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JOHN RANDOLPH. The conduct of this gcn'l'-man I.a < of luff*. exfPp'l iinrqromon a‘tr-n'i<in in thf* United States penerallv, end this state in pirn mlnr> As n representative from Virginia, parliament ary tnlcn f e of the first order, & endowed with a mind above the ordinary capacity nf Itumtn na ture, h has long attracted the notice due to hit exalted station and superior merit. As the ehttnaptonof our rivi! rights in ’9B, he opposed with manful per severance, the rap'd strides for arbitrary power, and the thirst for blond, which marked the annals of Mr. Adams’ administra tion, emphatically denominated the reign of terror. In those days which a second time tried the onls of Americans, Mr. Randolph exhibited an ardor, an enthusiasm in the cause of liber ty and the tights of man, becoming the representative of a free people. He combated the j encroachments of John Adams , on our rights, and successfully shielded his country from barba rous inroads of i deralism. Look at the political standing ! of Mr. Randolph in 1798, and 1805 —7—wh .fa dereliction ol principle! ‘ What a falling oil was tlv-we, nrrv eouotrvmrn!’ — Once tire ‘ shield and bticklei ’ of eur national faith—he ‘s now siink, even in the es'imation of himself. What a con r.eu—what it lesson does the tureer ol this voting man afford to the youth of our country, who may bee- ; mulous'io tread honor’s bright est path, in ihe acquirement ot fame, and the applause ot pos terity. In 1798 Mr. Randolph was almost idolised by Ins fellow* citizens—for his temper had not been soured by the corroding in fluence of disappointed hopusr — hts projected trip across the At lantic, for the recovery of his healih, by k”,i ng the s hand , had not been frustrated by tii President’s refusal to appoint him minister at the court ot Loin* dm. Phis important occurrence in Mr, Randolph's history hsd Hot tu'&tn piace when he uttvcod this .e ! vjiuynt. that 4 to and nu t’ the wisdom and purity of the j jre sent administration, was to he its r No—this fact had >ot taken place. Mr. Randolph I*l too sanguiuely imagined, that it was only necessary for him to seek, and he should find, to tel, and ite should receive, to knoik, mid the door of public honor should he opened umo him. lie Jiule dreamt that the president or the people wooiddtnc t< ques tion his pretensions to any of- , f, fC : hut he had egrt giously de ceived himself. His enthusiasm and knowledge of men and man ners in the abstract, fitted bun for the legislature, but not ini the cabinet. He mistook I u talents, and imagined h nisei; a statesman, when he nad only r.t quired the first ruditnenuoi poli tical science. Rut the glittering outfits and honors of an embassy, dazzled his eyes and bewildered his un* derstanding. His liiends soun ded the administration —but the president would not commit the honor of his country into the hands of a hot-headed, inexpe rienced youth, and hence that -flood of calumny which has pour ed from his mouth like a tot rent, on the pi esent administration. ‘I be public declarations of contempt for, and want of confi dence in Mr. Jefferson, which have issued from this gentleman, ore generally known, it is mi duty to relate a sentiment con mined in a letter to a gciuLman of Amelia, high <n the coia dence of his country, surpassing in enoitmty the must enveiiouleu detraction of <hc federal paiu it is a sentiment to this el>.>->, that the present adminisiiattun igoverned by principles wuie conupt tt.au those wtucf, acutne the Yazoo speculators— Ucar this isitoiv-citizens, and rn | pare i f with the former declara tions *( Mr Randolph: And vet bis friends will tell von he differs only on a fi-w unimportant points in which the general principles of the administt ation are not :n ----volved. We le.-.ve for the pre sent, all further comment to the understanding of our readers. 1\ tersburg Republican . FROM WASHINGTON. Thursday, February 25. Two days have been (pent on ihe poll office bill, to the exciufion of the many impor tant fubjetU which are waiting the decision of Congress. Ihe greater part ofthelc two days has been devoted to difctilfions relative to the pod road be tween Alexandria and Dual ities in Virginia, that is, whe ther the mail ihall pals through Coifhcder or through Occo (jiiari, two village. 4 about two miles aiunder. Mr. J. Han dolph is the great advocate for Colt he Her, and has delivered fix long Ipecches on toe fub* jed. Roa(l>, & bridges, & da gcs<fe mails,& taverns,& coach hoiles, anti orphan children have been brought on the floor of Congress, and garnished with all the the brilliancy of metaphoiical difilion. *ne plallick genius of this mailer painter has been exerted to the turned on these lublime sub jects. Fortifications and gun boats, Burr and Wilkmfonare all I'm gotten in the superior in terest of Colcheller and Occo quan. The victory has been won in favor ot Colcheller, but the conqueror, not fatisfi cd wi h a naked victory, is now for (ecuiing the conqued by additional mealures ot coer cion. When will be the end, or what the tcfult of this hufi nefs, it is impolliWe to lorclec. It is beyond the power ot hu man opitcks to ditcern the fu ture courte of the discutfion. Ihursdey Evening. The Co'chelter and Occo quan batinels has been potl poned till to-morrow. Friday, Februar y 27. Yetleiday, Mr. Worthing ton, ot the Senate, lubmutefl the following relolutiou tor confide:ation : Rcfolvtd , That the fecrcta ry of the tteafuty be directed to report ‘o ih.e Senate, at their next felfion, the belt informa tion he can acquire, as to the utefulnels, the pvafilicability, Sc probable expenle, of the La* nu! contemplated between the waters ot the Chetapeake and Delaware, from Elk river to Chrilliana Creek, with his own opinion and realons thereon, and a plan or plans for the ap plication of Inch means as may be mod convenient to the go vernment, and within the pow er of Congress, to aid in car* rying into execuuon the lame, and whether the route adopted bv the Chetapeake v and Dela ware Canal Company be the moit eligible communication between the waters ot the two bays, and likewise his opinion genetaily, on the prafilicabili* ty of an inland navigation, be* tween the southern Ac northern extremities of the U. States.” Saturday, February 28. The Houie have agteed to adhere to the Mediteitanean fund and fait bill. The Se nate agree to adhere to their amendments. The bid there fore tails, the duty on fait is not repealed, and the Mediter ranean lund ends at the cioic of this tetiion. SLAVE TRADE. It appears, (lays the Fede* r-.l Gazette of Saturday latl) that unulualw armth \vs exhih’ iied by the southern members q.) 3 long atm violent debate on t V.t Slave-Bill. This bill in the preamble, disclaims all con dilutions I authority in Congress over the right to (laves, and enacts, that no thing contained in the 8-h lec tion of the aforefaid law (hall aided the right ot pertons to tranfportor fell (laves not im* ported contrary to law. Sketch of Friday s proceedings. Mr. Randolph observed, that a bill had pa (fed the houte yederday, which, whatever might be the opinion of tome gentlemen upon it, went to lirike at the loot of ail proper ty in ths southern dates. By that law’, two men may go from different parts of Accomac countv (Vir.) to Norfolk, with their (laves; and one of them Jose his right to such fiave on arriving at that place. He con tended, that by depriving a man of the right to fell his pro perty, it ceased to be ptoperty. This power, he laid, had been a {fumed upon a principle tru* ly alarming to the people of the southern dates—upon that (weeping, he had like to have said detestable clause in the conditution, that it was necef (ary to carry the other powers into effeti. He would alk gentlemen from the southern dates, whether they would like to redthe security of their propeity upon the two houles of Congress, after what they had teen in their dispoli* don P He would not be fur pitted, it at the next (etfion, this entering wedge (hould be driven further and further, un til congress should entirely e* mancipate Oaves. He did not deny the right of congress to prevent the importaiuju of slaves —but he denied that they had any right to deprive an owner of his prelent right to an existing (lave. It this law went into operation, unless the own’ ers of slaves were a deep, pro tefis would be sent againll it from every ftatefouthof the Potomac —he hoped too from Maryland. Sir, (continued Mr. R.) we may fay what we please about alien laws and se dition laws : hut this law is- in, my opinion, the mod fright* fill, the mod abominable, that was ever palled. He then moved, that leave be given to biing in a bill to amend and explain the law palled yeder day, (prohibiting the imputa tion of (laves.) Mr. Goldsborovgh said that he had no objection to the mo tion. fie had not been entire ly in favor of the principle al luded to in committee of con ference: but he had thought it far better that such a proviti- Dii should be infected in the bid, than that the whole bill should be lolt—The evil complained of, which only prevents a man from carrying bis daves in ves sels under 40 tons, was trivial, when put in competition with the great objefct of preventing the Imuggling of daves in (mall vctlels. Mr, Quincey enquired whe ther the proposed measure would be in orde.r. He thought it would be mod nro per to v. ait until the bill had received the fan&ion of the third branch of the govern ment, Mr. Randoph again inti (led, that Congress had no more right to pats such a law., than they had to prevent slaves be ing tent in a vvaggoi —lt it pas sed, he said he doubted whe* ther we fhouic ever lee another southern delegate on that floor —he for one, would have no hesitation in laying, if the con ftitudon is to be violated, if the entering wedge is to be driven, let ns tccede, let us go home. Mr. Smilie. —The gentle man from Virginia fays he will not trull Congress, and talks of the southern dates re ceding from the union. If they do not like the Union, let them fay to—in the name of God let them go—we can do without them. The fubjetf of disunion has been so much fpo. ken of lately, that I am afraid it may take place. He was proceeding, when Mr. Randolph begged leave to explain.— He laid he ob, fervedtwo stenographers on the floor, but he could not fay that he put much dependence on either of them. The gen tleman from Pennfyjvania had grotsiy misrepresented him that gentleman had only dated a paitof what he had (aid—& by ihe rules of evidence, a man was required to give the whole truth ; a pari of it only, was contidered as equivalent to a falfehood ; What he had said, was that he would not tiuft Congress with the manumilfion ot slaves. The gentleman, he laid, had endeavoured to make an ungenerous ofe of what lie had (aid about union and dis union; lor his own part, he looked upon union as the means of our liberty, happiness and fafety ; as the means and not as the end; but if union and die manumilfion of (laves are to be put into the scale, let union kick the beam ! If this motion lhauld fail, he obterv* cd, as a latl resort, lie fhmilrt conceive it his duty, though be did not know whether the o ther southern members would be of his opinion, to go to the President of the United States, Sc enter his p rote it againlt the bill. He concluded, by ob* serving, that there appeared to be a portion of that houte, small, in point of abilities, who were opposed to the prelent Hate of things in the southern lUtes. The queflion was then taken on Mr. Randolph’s motion, and it was can ied. A committee of three mem bers was appointed to bring in a bill. From the National Intelligencer. The legislature of Missis sippi territory, at a moment when national anxiety has stamp ed with unusual importance the principles and feelings of this section of the union, deem it pc. culiarly tluir duty to proclaim to die Congress and the whole peo ple of confederated America. It is therefore resolved unani mously, by the legislavtive coun cil and houre of representatives of the Mississppi territory, that they are attached in the highest degree to the constitution of the United States—have the utmost confidence in the wisdom and virtue of the chief magistrate of the United State;—that eve ry project of the ambitious and enterprising, todisseverthe union, or to usurp the preroga tives of government, will always excite their honest indignation. Resolved unanimously, That the uncommon alacrity and zeal which the people of this territo ty have manifest to defeat an un principled conspiracy, and to maintain the unity and authority ot the American republic, place their patriotism above suspicion, ” I : I attacks on i|, f . r- l: • , H clots rot m n ,'"’ H tioncf;hebi :i;n , h ’:; scss.cn, nrf l( . m . lv :;; 10 bpar.i h cmc . .''H cn. and that ‘V ■ rights aid p (t rr . c:;ii , ueial p; vfrnm.m, i, :'.l hast, for ice c j ,", the fedc.id g (ntri;nitr ‘'jW ind will tx t-n’D.,!!. • lighis and j>rerf. sa , i j“'“B people in the i in „., tl , B their territories. B Raolved umnm v ,yU whilst the c.la.ms o| y. ‘^fl merchant io.-,r.(,ic,; 0 ;;8 ted on h. m in the regions ofthe haifi; . B 50 justly < >.( itc(! (u *' t 'B and energy c f B not but l.elit vc thu; du'JH poot cultivator .B| the waters of the M (1 fl| rescued from onprt s-.fi-B berita committed B their very doors, vvIII „ : fl| a "’akr n the indignutioi. fl maud the acute cur, fl| govern mi nt truiy inr< l; fl paternal. fl Resolved /'•;a/ ) ;. s the con inued (■hstruiiifl the Spanish officers, fl navigable stream ii o n P;B ver to Georgia, the ,‘i\...fl nial of the u-t of the guifl ways of nat‘f *> A>u-'il tizens, residing onthe v,B the A1 ab i my, i on : iligljjß bile and Faspagoß, and -fl exactions with which, e 'B sunning the smiling cot: fl of peace and coucillatiouß harrass the people of thifl tory too severely to be I tolerated, and that in the fl on of this assemhlv, thefl country, fiom Georgia fl Pearl river, will he erfl bandoned to Indiana and fl ards, or that both the titsfl bind citizens to their gfl ment,, and the dictates ol fl dcncc and bocirtt, vuilbcifl ble to l cstrain the op ,rtssfl making one last e.r.u <kfl i no: i iu i .a uicui.c. cj oppressors. B Resolved unanhntv-p H tile most ctfectu.il (via tufl dtlul goreintiK ‘.ii to -..di'S® count; v, is to encourage H pula ion, and that :n wc fl of thin assembly, u wouititfl wise and cccnu.v. ic.fi lu ol fl nations ol land iu iuwswfl this teriitory. I Resolved unaniur.wtyt H we wiil at the fir-.tculioig® merit, devote uttiVivrrf a fl p.opeity to uhtaUl the w hole terri.oiy r^ ! fl Mississippi, which bdfflfl treaty to the Res alvei unaniincustyW a copy of these resolutioj transmitted to each h.oimß gress, to the delegate t.isfippi territory, & tcrut the National b.teil'fl JOHNELLi* Speaker of the Hcuh'M teniativis. I Representative* Chri*m Jen. vrr'r, 1307-B JOSHLA li^l President of tat fl Attest, n .M H. It. graysosl Council Chanbcr, j a "- Attest, . I JOSHUA D0\ v N?.| WASHINGTON, irc i We learn that the ■ lately concluded and ,o fl by the American and V commifhoners, has aj been received by our ment. It is believe isl ver, on good g rolin S 1 the instrument, in form, presents f f,n ’ £ ) . ‘‘tl which will requite iUfl l gociations, in the cable spirit which haj lb J out pievailcd, in ° r e ■ der it acceptable !0 0 ■ verntnent. It partituiar!y s that it I