Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume], February 04, 1801, Image 1

About Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803

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.][NTELLIGENCEK
foL- 'I.) _ - IVEDNESDA Y, FEBRUARY 4; 1801.
4 _ ---...
[No. 45.
.___si.-—si-ss— __*77 77
For szsive-rþool.
ss The Ship POLLY,
Capt.SAIV1.HANCOCK,
i will take FRElCHT for li
velzpcȝol. __ Terms may be
known !) ' en mrmg 01
- ) q- R. '.I' HOOE &) Co.
]anusslssy 16. d
"si Salt?! by Audzon. *
, Onsi SATURDAY next,
At ten o clock, will be fold at the Auc
ct tion Room on Union Street,
Sugar in blls.
Candles m boxes,
'lobacco m kegs,
Cofsee m bags,
Saltpetre m bags,
Raisins m boxcs,
'- Grapes m jars,
Almonds m blls.
Oranges m boxes,
Anchovics m kegs and boxes,
Togetl-er With a quriet of
DRYGOODS
Among fw/nc/J are
_W.iltcss)n and Scotch Carpct
ing, stxsiiped and plain Coatings, Kcrseys,
Plains, Flanm-zls,P rose Blankets, Broad
cloths, Kexseymercs, worsted Hosc, Du
!Jnts, mens fine Hats, Irish and Ger
man Line ns, Humhums, Muflins, &c.
HFNRY U 'HIOS. MOORE,
_January 2 9. - ' Altctwnec 7 :.
Pu-OZZC bssale. T ss
On FRctIDAY next,
At to '0 clock, will be Sold at the Ven-_.
,due Store,
BROWN SUGAR
' '"In hhd d.s tierces and barrels—an a Credit
andfor Cash.
,ssTensiergffZz Wzne zn {zzþes and
. caucs,
Catalonia do. in
ctpipes,
French 'Brandy ' sido.'
Whiikey in bls.
" ffee in begs,
Hyson and Bohea'Tea in chefls,
.- ailjns in kegs, '
, Soap and Ca'ndles isin-boxes,
ss' obacco,
Nails, Hardware, &c.
ct Also, :: quantigy of
D GOODQ .
Can: in 0
, tinQsiZJclcisiPlancs, Flan
sie : sishct Linen: and Sheeting, Ozna
boren, Silks ayd- Sattins, Calicoes, bo_ok
, jaconet muflins, t'amboui-ed and-plam,
"" FzsictHats; Paper, &c.
si P. ,G. MARSTELLER,- _
. Auctiafleer.
" mix,- . about, 14- years
si, is Ft': dnlof- rtfltablc confusion:; wall
" ;;ctm 'asiszdpmutimsict actt sitbe gffi'ce gf the
ver!" ' .
flanuar
si Congrgss of the United State;.
Hovsxsi: OF REPRBSENTATXVES.
_ _ WEDNESPAY ]anuary 21.
siSEDlTION LAW.
Hyu/Zsi in cammictee, Air. ]Worris if: the chair.
( ]VI r. IIsi-zrper's Spoecb concluded.)
The last instance is brought from Rich
mond. There too, according to gentle
men, & person indicted under this act, was
denied the opportunity of producing evi
dence in support of his justification. Let
it be recollected, Mr. Chairman, that this
person wasindicted for a libcH so atroci
ous, that no person except its author, has
yet been found profligate cnoogh to de
send or-even to quoke it. A llbcl not on
the administration merely of this govern
ment, or on the government itself, but on
the nation, the constitution, our independ
ence, the war of our rcvolution, the putri
ots who conducted it, the character of our
people and country , and on the American
"
name. A libcl on every person and thin
that is American, except the individual,
whom alone it dishonours by its praise ;
whom it disgraces as far as disgrace can
be inflicted by the commendatissorctl of the
wicked ; whom it places alone on that bad
eminence, where. not even a generous ene
my could wish to see him stand. A libel
sir, which has made its supporters blush;
which they have {eduloufiy endeavorcd to
soppress est it should dishouor the cause
which it was intended to defend; which
they have made to shun the light, and
passed secretly from hand to hand, lest
it should produce repulsion in the minds
of those whom it was their wish to se
duce. This, sir, was the libel for which
the person in quefiion was indictcd, and
which he had the cssrontery to say that he
wished to prove, by the testimony of hon
orable men. He wished to call men of
character into the court, and insult them
by asking them (m their oaths, whethcr'
" The Prospect Before Us" was true.
Is there one man on earth, sir, profligate
and hardcned enough, to sa'y that hcfibc
lieves it? Would che gentleman whom he
pretended that it was his wish ,to sum.
mon, have appeared in court, and said thai
they believed what the book contained?
-No, sir. One of'them was in Richmond,
and was summoned. He, sir, is a man of
houorable feelings, of a manly character,
whose political prejudicbs and party ani.
mosities, strong as they 'are, never betray
ed him into :: mean, a little or paltry acti
on.' He was summoned, and what did he
answer? ", Let the scoundrel run away and -
I will payhis secognizance ; butasss to a -
pearing for him in court, thar would ct
toossmuch." This issaid to-have been his ss
ansycr ; and whether he gave it or not, 4
certain it is that he did not attend. The
other perfons proposed to be summOned
were within reach, and .migbtfbave );an
!
1 'lsi Tbe Pr-g/þect befirj Ul. , _ ct
!
.—-.....ss..__ .. ——
Phasij. 'What did the court say? " You
shall have acontinuance till next termsif
you entitle yourself to it according to the
rules of law} by disclosing to the court, on
affidavit, the matter which you expect to
prove by these witn'csi'es, and shewing that
it is material. Even without complying
with these terms, you shall have a post
poncmem, m daysito day, in order to pro
cure yoxnfxsijtnesses, as long as the time a]
ss lowed for the setting of the court will admit. :
s But of this indhlgence. no use was made.
No effort {yas made to procure the wit
ncsses during the sitting of the court. 1
That was? not the object. The object1
was to gossilpone the trial till the" next
court, under the pretence of the absence
of witnefl'ejs; and the court recollecting
thc lsshiladctelphia case where anattempt1
was made to practice a similar trick, were I
on their guard,-and very proPerly resolvedl
to defeat 1t They resolved to bring onl
the tria1,- ussfnlesa proper and legal grounde;
sora conLt'qmance should be shewn. As
this could rsstot be done, the trial was bro't
on, and the Party convicted by an honest,
retpomzagefana independant jury.
So mtizsicli, Mr. Chairman, for the --0p.
preflions eii'ercised under this law;, and-for '
the objections to its_expcdiency.
-As to the question of conflitutionalitysi
it has been waved by gentlemeti very
properly, in my -.0pinion ; and I certain
ly shall not enter into it. The constituct
tionality, os'the law has been. on man
former occasions, triumphantly established
by arguments to which not even the sem-_
hlance of an answer has been given. In-si
deed, sir,] have never so lowly appreciated
the understandings of those who have cia
mored- about the unconfiitutionality of this
act, as to suppose that they themselves be
,' 'eved in their objections. I have ever
'ionsidered those objections merely as in
ruments for working on the public mind,
Is party expedients for exciting dlflontent
against those in power, and paying che
Way for their dismissal. I have ever con
sidered the constitutionality of the (edition
act, as a mere stalking horse, behind
which to fight cheadminisiration. ] be.
- lieve that i-t-has always been so considered
,}zy_those who have used it ; {by those who
sscthavc- most gladly grasped, . and most si
. - [—
induflrsstoully wielded, a weapon whereby "
they hoped to demolish the power of their
positical adversaries, and epen the way,
for their own.
Hence, sir, and hence alone the-elamors
about the unconstitutionality of the sedition
act. IIenee, and hence alone, the odious
epithets which have been heaped-upon it,
and the tales sabricated about opprefsiom
exarsicised in the course of its execution.
Hence the charge that eongresd had no
power to make a proyision,lwhicsih kesis on
ss the same principle whereon are founded}
neatly one-third of the laws of our-codey
and whieh cannot be-diffinguished, and has,
newe; been attem ted to 'bcdifiinguished,
s from the first se ion of the (me act, ;the
fifflkon- against siseditiomsi W- abpssut
'—
m..
v '—
C-"--c—uo . . _.---——* .—_—-.*-———
' the constitutionality of which a dssoubt has
never. been raised. 'sssi
We. are told, sir, that the people have _'
condemned this act; that the,;eople, assi—
' one gentleman has eloquently eitpresied it,
" have declared their disapprobation in
avoice osthunder." Sir, gentlemen de.
ceive themselves. They have indeed tho't
this reason a good one, and have proved
that they thought so by the industry where
with they have used it. But they greatiy
? over-rated_ its effects, which they measure
si by the erring flandard of their own zeal.
Let it be remembered that this act was
passed in the spring '9Ssi, and -in—the sum
mer and autumn of that year, and the spring
of the next, when the clamour against this
ctlaw was fresh and-high, the Americnn na
tion was called upon to exPress by agone
ral election, itssense of the conduct of its
.tcpresentatives. Let it be remembered,
that the persons who were instruments] in
pasiing this law, never received higher or
"more general proofs .- of the approbation
and considence of their country, than in
this election. -A change, gentlemen say,
.nas uncc happened. .-ltss this change be any
thing more than apparent, orat most a tem.
porary fluctuation in popular sentiment,,it
is owing to far other causes than the sedi
tion act; causes which need not now be
discussed. Suffice it to say, that this act
has received the highest and most repent
ed proofs of approbation on the part of
the,.American nation ; and that, indufiri.
cufly as the clamour againstit has been eig
cited and kept up, that clamour has neve'r
extended beyonj .cersstain ,parts of the
country. ' '
'We.are .cal-led on, sir, let the reasons
why this act should now be continued. I
will give my reasonssimoff freely. Whether
they be the same with those which actuate
the conduct of other-gentlemcn, I know
not, but inmy mind they deserve all con
sideration. ] wish to tevivethis law, sissr,
as gsishield for the liberty of the press, and
the freedom oft} inion,; .as a'ct pt'ojection to
myself and tho (: with" ctwhonj I have the
happiness and the honor tdthink on pub
lic affairs, should we at "any fittnsire 'tssinje,
be found by the( itnbecility or the mistake:
or any mture aummzuratmn m this 'coun
try, to commence anct. opposition against it;
not a factiousssprofligawsidmd Funprinciplcd
oppositision, fouqdedctpn ;falshood "and this.
representation, and 'cht'chi'n'g at the pasiZOns
'-and she reju'dices of the moment; "but a
manly, signified, candid and pattiotic Op
ctposisitiun, addressed to' --the good sense and
.virtne of .thesi nation, ctand t-si-sting on 'the
basis;os argument and truth. Shouldctshat
stimecver arrive, aassic may arrive; tho'. ] ba :.
nestl pray that'it may.not,_l'w-ish wcthssave
this Lw whicssh alloWs the tract: sito bc'sig'iven
winsievsiidence on ipdictmems for libels' ; I wish
to have this by aapfshicld'gssssth-n ifictiifled
;mysclf, for mlnfly Jssnd cadeFlcty sscxp'dsing
the errors of governmssentctafid the lnsicapm.
city of those who govern, Ict 'wishssrctsiz be
embled, by this low, to 33 b'efljfl; liar)
of-mysicgppuy, siagd sqxctct tsivi'bgt-DZ; ve
(} is & (
I