Thursday, December 12.
Another member, to wit, John Hamilton, from Pennsylvania, appeared, produced his credentials, was qualified, and took his seat in the House.
Benjamin Parke having also appeared as a Delegate from the Indiana Territory of the United States, the said oath was administered to him by the Speaker, and he took his seat in the House accordingly.
General Eaton.
On the motion of Mr. Bidwell, the House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the resolution offered yesterday, relative to William Eaton.
The Chairman read the resolution as follows:
“Be it enacted, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be requested to present a sword, in the name of Congress, to William Eaton, Esq., as a testimony of the high sense entertained of his gallantry and good conduct in leading a small band of our countrymen and others through the desert of Libya, on an expedition against Tripoli, in conjunction with the ex-Bashaw of that Regency; defeating the Tripolitan army at Derne, with the assistance of a small part of the naval force of the United States, and contributing thereby to a successful termination of the war, and the restoration of our captive fellow-citizens to liberty and their country.”
Mr. Bidwell moved to amend the resolution by striking out the word “sword,” and by inserting in lieu thereof the words, “a medal of gold, with proper devices.”
Mr. J. Clay wished the gentleman from Massachusetts would let the word “sword” stand in the resolution. It was only on extraordinary occasions, he believed, that a medal was awarded. He was very willing to vote for presenting a sword on this occasion; but, if a medal was insisted upon, he should be compelled to vote against the resolution.
Mr. Elliot requested that the resolution passed at the last session, relative to Commodore Preble, and the officers and marines under his command, might be read.
The resolution was accordingly read, which ordered a medal to be struck, and a sword to be given to each of the officers.
Mr. E. said, that the objection of the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. J. Clay) to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts, (Mr. Bidwell,) substituting a gold medal in the room of a sword, appeared to be founded on the idea that a medal would be a meed disproportionate to the importance of the services, or the official rank of the gentleman who was the object of the resolution; in other words, that it would be too great a reward. I did not, said Mr. E., anticipate the objection from any quarter of the House, and regret extremely that it has arisen. From the peculiar character with which the gentleman who is intended to be honored by the resolution, was invested by the Government, it becomes a point of no small delicacy, and even of some difficulty, to debate the question at all. We are, indeed, told in the President’s Message, that the important services of our gallant countryman undoubtedly contributed to the impression which produced peace with Tripoli. It was proper for the President to say this, and to say no more; but, in order to enable us to pay a proper tribute on our part to merit so conspicuous, it becomes necessary to avail ourselves of information derived from unofficial sources. In every thing which we can do upon this subject, we are anticipated by the loud voice of fame, and this consideration has induced me sometimes to doubt the propriety of doing any thing whatever. It has, however, always been deemed policy, and even duty, in free governments, to distinguish by national honors those citizens who have performed important national services. It is perfectly understood that our brave countryman commanded, in conjunction with the ex-Bashaw of Tripoli, a force sufficiently respectable to be considered as an army, and of course that the popular appellation of General Eaton had been conferred upon good grounds. In that strong point of view in which the subject will be seen by liberal minds, inadequacy of force and means, compared with the greatness of the object and the event, will give greater honor to the achieving of the enterprise. If we act at all, we ought to bestow a mark of distinction suitable for a general officer, or an officer of distinguished rank, to accept. Shall we refuse a medal, the appropriate reward of the brave Preble, and offer a sword, which was given to the subordinate naval officers, when the services of Preble, however meritorious, and greatly meritorious they were, failed of effecting the object which the world believes that Eaton has accomplished? By the modern notions of martial etiquette and honor, a sword is the appropriate token of distinction and reward for officers of subordinate rank. It is believed that a simple and concise vote of thanks, by the Representatives of a free people, is the noblest meed of exalted merit and patriotism.
An army, composed in part of Americans, but chiefly of the descendants of the ancient Grecians, Egyptians and Arabians; in other words, an army collected from the four quarters of the globe, and led by an American commander to conquest and glory, is a phenomenon in military history calculated to attract the attention of the world, not only by its novelty, but by its real influence and consequence. It ought to be considered, too, that this army, notwithstanding the singularity of its organization and character, and the smallness of its numbers and its means, acted in a cause which might be thought to affect, at least in some remote degree, the general interest of mankind. Since the destruction of Cato, and his little senate at Utica, the banner of freedom had never waved in that desert and barbarous quarter of the globe; and he who carried it so nobly, in the language of the resolution, through the desert of Libya, and placed it so triumphantly upon the African shore of the Mediterranean, deserves to be honorably distinguished by that country and that Government, to which the enterprise has added lustre. I repeat it, Mr. Chairman, we can do nothing in which we are not anticipated by fame. Fame has already devoted to the name which we are laboring to celebrate, the monumentum ære perennius, the imperishable column of glory, which is the just reward of patriots only, and which impartial history denies to the mere conquerors and robbers of mankind.
Mr. Smilie remarked, that it added to the value of an honor conferred, to have it bestowed by a unanimous vote. It was not, however, his purpose to trouble the House with a speech. He should confine himself to making one or two remarks. He considered it correct that honors conferred should be apportioned to merit. It was not so important whether the man on whom they were bestowed, was the commander of an army, or whether he filled an inferior station. Whatever his station might be, he who conducted himself well in the service of his country, was entitled to her thanks. Mr. S. said he would next examine the advantages which the services of Mr. Eaton had gained to his country, and see whether they were equal to those which we had derived from the services of other great men. From his impression, he thought they had been highly advantageous, and equally so with those rendered by Commodore Preble and his brave associates, whose conduct he highly approved. He believed that the expedition of Mr. Eaton had greatly contributed to a peace; and if this were so, he did not know a more essential service he could have rendered. For these reasons he was in favor of awarding a medal in preference to a sword.
Mr. Quincy hoped the House would bestow a medal instead of a sword. He would say that, on such an occasion, a medal was more proper than a sword. When the resolution was offered, he had a solid objection to it, which had, in some measure, been removed by the proposed amendment. A sword was not an appropriate reward for the service rendered on this occasion. It was a reward for valor, and mere valor. In this case he considered the valor displayed as a very small part of the distinction of Mr. Eaton. He wished that the motion had been submitted to a select committee, that not only the nature of the compliment, but likewise the form of the expression, might have been better adapted to what he conceived to be the character of the service rendered. He did not think the circumstances stated in the resolution were those which were the most appropriate. He did not consider the leading a small band through the desert of Libya, the defeating the Tripolitan army at Derne, the contributing to a peace, and the liberation of our countrymen, as characteristic of the services rendered. The peculiar character of those services was this: that Mr. Eaton, being a private citizen, and called upon by no official station or duty, had the greatness of mind to plan a scheme by which the dethronement of a usurper, the restoration of the lawful heir, and the release of our captive countrymen were to have been effected. A conception of this kind belonged only to great and superior minds; and what was sufficient to fill the minds of most men, the machinery for effecting this plan, was to him but of a secondary nature. He believed it would be for the reputation of the United States to give some select and appropriate reward, such as a man like Eaton ought to receive, and such as it would be to the honor of our country to give.
The question was then taken on Mr. Bidwell’s amendment, which was carried by a considerable majority.
Mr. Jackson said, he entertained a high sense of the extraordinary merit of the officer who was the object of the resolution under consideration, and was of opinion that the House should express their highest sentiment of approbation. To do this, he thought the phraseology of the resolution ought to be changed in conformity to the ideas of the gentleman from Massachusetts. He would, therefore, with this view, move that the committee should rise, with the intention of moving in the House the reference of the resolution to a select committee for such alteration.
The question was taken on the rising of the committee—yeas 52, nays 54.
Mr. Quincy suggested the propriety of substituting Barca in the room of Libya, as the latter was an antiquated word, not to be found in modern maps.
Mr. Bidwell observed, that he was not tenacious of the particular form of the expression. If that suggested by his colleague was deemed most correct, he had no objection to it. He would, however, remark, that the word Libya was taken from an expression used by Mr. Eaton in one of his letters. It was certainly a word used in modern times, although it might not be in general use.
As to the general question, Mr. B. hoped that, as some gentlemen thought the resolution went too far, while others thought it did not go far enough, and, as the general sentiment was, that something ought to be done by the House, it would be considered that a middle course between the two Extremes was the fittest, and that there would be a sufficient magnanimity to give a unanimous vote in favor of the resolution. For himself, he was willing to have it varied so as to make it conform to the general sense of the committee, for the purpose of insuring unanimity.
Mr. Quincy said he was not particularly tenacious of the form of expression used. He had only risen to state his knowledge as far as it went. Libya was a word in use among classical men, among poets, but not among men of business.
The question was put on substituting Barca in the room of Libya, and passed in the negative by a considerable majority. The resolution, as amended, was then agreed to without a division.
The committee rose and reported it to the House, who immediately took it into consideration.
The amendment for substituting “a gold medal with proper devices,” in the room of “a sword,” being under consideration,
Mr. J. Clay said, as the Committee of the Whole had reported their agreement to the amendment, and as a desire had been expressed that there might be a unanimous vote on the occasion, he wished more information on the subject than he possessed before he could act upon it. After having obtained this, he might very probably vote for the amendment. He, therefore, moved a reference of the resolution to a select committee, who might obtain the information required from the Secretary of the Navy.
Mr. Jackson observed, that the names of other gentlemen, who were before the walls of Derne, had been announced in the newspapers, as having assisted in the achievements that were the object of the resolution under consideration. It was not improper to inquire whether they ought to be associated in the honors awarded by Congress. To ensure, therefore, unanimity, and bestow proper praise, he hoped the course pointed out by the gentleman from Pennsylvania would be pursued.
The motion to refer the resolution to a select committee was carried—yeas 69; and Messrs. Bidwell, J. Clay, Thompson, of New Hampshire, Masters, Gray, Archer, and Casey, were appointed a committee.