Last year gentlemen were opposed to doing any thing which should alter the state of things. If this negotiation, said they, fail, we will then join you in active measures. But now, when that time is come, they tell us we must still sink lower, and become more degraded. We are to be contented, not only to see our ships captured, our property destroyed, our sailors led in chains, our revenue annihilated, but we must see the army of the enemy attempt to land, before we will resist.
Mr. H. said he would bring his proofs, to show that those gentlemen who are now so loud in their calls for peace, were heretofore the supporters of a war system. For this purpose, he adduced Mr. Monroe's view of the conduct of the Executive of the United States, which, he said, was a publication which had met with the most unbounded and enthusiastic applauses from all the party; and he read from it an extract of a letter from Mr. Monroe to our Secretary of State, dated Paris, September 10, 1796, pages 209 and 210 of the book, in which he states it to be his opinion, "that if a suitable attempt be made to engage the aid of the French Government in support of our claims upon England, it may be accomplished; and that to secure success, it will be necessary to take the posts and invade Canada."
Would any man, said Mr. H., who shall read this passage, say that the system of these gentlemen is a peace system? And besides this proposition for taking the posts and invading Canada, the same gentleman proposes an advance to France of five millions of dollars. Yet these are the gentlemen who now are willing to say to France, "We will not fight you; we give you license to do us all the injury you please. You may fit out half a dozen frigates, which will be able to block up our ports; and we give you this notice that you may effect your purpose with little expense, and not prepare a large fleet for the purpose."
The gentleman from Virginia, (Mr. Giles,) whose zeal for keeping this country in an absolutely defenceless state, has surpassed all the zeal he ever before displayed, except that which he had shown on a former occasion for bringing us into war, has told us that peace is the best thing we can have; and that it would be knight-errantry to attempt to defend our property at sea. After our Ministers have been sent off, and a decree passed which must destroy our commerce, and which had been already allowed to be just cause of war, this was the language of that gentleman on the present occasion. To show this gentleman's consistency, and because his language was at that time so spirited, so American, and carried with it so much force and energy, he could not forbear reading an extract from his speech on the 28th of March, 1794, upon Mr. Dayton's motion to sequestrate British debts. The question was not then whether we should arm for our defence, but whether we should make an attempt at negotiation. The arguments of the gentleman were, it is true, somewhat misplaced, though they were nevertheless patriotic and admirable; and he could not account for the strange contrast of his present sentiments on any other ground than that he believed the true interest of this country was only to be effected by a treaty of alliance with France and war with her enemy. Gentlemen who were on a former occasion in favor of spirited measures in defence of our rights, and were on this occasion the same, are consistent; though their arguments might not altogether be properly timed, yet they were radically right.
Mr. H. said, he would bring another example to the view of the committee. He meant that of Switzerland. Attempt after attempt had been made by France on the independence of that country. After going a variety of lengths, they effected their purpose of driving from thence that unfortunate class of men, the emigrants, who had been persecuted by those who had usurped all authority in France, and who sought the rights of hospitality amongst them. New aggressions were made; they took possession of a part of the Swiss territory, and displaced their magistrates. Seeing that every submission invited fresh insult, they united, hand in hand, took up arms, and reinstated the magistrates who had been displaced, and resolved to live free or die. What was the consequence of this spirited conduct? The French withdrew from their territory, disavowed the measures of their General, and declared that they desired nothing more than to leave the Swiss in full possession of their rights.
Let us, said Mr. H., take warning by this energetic example of the Swiss. Let us now begin to resist. Let us declare that we wish to preserve peace with all the world; that we allow that peace is good, but that we believe independence is better; that peace is desirable, but not at any price—and then France will relinquish her aggressions.
At this point the committee rose and had leave to sit again.
Thursday, March 29.
Relations with France.
The House again resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, and the amendment to the first resolution moved by Mr. Sprigg, as to the inexpediency, under existing circumstances, of resorting to war against the French Republic, which amendment is, to strike out the words "French Republic," being under consideration,