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about the French possessions of Louisiana, as visionary and idle. Twenty years must roll over our heads before France can establish in that country a population of 200,CCO souls.... What in the mean time will become of your southern and western states? Are they not advancing to greatness with a giant's strid? The western waters will then contain on their borders millions of free and hardy republicans, able to crush every during invader of their rights. A formidable navy will spring from the bosom of the Atlantic states, ready to meet the maritime force of any nation....with such means, what will we have to fear from the arts or the arms of any power, however formidable? I cannot, sir, but acnire the difference between the honorable gentleman from Pennsylvania and my honorable colleague, and how much the latter out-strips the former in the magnitude of his conceptions. The one advocates the resolutions to chastise an infraction of treaty....the other to maintain the balance of power....The one proposes to seize New Orleans; the other, New Orleans, the Floridas, and Louisiana....The one wishes to obtain and fortify the right of deposit; the other, to acquire an immense territory....The one is for vindicating the injuries of our western brethren; the other, rising on his muse of fire, is for avenging the wrongs of all mankind! However the honorable gentlemen may differ in other respects, they agree in professions of the warmest support of the executive, if the executive will follow their advice and pursue their plan. The honorable mover, carried away by the ardor of his feelings, has promised us, that he will play the orator....he will go among the people and stir up mens' blood. "Then he will talk, good gods how he will talk!"...and after the minds of men are excited to a proper pitch by his cloquence, he will then play the soldier....he will march with his countrymen to the tented field! Like another Cincinnatus, he will relinquish the sweets of domestic life; and like another Curtius, leap into the gulph to save his country! My honorable colleague will not, indeed, proceed so far; but he has kindly promised us the aid of his oratory and the benefit of his counsels, although he cannot afford us the strength of his arm....And they pledge not only their own services, but the co-operation of all their political friends in the glorious crusade! The well disciplined and well marshalled myrmidons, will follow their illustrious chief to victory or death.... All will be united in support of the administration....the disagreeable collisions that we now experience will be done away; and if we only admit their wooden horse within our walls, they

will retire from the seige, and leave us in quiet possession of the government! We thank the gentlemen for their kind proffers. We assure them that we will vindicate the honor of our country, but we will take our own time, and do it in our own way. We cannot consent to receive the dictation of the minority; and highly as we respect the wisdom of their sages, and the prowess of their warriors, we must dispense with them, if we cannot obtain them without the surrender of independence.

It is far from my disposition, sir, to insult over fallen men. Adversity is with me ever sacred, and I consider a great man struggling in the storms of fate, as a sight upon which the gods may look down with admiration. The two honorable gentlemen are soon to leave this house, and to retire into private life. One of them, my honorable colleague, has told us so more than once, or I should never have mentioned it. I sincerely wish them, in their retirement, all the happiness they can wish themselves. I hope that they will enjoy otium cum dignitate; but let me, sir, ask them, is it proper in them, at the time of their departure, to prescribe a course of action for those who are to follow them? Is it generous? Is it candid? Is is magnanimous in them to strew thorns and briars in the paths of their successors? To plant spring guns and man traps in their walks? To scuttle the ship they are about quitting; and to leave behind a dreadful legacy of death and destruction? I appeal to their own feelings, and to the feelings of every man who hears me, for an answer.

Mr. Ross thought he had given a very precise definition of major and minor rights; he considered the deprivation of the ordinary means of a country's subsistence, to be the deprivation of a major right; it was an essential right, and the definition was in point. This right has been cut off, and it was as much an aggression as if the whole means of subsistence of the union, instead of the western country, was involved. If then it was of this character, was it unreasonable? was it unjust? would it not rather be both just and reasonable to employ force to seize upon and repossess ourselves of a right of which we were unjustly deprived? Ought we not to seize and to hold, until our security was established against danger of all further encroachment. The gentleman from N. York, (Mr. CLINTON) certainly misunderstood him on what related to the British treaty. He did say that when GENET was recalled, the British recalled their November orders, and the President then agreed to treat. He had been misconceived also in what regarded the troops; for government did certainly direct a large

body of troops to fall down the Mississippi; not lieut. Pope's detachment, for he was long before on the Ohio; but troops were ordered from Tennessee to move downward; and had not the treaty been in consequence executed, and the line run, they would have executed it with the sword.

Mr. MORRIS said that it appeared to be discoverd that he had contemplated engaging the United States in the restoration of the balance of power in Europe. Wonderful discovery! He had barely read an extract from the law of nations, which states, that the invasion of the rights of one nation, has a tendency to destroy the balance of power; his desire extended no farther than the undertaking of a bold measure, which may save us from the danger of internal war. He had been charged with a want of politeness....he conceived that he had shewn both benevolence and politeness.

Mr. Ross. Gentlemen question what I assert as to the disposition of Spain to do our citizens justice. I did before say, and I do now say, that no man ever did, nor do I think any man ever will obtain justice for the injuries done by Spain.

Mr. CLINTON. As to the gentleman's opinions, he may possess internal evidence, to him more convincing than even a knowlege of facts to the contrary; what he had first asserted, was, that Spain had shewn a disposition to do justice, nay, that so she had promised. The gentleman wishes to impress an opinion on the Senate, that Spain has refused to do us justice. Now, whatever internal evidence the gentleman may rely on, and however positive he may have been, or now be, I say that Spain has not refused.

The question being at length called for, on the motion of Mr. BRECKENRIDGE, for striking out the first section of the resolutions proposed by Mr. Ross, the Yeas and Nays were required, and taken as follows:

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On the question for striking out the remaining parts of the resolutions, the question was also taken, and carried by the same votes on each side.

The question being then called for on the adoption of the amendments proposed by Mr. Breckenridge, the yeas and nays were called for, and the votes were as follows:

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After the question was taken,

Mr. HILLHOUSE said he was opposed to the resolutions on a ground that he thought proper now to mention; the calling out of the militia of the eastern states, would be a very serious injury to them; he wished, as they were always well officered and disciplined, that they should not be called out; they were too distant. He hoped that in reporting the bill, some amendment would be made, so as to limit the portion of militia to be called out; he did not care whether the line was the Potomac or the North river.

Mr. WRIGHT. The gentleman from Connecticut was very liberal, so were all the gentlemen, of professions and zeal for the western people. We now see how far it extends ....it extends exactly to professions, and no more; for the gentleman tells you, he does not care whether the Potomac or the North river is to be the boundary, which means, in other words, do not call upon us people of Connecticut for any thing but our professions, you shall have them in abundance, and our prayers too; but as to our militia, they are so well officered and disciplined, that it would be cruel to call upon them to march south of the North river, or at farthest, the Potomac.

The resolutions were referred to Mr. BRECKENRIDGE, Gen. JACKSON, and Gen. SUMPTER, to bring in a bill or bills accordingly.

The house then adjourned.

FINIS.

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