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witiniut ii text« You *1 < r-' it f to '.) ---\ it were . told me th it you ha ! r oe some 1 am give yoa tiie greatest pi tide. Yon i ; , snat [*» the , of war— i ; you may terminate it, do a thing grateful to all Eui antic wen :-> t;.ke Pa- j iOw have embarked you in j . after in .1 m equally mci • an injury which tiie amend. Sir, i ! inst your i i i wish i certain su of no . as i , ! ive me leave j I y tor "rham .c is r ma il no re J HI of i. vli to be ' tul | to you ; i res If you n in find in J . ig war v. Ie n india) y to tlu policy ot mv peoj to sin d blood in i coni ns who i i ml no 0] sit J pray your m..j s'.j to se in this let- j r nothing i th it I have j ot spai iug ol men, and to withhold trom a nation that g ■ i !>e .n - nmity v- j the bi; having too m ten atitnents tim t aiiucilmt I so easily among the I i ray to Goo, sir, my brother, to I ki . p you in .. v holy »nd sacred keepin Vuur majesty' goo NArOUiON. Tn n, . il camp oi Gtra, 12th ! October, ibt/6. ITY. MONDAY, JAAIiARY 19. CONGRESS. HoU.h: ■■// I ;SENfAriVH.S. r HIOAY; lAKUAB ' Mr.. J. . the Pre si , at the comme-nteroent ,c session, he announced to us as ■ W» : t; Having received information that r part of the United States a gr. at oi private individu ds •were combioii r, armii y i otrary to law, to ca the te pain, i thought it i,e o, as weil as by isures for pi -vi enter pr;z', for seiz d for it, and . ig aiid b ice its au thors ana abettors,** So long, said Mr. R. as the illegal moveni'. Nts of these, persons were <-up i t« be directed against a forrign natior*, although the interest of the U. S. and their honor too required that ipt and dcci ive measures booldbe taken for suppressing their di I believe there is no gentli in nin this j House, but wili with me in the opinion that the U. •■>. nd this House mi parti \> and an tot 11 piracy of ti; :;iist one for thesuo- i I the union, and perhaps of Ihe liberties oi tliost who composi it. I have wa'ted with anxious solicituot {'or • . oiation in relation to this subject, that might upon ; foi nation, i < On tented a.yseu . , aiiK with tnc ao information had been k ,vl -'" lt ' l Housi, that ttieru were imp- ri*»u cted with the pmdic welfare which 1 r Closure; hue the aspect which, ti'ans have ta.ee on i sippi is that 1 can no ue it to my sense of duty, as ice independent re to i. t -.'.-..■ ■: 11 t tati ipatiiy in which the House has been satisfied to remain for tiie six or sevti: weekspast. Sir, from the in for • ,aye been able to collect, tud it is such that i am obliged to great, if pot implicit reliance on it ; it no' » appe- r to vie, ttsat it itie govern a is in any wise concern ed a these m asuns, it is concufrr* as the defendant, hu as the plaintiff; —as the aggressing' party, and not, as tiie party on whom to on is j as 1 was in sliced to be g corr* ct infor niovion ii l< gislature, tin ion would p .iiaa b. | a ,g it :i for th n, •• ■ lum ~ tjiough v 1 icqui -Ceo it- . log wi Ha Ir m the b pi, it aeen s to m- that the state of things is pi .nd no ire nir-t, and t.itrc no iontier remains -.uy reusou ; wiry the information in the powesston of [thee? to be withheld. But jto guard a I possible objection I te no- , n ari- ! B true ! • much » is generally at! through sorb ai h; mrd—it • doe>i appear in tvid lion of nn | latur I ever since- the j . Spain ■ Jantly j lab;,; . tach the western people I frorp them,ion ; that su mequ< ntlytothe j I .orenzo sll< h jon intrigues, and in the most faithless j ler withheld acceding f o its stipo- , j latieas, in order to <x cite a spirit in the I western country subversive of the ani- j Jon ; that she. subsequently mud • a pro- j inrnt flagitious kind to ; -• veral leading characters in Ken -where. I< >; is never lost sight oi I this, on;, ct ; and i believe she tiev*i will , lot »tght of it bo long •■ to Work upuii, or a shadow of [ | s haied those i. nature ; that th< w m ; thiit, perhaps, at this •it while 1 am addressing, you, at !, tin- fate of m'.i.: western country may have been decided. Sir, this subject offers strong argu -, m addition to the numerous rea nted during the p i HJon of Congress, to justify the policy gthe '~ so highly condemned ; and n correctly informed, tiie other • are cow act «n th:' policy so cor. ten...- -.A and Ufs- ]■'.-<... [Mr. Speaker said it was not in order ;to allude toibt; proceedings of the Se '" ] j Mft. J. RANDOLPH—I sha I say no < - that () int, but 1 will .ay this a to our own proper business. I yv-e have had a bid before us *aifcvri ' A member of the contmitt ie, with whom this bit) or ami with whom j bad the pleasure of eon urring, lit i'h to.- ■ . t r, odd m ■o before that (uiomittei, . "b --i stantially tin '!i bat rej< the last :-,e.,:.i >n— i mill- f taiy forces tq ; exi genci I pre- j must have had the sanction ol : ofticer. I I man in this I[< Use, Who at *' oubts, that if th vernrnent—i mean the £xecutiv< legislator —h id taken a i '1 tie- i el in stead men ate* nils—is there a man •■ !. hat not only Sp nave j been overawed!, but that those domestic ; traitors would also have bet n int yet aw d, wiiose plans; threaten to be s. dangerous i Would man have dreamt of descending the | id at tin- head of an unprinci- ' •anditti, it New Orleans bad been j toi lifted, .nd strong lot tificattons erect iod ? What i i then hear ? Money, dollars and cents! I> there not now every reason to lie lieve, especially when we ronsid superintendance under which the ex- I penses are i, that the saving of! the campaign on the Sabine, and the | g of the costly measures taken, by | the commander in chief on his ova re- j , would have been c rual to j ence of raising and maintaining ti< additional forces pro- j I at the ■ i .used. ! There can be no doubt but that on the j pie of economy, without t into view.he effect on the union, thi U. ', S. would have betn gain i>. A spec tator, not in the !, ending our ! public prints, or o\ g with in ! dtviddals out of doors, but who should ; draw his ideas of the situation i country from the proceedings < . • fl use during the pri sent session, would to inter that th< re r,< ver existed | in any nation a greater degree of \. y.dhty or union, at b ■■■■-. than nthe U. S. at tins time ; and yet what is toe fact ? I'h it the (?. :■ not only threatened with external war, ; but •via. conspir; cies and treasa s, th • f more alarming from their not being de fined. And yt.t-we sit :.: ~ ■■<'. journ and sit, take things as >cliool , boy s, do as wt i. id, and ask n tions. I cantiot reconcile this Lii conduct to my ideas of the duty of a i member on tn s Boor. Among the authorities, there appears to be one that ■ has acted with a promptness and deci sion that d' ■s it gr< .it honor. V - ;est member of the federal family j has been I to ward od" tiie impending danger, while the members an sleeping, so ring and do- , sing .ver tin ir ne. Under, this view of th» siihject, 1 beg leave to ; offer the following resolution : Resolved, 'that the President of the U". States be and hehert by is requested ' to lay before this House any information in possession of the Executive, except such as he may deem the puhiic wet- j fare to require not to iiu disclosed, j touching any illegal combination of pri- , vat individual die peace and safe?.} v military ex- ' pedition j. individuals ; any power in ! ■i the U. States ;—-to:;e.m r with the measure- wl ~>,,- utive ! tias pursued and firofioies to take for j suppr Mr. CHANDLER faid he bad the,! honor to be a member of the committee ■ alluded to by tie.-: gentleman from Vir- j ginia, and he I irom the pro-' politioos that were made by him, he was the member referred to. 11.- be lieved jie had made a proportion in ' the committee m sngment ths iru of the pr*f-nt foi-ce::by adding to, each ] ! company iuch a number oi men as ; r to an hundred il ighty. He made this proportion, j becaufe from the extenfiun of oufterri-i j toiy :,t it nccefikry, and cauic be i by thus, adding to I the number of our troops, without! ,l increafmg the officers, the public would j . w'clj tVrfcd without incurring j I the expehce attending tiie creation Oil additional officers, lie b.' ■ j proportion went farther, and aoihorif ed the Pre f. dent to raife a cetuir, | ber of troops, provide) the public gooa ,in his opinion required it* He pretum* •ed bowever, that the rVcretftcy of war • had never .at Curb a propoii- I tion whs made or intruded to be m iini much hfsh.d i nhioneu it by his, opinion. Mr. Chandler faid be barely! ioned th a circumftance, to fhewi ; tiiat tin- iVci'etary of war did not com i imicicair il n in this way. i iiiuuiiai; o in mil «ov. ,\\r. ALSTON believed that no man ' '] in the Hwafe was more difpofu tbah I lumfi !t to receive cay information I m tlv executive government, that; would enabb tbem to take the heceffa-j ry fie p» againfl foreign or domtftic c-! ii-mics. But where did they meet j With any > jollify the Op lhat a foreign attack was meditated ?' The contrary . c bad heard of no ctrconifhmcr who the belief of fucb an attack being me-; ditated, parti' liativ by Spain on the , weft tide of the' What! was known on this iubject ? That the commanding «{seers on the p?rt ofthe U. S. and'Sfhin had agreed not to violate the intervening territory, until frefli inform .tion was received from their government*. There was no ground therefore to brieve that an attack would be male from that quar ter. On the contiiry, if ncwfpip-r information was to v credited, the at tack was to be from )u r own territory and was contempta\-<. againft that ve ry nation. If this Were true what i we to believe in a foreign attack from any other quarter ? Did evidence I c hands ofthe executive j any Inch foreign at ark being co*< plated? If to, is theti not theftrongeft reafon to believe that we lliould received information of it without a demand. Let any gemJeman examine tilts ffibjedt, and fay il t ii not wife to leave the bufinefs wheie it now is. Whether the meaCures adopted at the j lafi feffion, or tbvfe wbicl were prppof j ed, were the bed, it is not, faid Mr. ! Alfton, for m.- lay. Time will deter- I mine. But this, I may uj ; if we bad i then pafi'ed an act for railing a few Merit*, there would not have b*en j one of them by this time on the M I lippi. We might liave got, as >< i [ fore, a regiment of officersi but there I would have bctn no regiments of men. We. have been lurther told of the po- I licv of taking a manly attitude against I Spain. VVe had a resolution ode . us, which in my opinion amounted to tion ofwar—not merely for de ! fending the country or. the frontier, but [ for carrying on a war against Spain. | What whs the situation of the country j when thus resolution was submitted? Defenceless indeed—We have at Spain would Jed there. If the persons alluded to by ( the gentleman from Virginia are now ! jin a combination with Spain, might ' they not have aKo been in a comb'ma- ! I tion ihen, and had we assumed a hos- J '. tile attitude might tiny not have acted ! ! with more effect than they can now : j There is nota doubt in my mind, that ; las soon aS it is proper, information will', ' be laid before us without calling for it. ; If such a resolution be carried to the' • dent he will 6 lelf bound jto communicate the wnole information j i in wi n and feel no \ that can be brought j ( against us in tjie Western country, f Our force there will be aoie to cope: ! with any that shall be embdßied agamst the U. S and the moment the man at I their bead shall declare himself hostile ' ,to the union, the very forces which he ised will turn their bay onets a-] Bt him ; tiiey will desert bun. it ; > all the ground that can be as-' d, 1 think \\ best not to carry this ! iv to he President. ! Ina few days we shall probably receive another western mail, and if the infer i mation then received shall not be sa tisiactory,or serious danger appears to exist, we may call for that information I which i no now m cessary. Mr. J. CLAY said this was the first , time that he had ever heard it stated , that newspaper information was p for legislative action. I">r this r< we are to w tit, it seems, until we get two or three more newspapers from the we tern country. He would ask if ; there ever were ideas so strangi n :'"•'. to a legislative body ;" lie said, he knew that it *as very fashionable I ; for the m : deuce in I nngiai rate ; but \ h wool-! isfc whfther ti*i« w a a c< r- ! i rect doctrine r Tiu corifctitutioo ■ fed the in.) r ant p • HVt of j war r • hrnnchehj oi t j sat tv b..n i }>\ oe that in the > xercke of these jjow- j ers th"s mi i,ul i depemj on : information ? Tiie we h d pa-.ved a !aw tor onal troop not have got tile v- 1 Mr. C. said thlstrai the f fir«rt time It ' i\i r hear ftcii oi: ■ a on for •■ •;. The g j v- i-y reas ■■>• i i - ti in . no bostih jut take the ;.' .n, the i • nd we i ' h-.ve eve rv reason to b< li : the year 173 >, th»t gove"i nmc.,i ha - in a conspirai , &. v- j ! nity of the U S. VVe know i . tion tli: minister of Sp .; ,in , eodetivored to make our inn i • i more limited bjuad .ry ol than tbatestaoi.slied by treaty. I Spain has never 1 ~-•; Sight ol thlsol imts by f.ir and l by f< al m pursue it. ■ t is l he object of this r< VVe find that gre>.t alarm txisi-,, parti cularly on t!:e Atlantic board. VVe find ! gciiLicuu i) ir-'o tne westward ci- i i tie r ignorant, or pretending to be ig j noran. ol the existence of any thing a- I harming. Under these circumstances, j ■ are without officii ii iutorma-j ■ We art told that li have j ' confidence in tl i\ c, we < jto rely on his giving us information as j j soon as it is pi i r. Ct sdd be j ! would submit whether this coroporteh ; j with the dignity pfa represent t'.ve, h j her it was pr per for bin tode-j ! pend on newspaper information. . AL- tON sa.id that all he had j ' observed in relati v to newspaperio-J .'■/ o what had been i I s.il n tie men on the ; . other side, iMr /. ChAY resumed his remarks ; ia r eiteiiug a few wads, dcCl I himself too on well Co proceed, and sat [t rem the severe cold with which he ■ was apparently oppressed, we with gi at difficulty collected, his remarks, which are probably but. imperfectly given,] Mr. BUM WELL said, on attending] to the resolution, be thotoght it ore that j was highly expedient to be adopted at j ibis tiia.:. Hi vieweditftsa call i ...-r.uiive for true .. lion of acts and measures on I which the peace of the union, perhaps, perfectly Imn > iii.n wfa if), r Strain, England, ince should be Implicated in the information gvn. ; wh< the whole or a part of these na tions Were com butd in tiie project. It was suffi him that of the country was threatened, tha minds of our citiz ms were al.u. and lhatthi; was the only brar <h < I to preserve the ■af the country, and traftqullliz the public mind. It was clear that dun- Id exist ; that t!ie peace ot the country w..s threatened by a lav. banditti, whose object was to viobu laws of the country, and to dismem ir the union, it was import,iht to know the extent of .1 lures, thHtthe legislature might be enabled to decide what -a., ps it was proper to take to i against them. There was a time, Mr. H fettid, when he should ' S ie obiibn. That time was whefi the executive was lyoring to gain information c lated to throw light on the plot ; but that time had passed by. All those en gaged in it must by this time be com |y enlisted and embarked in it, and nothing whl< hive shall n>w - oald extricate them trorn ig secured and punched as they dc- I served. Jf a resolution Were laid on ! the table for an enquiry into the nature j Ofthe pjf£, a thai ii ht pb.ee the men I '. in it on their guard, he .! be opposed to it. Bat was it nor known j !to every gentleman, that the pb.n whs" r matured th il the Information ! could not reach rle eonsrvJratnrs in tjmi ; t.» p event its execution. Suppose the ; executive "hall state to usi that certain j individuals were implicated. Can that | enftbl th an to elude punishment ? No, j they are fully embarked, and nothing j rem >ins for us to do, but t., take su< h as the case requires, Ann. j ther advantage won ■ from <h« I tion. Suppose the executive to i have taken every necess-iy measure, I am". 1 believe, said Mr. }). that they ' have to defeat these projects, what will 'be the consequence ? Will not this j information tend to tranquiiize the mind 'of every man in the country, Mr Bur- ' I well .sa.id he repeated, that it was b • ' ber.au»e he had confidence in the cxc '■ cutivc: magistrate ; because he wished for true and full Information on the •object, because the disclosure of per i sons implicated Cculd do no riiischi<d', | and because an official statement would ! tranqmbze the public mind, that he was in favour or the resolution. For | his part, he was ready to say that if : the executive gave information th.t I r j ore 1 an augmentation of our j tones, he was prepared to b.m the isary means for defedding the co in try, under the impression that it was j the dtfty oi every member to protect the Union from internal injury i reifii danger. Mr. MABTEHS Wr, Speaker. From tlve best information i have tO obtain, the conspiracy is yet | progressing with increase... ardour and if th' re was no v.- nspit t: n g, iter in the United I States, I believe it ; irsue ' more , the safety, on it of this nation, and n art, I' h not I th-- gov. )•< j tify hr . lo ; ally put In •.■•!> ;ir,,, »,, ~ 11 .S she noc i\ ci i n i Do S i i.c h crastinate and delay the pending ne pl oi:.i hly V ociatio - ; . Ireat . . 10 ■ th. r wen si ci ;i i v- or some other pn v .;._> I : 0 the committee reported the bill to authorize the Prerid ut to ac f v..l.mt' evs, J must confess I was i, because the n port con- I no clause for raising regular .. I therefore ailed on the com mitter, to know if that .waff the only \ the Commit* If it was, i thought It very iueffi< i ent i i ot state of affairs, both j intern.; 1 and external. I obtained no > r, but was informed it was in part.. ; 1 wi-,h to get the necessary informa tion from the executive, an ; to pursue actiye and efficient measures, and not .of die cup of oath nal degrada tion. TVi n. SMI LI li. We have had such a "i I'i'i-a. wnoi ai: situ ilion, that iam willing to go any proper lengtn. But I i am surprised to hear such a representa tion made, as wool | lead us to believe wo were on the eve of a war. It ibis representation be founded, it appears th it certain persons have been pi ipetu alt; intriguing, and have only waited for mi oppor unity to rti ike tin most deadly bl »w. F r one, however, 1 shall be to lihposed, as 1 always have been iudis j posed, to go into measures of a warlike icter, without'the most Sufficient 'tub ed my opinion h, that while the country is in a state of safety, we never ; ti'tdd commit it to the hor rors and hazard* of war. On either I side we have nothing but n wspaper | information with r gurd totlie cp.'a sen* I tation that h..s been drawn We know, | however, from a different source, thata .: has oet-n for some time de ! pending with Spain ; that that negocia | tion is not terminated; and that the ipi in, as well as our own, are frontier; .ml the "ommanders of troops have made an agreement not to di virb < aclj oi hi f until they shall have received Bpcci ! inStrui ti< ns. Do s this lot k like beingon the eve ol a war with Spain ? Surely not. And if not, why this extraordinary anxiety, on this occasion i i do not like the resolu tion, for this reason—ltbespeuks a want ol confidence in the executive. Con o declare war, provide the means for carrying it on—when provided, it is the constitu te to conduct low, lo.vv We notalri ady provided,, or are we .dot providing all the means that havo. bi en required . ? Do we doubt itj i the i.y. cutive toju ge of tue means n xesa try to be' gi ven, or oi bis v mgthem properly i Is it to be presumed that il the President it it 1,. : i ssary to apply for further means, lie wo»ld not have done so i No body c: ii l.oh. this opinion, who does not the integrity or ths capacity ofthe -•or. ii is his dtity to do this, and it lie has not done it, we trust consider him either ofjudgJug what is ary, or as guilty of something worse. An allusion his been made to the measures of the last session. It is re gretted by the gentleman from Virginia, his opinions w vt not adopted ; and he thinks he has a, right to triumph, be cause the same measures, which he ! then recoromendei , are novv found ne |cts.s..ry. Suppose the same measurea I should now be necessary, which he then di d—Which, however, 1 am ; &*»■ fl —are the circum -1 stances of the country the I amc i It will ;be recollected that cue of the purposes ] lor wh;cb that gentleman wished troops jto be rai."c, was to chastise Spain, 1 But ox opinion that it was then ne > > to cliasiiaeSpain ; and I am still. loi opinion that it i.s not n-icess iry to •. ,■' ..on ii- reason has been " d by that gentleman for those it seems those measures rented thir. internal con-' ■ spirac)'. It decs not, hawever, appear, 1 that we knew of the existence of, or iW any conspiracy, or had any ex pectation of such a thing; nor did the gentlem..u nine :|« apprehend or predict | it. it he had entert metisuch opinions, |it would certainly have la en kind to j have told us so. If, then, every thing ; on this subject was sn vague, are we to !be told that it was necessary to raise • troops to guard against a conspiracy I'that might happen seven years after j wards r In my opinion we ought not to I have railed additional troops the l.vst >ught we to raise them this j year, so long as things remain as ti.ey I are. At all events, I will never give my a time ol p< aCe to raise ! additional troopsj unless necessary for uty. j believe the m.litia and I volume-1., are abundantly sufficient for adexigencies, iwillhowe\tr saythit, that h it shoul ! l>ccomi.i» red ne< e»sary, ! from tie extension of guv territory, to raise a few additional troops, for garri soi ing our posts, / do not. know t iat it with my opposition. But as toraisii.g additional forces, with which to war with Spain, / have no idea lof it; and as to raising troops to Crush I any conspiracy that m.-.y exist, or bo apprehended, / s' c ifd : , cessity for it', /t is remarkable, that we nam any opinions in favor ire, when the \*ri a.lent, on w rests, insider it rt Mr. S. . at the re w: ich h Irawn ..it no ...cion ft be b. lo vi d thi ,'r si to thi perform* am •■ night be the more re dj i" ace. <!• to ji j hut, li lieving fully c impetud, he should veto