of the house against the other, he was, not disposed to gratify him in his., request. j Mr. Jiknddfih made a few more remaks. ! Mr. I&diceru declared war to be inevitable, and ought notjto be delayed on this account he was acainst Dbstponincr the bill until to morrow. II we do it it all, it ought tobe speedily. It is not to be belfcved that argument will change a single vote. Tie responsibility is on the majority. The qtestion on reading to morrow, was neg-j atived,.7J to 54. it wasthen read a third time and on the ques- tion, Shill the bill pass ; it was earned,., ayes 70, IIOC9 t I . . i Mr. Quincy expressed, in strong terms, his ab horrence of this measure. He said, that if he j believed, it to be a preparation for war, he should have a less indignant sense of the injury, than he felt now1, as he deemed it a pure, unsophisticated, reinstated embargo. The limitation ot sixty or : (Mr. Lloyd,) to transmit that intelligence to Flu ninetv divs. cave little consolation or hone to him ; ladelphia, New York and Boston, by an express because he knew how easily the same power .which started on. TuescLy afternoon. In doiig which originated could continue this oppressive this we violated no obligation, even of the most re measure. j mote anci delicate kind. Thefact that the com-' Ke said that his objection was, that it was not mittee of foreign relations had decided that an cm what it pretended to be ; and was, what it pre- bargo should be proposed .en' Wednesday waso tended not to be Tliat it was not embargo, prevjpenly avowed here on Tuesday by' various m- m paratory to war. But that it was embargo as sub-jbersof this house Among others, I was inform stitute for the question of declaring war. It was'edofit I shall always be gratefdtc the gentle true that it was advocated as a step incipient to ajmen who gave me that information. Indeed the aurfefef war, anb wn vi nttnniw fcr Tt,bywhoUi ameK:til commuoiiyat-c mi-jtr great h gentlemen whose sincerity he was yet bound to ligations othe members of the Committee of !u respect. fie could not however yield the convic-jeign relations, for their feelihg and patriotism in tion of his senses and reflections to their assevera. resolving on that disclosure. It eriahled us, bv tions; nor dt-clare in complaisance to any, let, anticipating -the mail, to give an opportunity for them be as respectable as they xnfght, that he saw great masses of property to escape from the ? uiu in this measure, more or less, than its -features our cabinet was meditating for thtm. Yes, sir indicated. To escape into the jaws of the British lion, or of lathis embargo what it pretends to to be, pre-'the French tyger, which are places of refupc, of paration for war i In the first place, no sudden joy and delight, when compared with the "-iasp attack is expected from Great Britain. It is rjot and fang nf this Hyena, tmhnro. What v . l.e suggested that we have a title of evidence, rtlative :tffect of this information? -When it reached phi to any hostility of her temper, which is not posses- laaelphia, the v hole mercantile iass wisi mo- sed by the whole community. The president has not commtuiicated to us one document, or reason for the measure. He only signifies his pleasure - An embargo, as preparatory-to war, presup poses some new and hidden danger not known to the inercantile community. In such case, when the government see -a danger, of which the mer chant is unapprised, it may be wise to stay the departure of propertyr until the nature and ex--tent of it be explained ; hut noJLJPoment longer. For, let the state of things be that of War or ptace the principle-is precisely the same ; thnferesi Which the community has, in. the property of in dividuals, is best preserved by leaVing its man, agement to the- interest of thtmmediate proprie tor, after he is made acouinted with the circum stances of the timewhich have a tendency to increaseits exposure. , . , t Tlie reaspflof an embargo, considered as an incipientupi to war, is either-to save.our proper ty Irom . depredation, abroad, or keep property ich we want at home. Now it happens that the nature of the great mass of- our exports is such that there is little danger of depredation from the enemy we pretend to '. fear abroad, artd little Want of the articles-most likely to be exposed at horoeV' The tptol export of the last year amount ed, as appears by the report of the '. secretary of the treasury, to forty.fi ve miiliqns ofilollars. . It also appears by the' report, that our exports to Great Britain and her dependencies, and also-to those Of Spain and Portugal, werfc thirty eight millions five hundred thousand dollars nearly seveneighths in value of our whole exports have been, and continue to be, to the dominions of that very power from which so much is pretended to be apprehended-.' " Now, it is well known that these articles are of ver"y great necessity and im portance to her, .and whether even in the case of actual war between our countries, Great Britain would capture them, might be questionable. But apture them, on the mereprepara tion, before and really hostile act was committed on our part, is not only unreasonable' but abso lutely absurd to expect- T his very commerce, which, by the passing of this bUl you Indicate, it is he.rjntention to prohibit or destroy, it is her ob vious and undeniable pclicy to unite and cherish, : besides, the articles are hra very 'great proportion DerishaUeMcJiJjtisembaiCQ'areJabtpro,." hibited from going to market. hich is the bent ? To keep them-at home to a certain loss and pro.-, bable ruini or adventure them abroad ro a possi ble loss and highly probable gain ? Ask"y6ii? j merchant. Ask common sense. . , But, it is said we must protect our merchant." Heaven help our merchants from embargo pro. lection ! If is said that " the present condition of things has been brought upon the country ly tne mercinms that it was ineir ciam .nr in I and '6. which first put congress upon this system of coerceive restriction, of which thty now so moch complair." It is true that in those years tri? merchants did petition, not lor an embargonot for commercial embarrassments and annihilation, but for .protection. Thty at that .time ''tehl'Jy " thought that this national government was form, d for. proUction of all the . great intere sts of tlie country. If " it was a grievous fault,?' ,.'gnev. -ously have the mcrchnn's answered ir-Tluy. asked for relic fT;Sf id" Jfou sent thenf 'embarrass ment. Tliey asked for defence, and you imposed embargo. They asked ""bread," and you gave them a " stone." They asked a fish,' and ycnr gave a serpent." ' Giant that the fault was great : suppose that they did mistake the nature and charae'er of the government ; is the ptnalty they incurred by this errornever to be remitted i Permit them once to escape, and my word for it they will never again give you an aj oVgy f r this dtatrurtive p'otection. If they do- they will rich- lv dtserve all the misery, which, under the name of protection, you can find means to visit upon them. Your tender mercie? cruelties I he , merchants hate atnl spurn 'Jti-, r .inous defence. i Mr Qnjncythen took v tice, cf an inimati(,n j which h id been thrown out in relation to an ex. press s-ent off on the day preceding the messaie !of the President, giving information that an em bar,;o would be proposed' the feu'sui g clay'.' lie said, that there was no necessity of speaking of that mutter, Ty distant allusion, as if there wS anv thing tlut sought concealment. This is n t an affair, said Mr, Q. tha1 shims hv Iij. ht. I had the honour and the. happiness, in conjunction wiili another mcmb r of this house, from New YVk, (Mr. Emott,) and a senator fioni Mssiclnisetts, tion, and all that iiad it in ttuir powerer; hying in all directions from the cominemich -f. as Ui' it were a pl?eue and a pestilenee Lock a' ' 'b. - moment on the river belowAlexand .a ri;c ;; ' 1 seamen towing downheir vtssels, at tvTt i and tide, anxiousJniy to escape froVn -a cuu'j.:: Whicj ces;royar under the mask of reer.ii,.; " It issaidthat the embargo is " ii.v.- t nowrt' 'o thejntrchant. If this were- he cc, 'v a I these pains and penalties ? Why thtit pr.v.-riii bonds, imposed on our cons' ing tritile I 1 v .u' " really intend war, if this measure is imely prepar ation anq not a substitute for it, lay your embar. go But let if be mere general pi ohibjtion, with out penalty. You will then have done your mity IF they go and are captured, they have t ovcause of complaint. But it is said, w sht.1l we feed ur enemies'?" That question unravels the- whole plot. It is an embargo for coercion, and not tor preparation. In reply, I say yes. Feed your enemies. It they are in no danger ot oting ;ea':r- ed by famine, : and if the article of food you do not want, and it will perish without a market. The gentlemen who advocate this bill seem' to be" much offended that some of us do not he ievc that it is their intention to declare war at the e nd of the time limited. They treat the suggestion as arefie!ction on their personal Veracity, I question not either the sincierity or veracity of the gentle 'nun. who make these declarations. But-those gentlemen must excuse me, it I prefer to reason concerning future events, rather from the nature of things, than from the state ofjtheif minds. I make no suggestin concerning the Intentions of : the grtleman on this floor ; concerning tht inten tiohs of dur cabinet, and Concerning the ability, irr relation to actual war,' I shall not hesitate both to make suggestions 8c urge reasonings. And I sh? 11 not deem myself precluded Trom the use of my understanding concerning thertsult of measures because my calculations contradict any man's de-. plared intentions. The public has little conceril about what you mTehd. It has muctTWPhnronf can execute. - ; I then say, distinctly, I do not believe- that this embargois a preparation Tor arrbut I dobeilieve that it is a retuge.from the question of declaring war. .My reason tells me that war is not intended,, because of your want of preparation, and of your neglect of it. If war were intended, would the men at helm haveemployed the five months in1 a way . so utterly inefficient and inconsistent with such a;;. . (Cphtinued in fourth fage. J. ,' . ' cr- ; ' J I 5. ,1 -
The Raleigh Minerva (Raleigh, N.C.)
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