Newspaper Page Text
supported by Acm, in any event, to the last ex
tremity.
Their means of defence, of which they are ful
ly aware, arc, in pro/ irtion to their numbers, 1
greater perhaps than those of almost nay other
people, and the duration and events of tiie war
have strengthened the general determination nev-
1 erto submit to h'pain. 't his determination rests
Upon the recollection of former sufferings and de
privations ; upon a consciousness of their ability
to defend and govern themselves, and upon a con
Victkm that, in case of submission, on any tenn-
thev would, sooner or later, he made to feel tin-
vengeance of the mother country. These con
siderations doubtless have the most weight upon
the minds of those who have take, a leading part.
They of course use rfil their influence to enforce
them, and thus to keep up the spirit ol the revolu
tion. In this they probably have had the less dif
ficulty, as, although the sufferings ol the peopl
have been great, particularly in military service,
and in raising the contributions necessary for that
service, yet the Incubus of Spanish power being
thrown off, and with it that train of followers who
tilled up almost every avenue to wealth and conse-
cer ami the army to the country, belonged to the
military committee. Hut, so far as related to the
cases of Arbuthnot and Ambrister, these men
wore foreigners ; they were said to have claimed
to he British subjects, and it was thought
bv some tliat they owed a temporary allegiance
to Spainu in this case, then, the investigation ap
peared to belong to the foreign relation commit;
lee, as having a direct connection with their du
ties. The committee only wished that the house
should decide whether they were or were not to
examine the subject. If the house negatived the
tesolve, the committee of foreign relations would
consider it as the wish of the h*use that they
should not examine the subject.
The Speaker intimated his impression that the
whole discus-ion had been premature, and tlint
the original proposition, being one of mere refer
lutve gone into a discussion on ihis co,lateral que s-
tion, b> which no bounds could be assigned.
Mr. Cobb waved any further remarks lor the
'^The "question was then taken on indefinite
postponement of the resolution, and decided in
I he affirmative by a large majority.
ihsteSd of creating one-fur it was a f i
lie ted c that no son of a soldier, (b v "t|'.‘,, le 7“
meant not to include officer-,) | n ,| - m '"*
been educated at the military
4lion Blitoil tlmt if* M.. 'i
Thursday. December 10.
On motion of Mr. .1. S. Smith, it was resolved
That the secretary of Hie treasury he instructed
io lav before the house u statement of the progress
that'ha* been made under an act of Congress ol
the Si! of March, 1817, entitled “ An act to set
apart, and dispose of certain public lands, for the
encouragement of the cultivation ol tin; vine and
olive whether the lour townships, ol six miles
1| M mare each, have been laid off and reserved for
*’ ijti: ;i r i'i whether nny ns^unt or
ademy. Mr.'l’fl
’* nine '
- — - v ^/lfl
And that in all cases the
should prevail, he would move't'oadd the'n'i' Wlt
imr : “ And that in ...II l ' le ,0, *Qt
given to those whose parents are least vllw 6
ence tlld not authorise the range which hud been the purposeulor - • ,
■ .... agents, acting fur the French emigiants. have
taken in debate. Gentlemen oil nil bunds ap
ared disposed, lie thought, to anticipate the tie
mtracted for the said lands, and on what terms:
pcareu disponed, nc -tiioir’iii, in me tic- uum..
bate which would more properly take place at a i and whether such agent or agents are now i esu
different stage of the business, alter tire commit- ing on said lands ; together with the mimoei ol
. ° . . . TS I ... i.. 1. ...... .11.11 o l i,t I n!l. Oil I s MU
quencc, the higher classes have been atr .kened to ke| ,. blJt#sa motion lor i lu | e fi„ite postpone-
a sense of advantage they did not beior** ,,n,nu —i ....
tees should make their reports.
Mr. Cubb said, that his views on the subject of : said reservation, . ... ..
the latitude of debate were the same as the iSpea- made in the culture ot th-vine and olive.
" ‘ ' ' On motion of Mr. Sto - it was resolved, I hat
uente them
move an additional section requiring C a‘et
remain at the academy until the age of * "
five tears.
Air. Clay prefaced the motion he rose to
bv observing, in reply to the opnoi
bill, that it was a new thing to hear , • ,
rrsicv of the poor : he should not he snri v'to'
something like such an nrUtncracr, but he dH
not think the bill would be productive of tl.pt '
any other vaulable efleet. Relieving that if.. W
lection might he very well left with the secrete"
of war, in whom it was now vested, and, notf'Z
ing able to perceive that any good u.mhl croiv,,^*
ol this bi l, il passed, lie moved that the ”
tee rise
i French’emigrants tlmi have made settlements on tee rise, rep-ort progress, and then lot the LJ
said reservation, and the progress that has been get rid of the yvhole subject. *
. . t below: enjoy. mcn * w |,ich went to the principle of the question,,
They have seen their commerce freed from legal ( Mn# n(|u he thou-dit Himself called unon
rest’ - dots, their articles ot export become more
valuable, their supplies furnished at a lower rate, ; be w tj u ,
tiie President <d' the United States !»e requested
ivas now mode, he thought himself called upon to lay before this house copies ot any cniiespon-
1 lo state why he could not assent to it, audibly |<
pw.ei
deuce between the governor of the state qf Geor-
i.... .......... .... enquiry to proceed as propped, j gia and major .general AinVtv Jackson, lelative
and all the officers of government, or other era-, T1(e su jjj ect9 embraced by the resolutimi, lie said, ] to the arrest or other proceedings against captain
plovments, laid open to them itsfiur-objects ol j wm . two : the Seminole war, and the trials of; Obcd Wright, which may have been transmitted
Arbuthnot and Ambrister. Did this Seminole j to any of the executive departments of tiie Unt-
competiiion. The lower cia ses have' roond their
labor more in demand, and bettor paid lor; audi
their importance in society greater than it former
ly ivas.
They are yet, however, from their indolence,
general want of education, ami the gnat mixture
of ■■ c ut amongst them, in a degraded state, but
li tie felt in the affairs of the government, l ire
sti.n ilous n'ow given will operate to produce a
change in them lbr tile better, and it is to be pre
sumed, will gradually have its effects, as their do
cility, intelligence and activity, when called into
service, give evidence that they are not deficient
in natural or physical powers.
Labor, as it becomes more general, will become
less irksome to individuals, and the grad is! acqui
sition of property' which must necessarily res dt
from it.in such a country under a good govern
ment, will doubtless produce the happy effects
there which it h ts uniformly produced elsewhere,
and more especially in countries where the pop
ulation is small when compared to the extent ot
territory.
I am i cry sensible that I may have been led in
to errors of fact or inference. In that case 1 can
plead honesty of intention, and the difficulty of
collecting at a single point, and within a limited
time, correal information ; or of analyzing that
which was collected, respecting a people in a state
of revolution, who ara spread over an immense
country, and whose habits, institutions and lan
guage are so different from our own.
I have only to add, that vve were politely re
ceived by the Supreme Director, who made eve-
rv profession for our government, and every of
fer of accommodation to us, as its agents, which
We had a right to expect, and that the people, man
ifested on all occasions the most friendly dispo
sitions.
Congressional Proceedings.
war or these trials of Aibuthnot ami Ambrister
concern our foreign relations ? Were they like
ly to involve us in any disputes with foreign
powers, or to affect the relations ol this with any
other government ? if so, the subject belonged
properly to the committee of foreign i elutions.
Ilis own opinion was, Mr. (J. said, that these
matters had an intimate connection with our fo
reign relations. It was somewhat do'ubtful, he
continued, whether the whole of this war had not
been waged on unconstitutional principles. He
knew very well, he said, that it had heretofore
been urged in this house, ami was a received opi
nion, that, under a law now in existence, the Pre
sident could employ the military forte of tne U.
tates for tiie purpose of repelling invasion by
the Indians. Hut lie had never understood that
this power extended beyond the limits of the ter- j amount : Also, what descriptions ol paper have
This motion prevailed, and (lie bill bcin»r» I
ported to the house, ttie committee was refii. il
leave, to sit again ; and the bill was laid ^
table.
on the
Friday, December 11.
REDUCTION OK THE AH MY.
Mr. Williams, of North Carolina, after rred
ling tiie recollection of the House to the fart th- 1 [
at the session before the last he had proposed *’ I
resolution for the reduction of the- army, nnnmin-"
cod his intention to renew that proposition. }f c I
yet thought the measure necessary. l n a ]’i f I
ted States.
On motion of Mr. Campbell, it was resolved
That a select committee he appointed to reporti
bin for taking the fourth census or enumeration J countries that standing armies are dangerously
of the inhabitants ol the United States. | liberty, was a truth geuer iily admitted, and
The-house resumed the consideration of the re-. this country particularly, solemnly recognized-. I
solution, submitted by Mr. Simkins, on the 7th ; U i this belief, lie said, he had grown up ; i„ t 'i~
inst. which was amended to read as foil wy and belief he had lived. His opinion as to the oxw.
was adopted : Unsolved, that the secretary ol dicney of reducing our present military forco rr
the treasury be requested to lay before this hoesc ' " ■ • • . . .
a statement of the sales, public ami private, of
public lands northwest of the river Ohio,the pur
chase money which lias not been fully paid ; the
credits given on such sales ; the sums which have
been paid thereon ; those which are now due, and
the periods at which they become so : whether a-
ny instalments are yet to fall due, and to what
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Wednesday. December 9.
The house having proceeded to tta considera
tion of the resolution yesterday rmwed bv Mr
tfoimes, as amended on motioii^L Mr. Cobb, in
the following words :—“ RestilmVT'Imt the com
mittee on military affairs be discharged from the
further consideration of so much of the Presi
dent’s message as relates to the trial of Arbuth-
fint and Ambrister, and trie conduct of the war
with the Seminole Indians : and that the same lie
referred to the committee on Foreign Relations,
vrith instruction- to enquire whi ther, in said
trials, the constitution ond law- of the United
States, or the law of nations, have been violated
Mr. Poindexter nur eil to postpone the further I action.
consideration of the resolution until Monday
alleging as a reason for the motion, that the docu-
Hii ot- were not in possession of the members,
not being yet printed for the use of the bouse ;
the publication ..f them in a newspaper was not a
proper ground for the house to art on. Were
the resolution fora reference merely of the sob-
jei t to this nr that committee, as originally pro
posed, he should have felt, he said, perfectly in
different respecting it Hut, since the amend
ment by way of instruction to the committee, an
emphasis had been given to the motion, and a
bearing by implication, which made it necessary
to act on it cautiously, and with a full under
standing of the subject. He was not prepared
to pronounce an opinion, even by way of specific
instruction to a committee, until the documents
on which that opinion must he founded were offi
cially in his possession. If however, the subject
was not postponed, lie should move additional in
structions, rendered necessary by the amend
ment.
Mr. Cubb said, as an inducement to the house
not to postpone the consideration of the resolve,
that,on examining further into trie subject, he had
discovered that the amendment agreed to on his
suggestion did not go far enough, ami that fur
ther amendment had become necessary. With
this view he had prepared some other amend
ments, which lie would move if the subject was
now taken up. Mr. C. added, that he saw no
rea-.on for waiting for documents ; the proposed
enqii.n related to subjects referred to in the Pre-
side.nt’s message—and it was the usual and com
mon course to refer the various subjects of the
message to committees, before the documents ac
companying it were printed.
Mr. Holmes said, that the committee of Fo
reign Relations had thought the matter properly
within the pale of their duty ; but, having seen
that it was specially referred to another commit
tee, he had thought it proper to endeavor to ob
tain the sense of the house whether the subject
ought to be examined by the committee of for
eign relations or not. The truth is. said Mr. H.
we have had a war without the limits of the U.
States, which has been carried on somewhat with
in the territories of a nation at peace with us.—
The conduct of the commanding general was a
subject into which it might be proper for the
house to examine; so far as respected his military
conduct, that part of the subject belonged to the
militarv committee. So as to the Seminole war
Whatever regarded that war, with reference to i
iijjljtnrf eomluct, and to the relatione of the offi-
ntory ol the United Stales. It was yet a ques
tion, whether, under the plea or pretext of an ill
usion from without tiie lun.ts of the L r . States,
our army could he ordered without the limits of
the United States To prosecute a war even w ith
the Indian tribes, llut. il this power did actu
ally exist, it followed, that the Pre-ident of the
United States could declare a war without tiie as
sent of Congress, unless the conclusion was
drawn, that it was not war to send a detachment
of our army to carry on operations beyond our
own limits, it is either war, said Mr. C. or it is
..ot war. if it is, Congress, under tire constitu
tion, alone have authority to make it. If it he
not war, said he, and we must give it some other
name, let i- be called a man-killing expedition,
which the President has a light to direct whenev
er lie pleases. It presented a question on which
it was lugii time some principle should be estab
lished, it no such rule had existed heretofore —
Mr. C. acknowledged that at. the last session this
question might have been brought forward. That
it was not, however, was no reason why the house
should now act equally erroneously. It was time
to settle the question whether the President could
make or carry on war, against any nation, savage
or civilized, without the authority of Congress.
But another important question was embraced by
the resolution on the table, which it was now pro
posed to postpone. The President, tie said, had
informed tne house that a w ai bail been carried
on by our troops on the Spanish territory, in the
course of which St. Maiks and Pensacola had
been occupied. In the same message in which
this lad was announced, the President had told
Congress, that tiie commanding general bail been
led lo tiie occupation of those post- by facts which
came to his knowledge whilst on the theatre of
Mr. C. said lie wished to know what
been received ; and what is now receivable in
payment for said lands.
The house resolved itself into a committee of
the whole, Mr. If. Nelson in the chair, on the
bill, reported at the last session, “ lor the admis
sion of cadets into the military academy [di
recting that in all applications for the admission
of cadets into the military academy at M'est
Point, a preference shall he given to the sons ot
officers and soldiers who were killed in battle, or
who died in the military service of the United
.Stales in the late war; and that a further prefer
ence shall he given to those least able to educate
themselves, and best qualified for the military
profession.]
Mr. Smith, of Md. moved to amend the bill In-
striking out the last clause, “ directing a further
preference to be given to those least able to edu
cate themselves, ami best qualified for the milita
ry profession,” remarking that he saw no reason
for the preference, and until he heard something
convincing in favor of tiie discrimination, he
should remain of opinion that it ought to be strick
en from the bill, See.
Mr. Strother addressed the committee at con
siderable length, in opposition to tiie object of the
bill, urging chiefly that it was sanctioning a pre
ference of a particular profession, and thus* cre
ating privileged order in the community ; that it
was virtuall y declaring an unnecessary jealousy
of tiie discretion now vested in the war depart*
these lacts were; and, inasmuch as this could not
hut he a pr ceeding affecting our relations with a
foreign power, it appeared to him properly to be
long to tiie committee of foreign relation
quite into it. Air. U. said he knew tiie reason
which tiie newspapers had given for this proceed
ing. It was, that Spain, being a neutral power,
liad failed to control the Indian hostility to us
from within her limits. Hut the subject lor en
quiry was, who was responsible for this proceed
ing against the Spanish possessions? Who was
to answer to the world for it r Was it not the
nation at large ? Was it contended that this bur
then could at pleasure he shifted from the shoul
ders ot the nation to that of an individual ? If
not, it became necessary to enquire whether the
measure had been authorized bv the constitution
and laws of the United States.' Has the Presi
dent of the United States, (said Mr. Cobb,) di
rected the, Spenish posts to lie taken ? If not, bail
any subordinate officer a right to take them ? He
was free to say, that the President was right in
saying that he had no authority to direct the tak
ing or retaining them ; and he was equally free
to say, tnat he who did direct it had violated the
constitution of the United States. The pretext
ol the violation ol her neutrality by Spain, Mr.
C. said, was no excuse for the art. If she had
violated her neutrality, it was the business of the
nation, and not of any particular officer of the
army or of the government, who cho se to take
it into his hands. These suggestions he threw
out, to shew the propriety of tliis subject’s being
referred to the committee of foreign relation'.—
He had discovered, he said, from the message of
the President, that he disclaimed the power of
occupying the Spanish posts. But, Mr. C. said,
if the doctrine were once tolerated, that, under
the cloak, if he might ho express it, of prosecut
ing a war against an Indian tribe, a military offi
cer may, without the authority of Congress, pro
ceed to hostilities against a foreign nadRii, be
cause they took part with the Indians, it was es
tablished that there was a mode of making war
with a foreign nation, without Congress declaring
it. \\ ith any man of consideration, it must be
a matter of some consequence, that a war could
he waged without the consent of the Representa
tives of the nation. AVeseeat once, said Mr.
C. that that part of the constitution is nugatory,
and does not protect the nation from being in
volved in war without its consent.
The Speaker here interposed. He had hoped,
he said,at least alter the gentleman’s concur
rence in ojiinion with the chair, that he would nut
Wednesday, December IS,
Passenger ships.—The hill to regulate pa«pn.
ger ships and vessels, came next in order, Mr. I
Livermore in the chair. Mr. Newton explained
the necessity of this bill, and the nature of in I
provisions. The great object of it was, lie said, j
to give to those who go ami come in passenger
vessels a security of sufficient food and conicni-1
ence. Ill consequence of the anxiety to emi
grate from Europe - to this countrj, the enptaini
secure of .a freight, were careless of taking tiie
necessary quantity of provisions, or of restrict-
iug the number of passengers to trie convenience
their ships afforded. To show how necessary
such a bill as this has become, one or two facts
would suffice. In the year 1817. five jiiousand
persons had sailed for this couotr, from Antwerp,
Vc. of whom one thousand died on the passage.-
In one iiictance a captain had sailed from a port
on that coast, with 1207 passengers, tin
his voyage, he put into the Texel, previous to
doing which four hundred had died ; after being
on the passage to our shores, before the vessel
arrived at Philadelphia, three hundred more had
died. The remainder, when the ve-'-el readied
Newcastle, were in a very emaciated state,
and food, from which
many f them afterwards died. Many ntherev
ese would suffice to -
sliow the absolute necessity of provisions such U
Messrs. Harrison and Johnson ofKv. replied- f l,ose ,,f tllis bi,l > The hill restricted the nw
to the objections of .Messrs. Smith and'Strother : fc„ o1 Pagers to wo lor every live ton b p
s'ating that the bill had been repotted in pur-!, l . " , hi Great II11.1111 ori
nuance of a resolution adopted on he motion nfj l,nt °" e " f bcc " : ' i , /" cd « •'very hve tom: d
a late distinguished member ol this house (Mr. ’•
en „ i Robertson of Lou.) ; that the provisions of tiie 1
bill appeared to he required bv the original pur
pose of the institution: that instead of creating
m lined unaltered by the events which had ekmJ
ed since he before suggested it—he might ?a V I
lie added, it had been confirmed, lie ^hml not!
thought proper at the last session to introduce this I
resolution. He had waited in the hope thatsenu I
gentleman better qualified to sustain it should I
the motion : in that hope, he had so f.u - waited at I
the present session. Nooue having undertake* |
" hat lie now conceived his rtv, he moved •< That I
the committee on military affairs lie instructed to I
enquire into the expediency of reducing the ar
my of the United States.”
Mr. W.- not w ishing to hurry the motion, it I
was, at his request, ordered to lie on the table,
meat, implying an opinion that it was not exerci
sed proneriv ; and would moreover preclude it k”"" , ..
r 1 | .... . I ,1 trom the want of xvatci
from selecting the most ht and mc-t worthy;
and was preventing the true object of tiie insti- . , . , , , , ,
tuthm, which was established for the general!
benefit, See.
aristocracy, it would tend to counteract any such
tl.ing, as the object* to he selected were from that
class of the community whose pecuniary circum
stances repressed any tendency towards undue
influence, &c.
The question on Mr. Smith's motion was de
cided in the negative.
Mr. Taylor observed, that, notwithstanding
what had been said in defence of this bill, its ef
fect was certainly to create a privileged order
in the country ; that, though the selection pro
posed might be expedient and laudable to a cer
tain extent, there was no doubt that the depart
ment now vested with the selection would keep
in view, as far as was proper, the principle pro
posed ; but it would in his opinion be highly im
proper for congress by a formal act to sanction
such a distinction. In lieu therefore of the pro
visions at present proposed by the bill, he mov
ed the following, as a substitute: “That Ca
dets shall hereafter be admitted into the militarv
academy at West Point, from the respective
states and territories, and from the District of
Columbia in proportion to the militia returns
thereof.”
Mr. Harrison again protested against the as
sertion that this bill fostered a particular order of
men : it might as well Iw said that the charitable
appropriations for Sunday schools established a
privileged order ;—it was no such thing—the bill
proposed a benefit to be bestowed chiefly on the
poor descendants of those who had served their
country, <§‘c.
Mr. Taylor replied, that if there were Sunday
schools to be paid for out of the public treasury,
as this academy was paid for, he should object,
as he did now, to its expenditure for a particular
class : he should wish, in such a case, the benefit
to be general, as he did in this.
Mr. Southard combatted the idea trial this hill
went to establish any aristocracy : it would have
tiie contrary effect, by giving to the poor their
portion of the benefits of an institution now con
fined chiefly to the rich, who sent their sons there
to be educated free of expense, <£c.
Mr. Harrison reiterated bis objections to tin
amendment, and observed, in addition to what l>.
had submitted already, that the design of this bill
was really tw get rid, of a practical aristocracy,
had been of opinion that t lie scale ofone to every
two tons and a half would afford every neersia-
rv acronimodalion. With regard (» the other
sections of the bill, tliev were generally siiml.tr
to those of trie act respecting seamen, by "hick
a captain is obliged to take on boairl a certain
quantity of water ond bread fur each seaman
employed.
No objection being made to the bill, it was or-
dered to be engrossed for a third leading.
SENATE.
Friday, December 11.
Mr. Tait presented the memorial of trie Ler‘ -
laturo of the territory of Alabama, petitionin' 11
permission to form a constitution and state govern
ment, and to be admitted into the union on an
quid footing with the original states.
Orphan's Property for Sale, Hire and Bt*f<
O N Friday the first day of January next, will
be hired to the highest bidder, near the coin!
house in Milledgeville, ten likely Slaves, anion?
whom are men, women, boys anil one infant, a*
the property of Misses Elizabeth and Obedience
Lowe, daughters ami orphans of Obaffiali I-nwe,
late of Baldwin county, deceased. Terms-"
Notes with approved security, two full and com
plete suits of clothes, a blanket for each, treat
ment according to the laws of this state, and *
return of the property on or before the 1st of Ja
nuary, 1820. Also at the same time and pl* 1 ^
the plantation whereon Obatliali Lowe, deceased*
formerly lived, adjoining Scott, Bivins am)
others, will be offered lor rent, and a quantity n]
corn and fodder offered for sale. Terms of rent
and sale made known on the day.
Abner Lo 'che, ^uarili^
December 20. m
A N election Will be hcl»*. at the courthouse" 1
i\ Milledgeville, on \hc first Monday, in
uary next, for a member to fill the vacancy in
Congress, occasioned by the removal of Jm 16
Forsyth, esip to the Senate of the U. States.
Justices of the in
ferior court-
l'\ancis Jeter,
James Fleming•, A
Win. Itivins. ‘ J
SALT.
[UST received from Darien and for sale, -U
Doc
bushels ground Alum S?a!t. .
eC. 14V fsttiK Poierr-