Newspapers / The Weekly Raleigh Register … / Feb. 26, 1813, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Weekly Raleigh Register (Raleigh, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
I I . I" A I n II 1 Jl I I I It'll . I I I I . z, . i I I 1 I 1-4 J I I I . I I V , 1 I ."'4 I Ml.l I 1 r. . r ii n I ir i . i i t i vi u ,. i ihi i j ' . t rr wiyfvj - h i-,t i ; v ' u: i-v'iK - -i r. i t i i i y .1 -i-..:' ,v -tc VEW ARMY BILL. k 4 ' ..LAYSPEECH CONCLUDED. . ..rslbl-. t. Chairman, thai Wart cf ihc debate to which this f.f V tren iise, Ja brcn aticodrd t cu -rmatancea much to bertgreued, a titisl in ihfi H .uc, and o which L Hto b d lhcrc wiU be (to "cpc.( ..4 abscli himself from c?cry rukj ,fdrc mm and proprurif, had to rttd all d-cencjr, that 1 have f had ao ouW and it to suppress the 0 vh m I hd honor to fglluxT, (Mr. ti hrfct i) haft vrr the he rniRht not I t jroitn, in his vcy learned, ine- rl as and o iginal xp3Sition of the .,ersCf this K-vemmeni an exposi- b-fore him hs lo.krd, and ncbo ir t(er him wi-l examine, for a grant tS our powers, the preamble to the con jauion has clearly shewn, to the aa fe&ct.onof H ho heard him, that the ptr is confmed ol drenive wr.-l-Idiini ihr bcntfii of a iimilar princi pit, in behalf of my pol-iical frichds, a p nit the ger.tlcman fiom Boston. I iem rd cn'y the exercise cf the TiRhi of i?ru!$iu. Nj one it mrre anxious thjo I am to preserve the dignity and ii liijralny of dehatr oo roerr.brr wort rrsponsibltf for i: abuse. An I if, cotbL occasion, i's jusl limits hate v.n rinlated. let him, who has been tltcJ uaprotoktd ciGse, appropriate to bi n-tclfeiciuiT-ly the o nvqumce. I orri tcd yeteiday, f ir, vrhen speak irg tf a very delicate and painful sub ject, toaotice a powerful engine which iiz ccnspirstor agjintt the integrity of urica emjl"y lo effect their nefa rbai purpoie I mean Souihtrn influ ence. Tne true friend to his country, Ircaing that our constitution was the acti cf compromise, in which inter tus apparency conflicting, were' at tempted to be reconciled, aims' to tx (iuUhor alfcy prejudices. ' .But this pa:nctic exertion does not suit the riews tf thcie bo are urged on by diabolical iab !ion. Thry find it confen;ent to bspne the ex!tertce of certain impro per irfTuencc and to propagate with titir Umot indutry u b-l cfvof ihem Htcct the idea ol S pthern preponder wce Virgiri influence lle yckiiig tf'hr retptcinble yeomanry of the north, i fi the negro slave-?, to the car of cc:htrn nabob. If Virginia really ca:tished a reprehqnsiblcambitbn. a:.d tmtd to mcnopoliie the chief magis tncy t the countr), how w as such a ri'icsto be accomplished ? Virin"u. uloitjcannoi elect a President, whose titration -depends upon a plurality cf electoral vo es and a consequent con camfcee of many sta'es. "Would Ver mont, ciuaie:ced Pennsylvania, the C-rolinas, independent Georgia, Keri toly Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana, all resent to become the tools bf an inor inv.c ambition I , But ihc present in tmbeni was designated to the ofibe fae his predecessor had retired. Hi' ? By public senfimem pub'ic Q''ment which grew out of his known TOuea, his iilusirious services, und his "wguished abilities. Would the gen tnan crush this public sentiment is l prrparrd to admit, that hr would ar r the nr. rress oi ioninion I The wr was ctclarcd because. G.j -r!im arrogated to herself the prcten -ocf regulating xour foreign trade un tr the delusive name of retaliatory or Jtrs io ccuncil a pretension by which 'CMniJcrtook to proclaim to American "frise, 'Thus far stwlt-thuu go, vwa w aw J to tevoke kf.cr the alledgtd cause retjactaient had ceased ; because c IrKted in the nractice of impres- I . f .A.cricao seamen; i because she -vd iademni-y for her. past iniuiiesf vUr commerce. I. throw out oi - question other wrongs. The var 05. Was aRQonced on Jour part to tt: tle wir wbith ahe.VasAvagingon Jf the war ; ,i powerfully did they 7 themselves to Ue feelings of hj'. A 4 .. . i'J was tndiog befor this House, i&ll ' Prcr.riiig thatther did ttct V j Ia opposition, aunougn mt to !t bate, would not, or codd -se tc ccb.ic such a cjucaii6ii intj aecret aession. Whilst, speamng rt the proceedihgs-rr that occasion, I ibeg to be permitted to ad ten toanotficr faci that transpired in important fact, ma terial for 4 he nation toknowVand which I,- have often regretted; had nt . been spread upon our journals. My honora ble colleague, (Mr. M Kee) moved, in committee of the whole, to comprehend France in the war; and when the ques tion was taken up; n , the proposition, j there appeared but ten votes in support j of it, of whom, seven belonged to this aide of the house, and three only to the other! Itis said that we were inveigled into the war by the perfidy of France ; and that had she furnished the document in lime, which was fust published in Eng land, in May last, it would have been prevented I will cocde to gentlemen eveiy thing they atk about the injustice of France towards this country. I wish to God that our ability was ecjual to our disposition to make her feel the sense we 'entertain of that injustice- The manner of the publication of the paper in question, was undoubtedly extremely exceptionable. But I maintain, that, had it made Its appearance earlier, it would not have hud iheitTcCt supposed ; and the proof lies tn the unequivocal declarations of the B: "msh government 1 will trouble you sir, wi n go ng no further bjk than to the le tcrs cf the British minister addtrssed to the Se cretary of State, just before tlic expira tion of his diplomatic functions. It will be recollected bv the committee lha( he exhibited to this government a dispatch from Lord Castlcreagh, in whi-D the principle was distinctly avowed, that to produce the effect of a repeal of the or ders in council, the French decrees must be absolutely and entirely revoked as to all the world, and not as to Ame rica alone. A copy of that dispatch was demanded of him, and he very awkwardly evaded it. But on the loth of June, after the hill declaring war had actually passed this house, and was pending before the Senate (and which, I hive no djubt, was known to 'him) in a letter to Mr. Monrqe, he says : 4 1 have no hesitation, sir, io saying, that Great Britain, as the cast has hitherto stood, never did, nor never could engage, without the - srreatcst itiiu&tice to her- self, and her allies,, as well at to other neutral nations, to repeal her orders. a& afleclir.j; America alone, leaving them n tL Mik.r rrati't unnn cnn. in lUltt caiini ui(i(i iia.. uuii i dilion that Franre would txceDt sinrlv I - , r J and specially. America lioirrlhe opera tions of her decrees.'? On the Uth of the same month, the bill still pending before the S-.natr, he repeats : " 1 will now say, that 17 feel entirely authorised to assure yju, iha ii" yu can at any time nroducc a full and unconditional rcp;al of the French decrees, as you have a r;ght lo demand il in yourcha racttr of a n-u:ral nation, and that il be disengaged from any question concern ing our roarit;me ncr.is, we shall be r;;dy to meet you with a revocation of ihc orders, in coui ctl. Previously to vour oroducine such an instrument. which I am sorry to sec you regard as unnecessary, you cannot expect .of us to give up our orders in council." Thus, sir, you see that the British govern ment would, not be content with a re peal of the French decrees aa to us un ly. But the French paper in question was such a repeal. Il could not, there fore, satisfy, the British government. it could not, thercf rev hare induced that government, had it bren . earlier oromulcrated. to reoeal the orders in council. It could not, "therefore, have avrrtrd ihc war.. Thii withholding cf it did not occasion the war, and the promulgation of it would not hart pre vented the war. But gentlemen ,havr contended that, in point offact,;it did produce a repeal of ihe orders in coun c 1. This I deny. After it made its appearnce in England, it was declared by one of the Biilish ministry, in Par liament, uoi to be satisfactory. And all the wotld knows, that the repeal of the orders in council resulted from the en quiry, reiu-tently acceded to' by the ministry, into tn$ effect upon their ma"-' nufacturing establishments, of our non importation Uw, .or to the warlike atti tude assumed by this government, or to both But it is said, that the orders in council are done away, n,o matter from what cause and that haying been the sole motive for declaring ' the tvar, the relations of peace ought to be restored. This brings me into an examination of the grounds for contiiniing the war. I am far from, acknowledging that, --.. 1 , Vad the orclert ;;io t buncil bech re pealed, as die yliavc.beep, , before the war ivas dedared, ih c " (3t claratioD would have .been ' prtveuted, In a body, so numerous' as this is, from which the dcclaraiioa emanated, it' is impossible to my, with any degree of certaintf .what would have besn the effect of such repeal.' at rnem ber must "answer for him.v !f;; I.KaVe no htsttation, ttQfiS,ict fr have always considered thVimpria ment of American seamen as much the most , serious aggression. ; But, sir, ryiyv have those orders at last been reptaicu : i.reat oncaio, ic is true, has intimated a willingness to sus pend their practical operation, but she still arrogates to herstJf the right to revive them Upon certain contingen cies, of which she constitutes herself the sole judge.w She waves the tem porary use of the rod, but she sus pends it in terrorem over our heads. Supposing it was conceded to gentle men that-such a repeal of the orders in council as took place on the 23d of June last, exceptionable as it is, be ing known before the war, would have prevented the war, does it follow thai it ought to induce us to lay down our arms, witnout tne rearess oi auy o- ther injury ? Does it follow, in all i tii cases, that that wnicn woutu nave prevented the war, in the first in- stance, should terminate the war f Br no means. It requires a great struggle for a nation, prone to peace as this is, to burst through its habits, and encounter tht difficulties of war. Such a nation ought but seldom to go war. When it does, it should be for clear and essential rights alone, and it should firmly resolve to extort, at all hazards, - their recognition. The war of the revolution is an-example of a war began for one object and prosecuted for another. It was wa ged, in its commencement, against the right asserted by the parent coun try to tax the colonic. Then no one thought of absolute independence. The idea of independence was repel led. But the British government would have relinquished the principle of taxation. The founders of our liberties saw, however, that there was insecurity short of independence, and ihay achieved our independence. When' nations are engaged in war, those rights.in controversy, which re not acknowledged by the treaty of peace, are aoauuonea. aqu wno is prepared to say that American sea men shall be surrendered, the vie tims to the British principle of im pressment ? And, sir, what is this principle ? She contends that she has a right to the services of her own subjects ; that in the exercise of this right, she may lawfully impress them, even although she finds them in our vessel, upon the high seas, without her jurisdiction. Now, I deny that she has any right, without her juris,, diction, to come onboard our vessels, upon the hgh seas, for any other-pur- pose but m pursuit of enemies; or their goods, or goods contrabaad off! war. But she further contends that her subjects, cannot renounce their allegiance to her and contract a new obligation to other sovereigns. I do not mean to go into the general ques tion of the right of expatriation. If, as is contended, all naiiorfs deny it, all nations at the same time admit and practice the right of naturaliza-' lion. G. Britain herself does.. G. Britain, in the very case of7fote!gn seamen, imposes, perhaps, fewer re straints upon naturalization than any other nation. Then, if subjects can not break their original allegiance, they may, according to universal u- sage, contract a new allegiance. What is the effect of this double obli gation:. Undoubtedly, that the so vereign, having the possession bf the suujcti, wouiu nave uic ngui io uic ii services of the subject. Ii he return to the jurisdiction of his primitive so vereign, he may resume his right to his services, of which thd subject, by his own act, could not divest himself. But his primitive sovereign can have I te'right to go .in queofhim,out of is own lurisdtctlon.vinLo the. uir?e. II I diction of another sovereign, or upon tne njgn seas,;,wnere tnere,extac3 et: ther ho jurisdiction, or jit belongs .rTo the nation'owning the ship navigating them. 7 But, sir, this discussion is altogether useless; It is not W tHe Britisrl principle objectionableis-it is, that we are alohe to lookit is to her practice) ho matter what guise iheputs on. It iu: vain to assert the inviolability of the bbligationVo allegiance. It is in vain xd set: w the. plea of necessity, and to alledge that she cannot xtst: witnout the im pressment of ,11 Eli,' seamen. The naked truth is, she comes, by her prc3s-gsrigs,von board ot our' vessels, seises OUlt native, searptn, $s well, as ' naturalized, and dra. them ihto her service. It is the case, then, of the assertion of an ericneous princi pie and l a practice not eonfcrrmauhriUies ; but I flatter myseitatThayf; to the'p nnciplei a principle which, if it were theoretically rierht. must be forever -practically wrong. We are told by gentlemen in the opposition, that government has not done all that; was-incumbent on' it to1 do to avoid just cause of complaint bn the pan of G. Britain that, in purticta'rar the certificates of protection, authorised by the act of 1797, are fraudulently used. Sir, government has done too much in granting those paper pro- iccuuus. i cjii i)cer tiHUK ut nem i without huing shocked. They re semble fhc paasess vhich the, master grants to his negro slave. 4 Let the , XJ '''-i I nearer, iyiutjo, pass ana re-pass without mplestation." Whatdo thev f imply ? That G. Britain has a right to take all who are not provided with them.; From their very nature they must be liable to abuse on both sidesi If G. Britain desires a mark by which she can know her ownsubjects, let her give them an ear mark. The co lors that float from the mast head should be the credentials of our ea-i men. There is no safety to us, and the gentlemen have shewn it,' but in the rule that all who sail under the flag (riot being eqcmifcs) are protect ed by the-flag. It is impossible. ttTat this countr) should ever .abandon the gallant tars, who have 5on for us such splendid trophies. Let me sup pose that the genius bf Columbia should visit one of them in his op pressor's prison, and attemptto re concile,, him to his wretched condition. She would say to him, in the language of gentlemen on the other side " G. Britain intends yoU no harm it she did not mean to impress vou, but one of her own subjects ; having taken you by mibtake, I will remonstrate, and try to prevail upon herr By peaceable means, to release yon, but I cannot, my son, fight for you." If he7did not consider this . mockery, he would addreis her judgment and say, " You owe me, my country, protection ; I (owe you, in return, obedience.. Iam m no British subject, l abv a native of old Massachusetts, where live my a ged father, my wife,' my children. I have taithlully discharged my duty. Will you refuse to do yours?,,.7 Ap; jtieaiinrr to her passions he woulu.-con' tinue, " Most this eye in fighting un- dcr iruxton, with thei Insurgente ; I got this scar before Tripoli ; I broke this leg on board "the Constitution, i ' l V ; .1. H ; if :l. wnen tne ouerriere siruci. x snc a ii i 1 1 remained stui unmoved, ne . wouio break put, ? in the accents u "mingled distress and despair,. Hard, hard, is my fate ! once I fresdofu en .. joyed, !' r ' .Was as happy as happy could be ! Oh ! how hard is my fate, ho w galling hese Chainsl 1 I will not imagine the dreatfUl ca tastrophe to which he vould be dn' ven by an abandonment bf him'tcVhis oppressor, it will not hev it cannot be, .1 'i mi r i that' his counlrV will refuse him pro- tection. It ;s '' impossible .'io describe the pathetic effect produced bf this part of the speech. The oar w c ii Hi Jiig cum ; wj niucitsv kaak At'"J U. nas been neara: to aeciare tuai it was tlx the Onlj time he ever spoke, When be wasut aWe to keef himself warm with tiie exercise of J IJ". xT, ' i Editor &aUlt, -t:- l j. 1t "t-V tZ. '-Il' w i iv wjiri rnr ia. i rni i a j ' - rahcement of ihesubieGt: of iinnress r 11 nknt ; Vindha; Ivir conclucjed ode pripr to histtfepartuxf ffpm thacounitry'i Let 6s hearjwh$t that minis terxsspou America. In hia ldtter' daectat7i account of tis attempt o form 'ojiH rangement ?f9rthe:prd men'yValb'clrMj JinyejieiiJ: thJal'-- .7; end withlLbfds Hawke Vincent ; - arid ftatfhg that.when fh had supposed the v terma'df M onVeiU J tion wereacrreedupbh? ainevpreteli- sion was set up' Ythe m&rt .ctaustimfl ne concludes : l recret not tq rtavc been able to put this business .pn .a a- tistactory abotrngy knowing, as I do ; its .'very great i m pbrtajce t boparr s i v j not- misjudged the interests oi out- own country i" m refusing to sanction a principle thai might be productive oi mors. extensive evils than those it was our aim to prevent; V The seqtlel of his jiegbciationi oh th1s;"mSri U more fully; given7iD the .recent j cbti vei sation'6etweeri; Mr RueU &u Lord. Castfereagh, communicated tof Congress during its' present session. Lord Gastlereach savs to Mr, Ru$i sell " Indeed, there has evidently been rrluch misapprehnsicn on ;trisi sub iecti QHfl sif 1 rrninir.nH KMfrf &tte. tained that an arrangement m regard , 7 1-i - io it nas oecn nearer an accompiisn merit than the facts will warfaht?4- ii ven our iricnqs in topgresff, l mraa those who wefte opposed to going to war i with us;' have been p1 cchfideuJ in this mistake thatheyhaye aacri bed the failure bf such an arrange- 7- ment solely to the nisconduct of uie J American government. This .erf or probably originated withMr Kin, for being much esteemed 'here'an always well received by the persbpsfr in power, he seems to have miscon strbed their readiness to listeuto his repr efehtations, and their warm prc- fessions of a disposition to remove the. compl aiots of A mfcrica in re lation to nupi csuicui, imi7 ir;uppuscr.coDVic tipn on their part of the propriety o acJoptingJtthe plan which hel had,prr posed. But Lord St.incebtwVom l he might chaye7thoughtJhe had bfp?tv over to his opinions, Vppearst'neyfr , for a moment to have ceased to re gard all arrangement on the subject to be attended with for midahlev if not einsu rmo untable obstacles. J Thi&v is obvious from a leiier Whiclj his Lord- ( ship-addressed to. Sir Win. Scott at the ttrne.w7 Here Iord" Galtlereagh read a letter, contained its 'the records before him, in which Lord St. Vin cent! states tb Sir Wra. cbtt the zeal , with! w hich Mr.7Kinjj had assailed -I him on the subject of impressment, 7 confesses his own perplexity and total. incompetency, to discovcrany:practi? , cajble project for .the safe disconlinu- f abce cf that practice, and asks for ; cbunsel and ad Vice; jf jSs you ee ) (proceedfedLQrdCastlereagh) that the b 'Confidence of Mr.King on this subject t '1 was !entirelKunfbunfjed.n ,l , . 'Y, Thus it vis apparent that,7 at nriui time, has the enemy been willing to I place this subiect on a: satisfactorv ;) footing ::I will speak hereafter if -the 7 overtures made . by; administration t since the war, , ' ;.tMi 'J The Hon, Gentleman frbni New YbrJI (MrBleeckt iiiihe very sehv ttlBO liberal and "enlarged views, cwas1 that those who ' are most imerestedl '1.1 'L-'j' .''",vc '" i'1 agamsi tne-practice cx impressment lid not desire a continuance of the war on-jiccoutrrof it, whilsti those (theiouthern and, western me mber who had io interest hit i t, 7 were , the zeaibus advocates of the American seamen. jIt? was - a provincial ' seriti ment unworthy or. that gentle rr)an . It was pne which", inla change of con cfition, he would ot express,'because Pknow he could not fepl it.; i Docs not that gcatlemao feet for, the Un happy; victims of, the tomahawk in the Western country, although his quar sipicsrecunwAien he lavpred,! the cbimm&,tncle J that did not ioinppvi hputi his usual 1 .'-4. 4 J- s I 't.':H t I r i" 1 1 ft'1 'ti ',7 I it. - Lf, It 1'' 77; "-.-'ft ' -r4: t'47'i; ;.v3 1 .'. .j-K;
The Weekly Raleigh Register (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 26, 1813, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75