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France and England together could not do it. I do not believe the world could. All we want is union at home.

As to this man, he is juft fuch a one as the British ufually employ for thefe purposes; he is one of their own agents. Can England complain of our giving credit to a man with whom her Firft Secretary of State and the Governor General of Canada correfpond? I care nothing about the caufe which brings him here, it is an affair between him and them. The queftion is, has he told the truth? I verily believe he has. I understood enough of the papers, as read, to know that he was an agent of the Britifh government, fent here to fow difunion, and that was enough for me. So long as we are governed by intereft, mutual wants, or by common fenfe, fo long fhall we continue united. We are placed in fuch a fituation that we ought to love each other, and we always fhould, did not our mad paffions fometime's run away with us. One part of the nation delights in ufing the fea; another in agriculture-we fupply each others' wants; we ought never to dream of feparation. And, fir, when these meffengers of hell are fent here, fhall we not look at them? Let us have the papers printed, fir.

This is the fecond attempt Great Britain has made to divide the country, and I believe France would the fame; for I have no confidence in the morality of either. Our affairs are in fuch a ftate, that with one we must try what has been called the laft refort of kings; I have made up my mind on the subject, and, whenever we are ready to declare war, I fhall vote for it.

Mr. Johnson faid, he did not feel difpofed, nor was it a time, to fay much. The documents fpoke for themfelves. Nor did be addrefs the Houfe to identify the federal party with this British confpiracy to difmember the union. Nor did he intend to load the individual who had made this communication to the Prefident, with the opprobrious epithets of Spy and Traitor; but to call the attention of the Houfe and the gentleman of Virginia, to the pofition which had been taken by himself and others upon the difcuffion of our foreign relations, refpecting the British influence in ftimulating the favages againft our infant and innocent fettlements upon the frontiers. Mr. J. faid, when he had afcribed the hoftility of the Indians to British influence, the gentleman from Virginia would not place any confidence in fuch intimations, and he moreover stated, that if fuch influence could be proven, he would himself join heart and hand in measures against Great Britain, and would even march himself to Canada, if neceffary, to expel and deftroy the British authorities in that quarter. Mr. J. faid, he wifhed to know whether the Houfe had not now record evidence of an attempt on the part of the British government to alienate the affections of the people from their own government, to organize oppofition to the laws of Congrefs, and to produce a diffolution of our happy government, a difmemberment of the Union, and the erection of a monarchy upon

its ruins; and whether fuch a cafe did call for equal union? Mr. J. afked, who would now affert that Great Britain was friendly difpofed towards us, that fhe was fighting our battles, or the battles of freedom? that fhe flood between us and univerfal domina. tion? that good men would pray that our arms might not be fuccessful against that government which had fo long trampled upon our rights? that Great Britain was acting upon the principle of retaliation towards France? Mr. J. faid, it was now reduced to a certainty that the hoftility of Great Britain towards us in the continuance of her Orders in Council, in the impreflment of our feamen, originated in a determination to deftroy the union of the ftates, and from a belief that a feparation could be effected in cafe of a war with Great Britain. It was now evident, that the dif avowal of Erfkine's arrangement, and her fubfequent conduct towards the United States, arofe from the delufive hope that the people of the New England states would join Great Britain in the conflict. This communication alfo accounts for the news we are daily receiving of the hoftile intentions of the favages upon our borders. Mr. J. faid, he wanted 5000 copies to be printed, that the people might judge whether Congrefs had wantonly fported with their rights, or whether they had not been driven to the brink of war, by a conduct on the part of Great Britain that would difgrace the most abandoned, the most favage, and the most piratical nations on earth. Mr. J. faid, he hoped the House could no longer debate what courfe to purfue, and that no additional arguments would be required to convince them of the propriety of breaking up the rogues' harbor, and taking poffeffion of the Canadas; without which, the United States never could enjoy in tranquility thofe rights which were tranfmitted to the citizens of the United States by their ancestors.

Mr. Stanford fuggefted the propriety of a reference of the fubject to a committee of the whole on the ftate of the union.

Mr. Key made fome remarks which were not all diftinctly heard by the reporter. He wifhed that the publication could have been accompanied with fome refutation of its contents, as it would go to alarm the people with an idea of the existence of a spirit in one fection of this country which he was fure did not exift. He was not only for committing the fubject, but for following it up with a full and prompt examination. Sure I am, faid Mr. Key, that the people of Europe have mistaken the American character. Whatever difference of opinion may exift among ourfelves, there can be none as to the propriety of fupporting the integrity of the union. There can be no doubt that the people of this country, of all defcriptions, will rally around the conftitution. France had heretofore fuppofed fhe poffeffed a party in this country; but there was not a man of fenfe in the country who believed it. Foreign nations would err in this way, having no correct knowledge of the fentiments of the people. If we were foon to be involved in war, it was proper that no diftrust should

exift in one part of the community against another; and he therefore regretted that a complete inveftigation could not be had before the papers were published.

Mr. Randolph wifhed to fay one word, and only a word, in addition to his previous obfervations. He rofe for the purpose of fuggefting to the House whether, if it were their intention to act with any thing like dispatch or efficacy in this bufinefs, it was not neceffary immediately to decide whether thefe papers fhould or fhould not be referred to a committee, and that committee clothed with power to fend for perfons and papers. For it was perfectly obvious, if this day's feffion was fpun out on the mere quef tion of printing, it was giving the party, whom it would certainly be the object of the committee to examine, fair notice to abicond-for, whatsoever may have been the rank and grade of the gentleman, and however refpectable in fome eyes it might appear, he would hardly be ambitious of exhibiting himself here. Mr. R. faid, he could only fay, as he was up-he certainly fhould not have rifen for the purpose of faying it-to the gentleman from Kentucky, that when he had examined the fubject, he could give that gentleman and the Houfe his opinion on it. Till then he must be excufed. I had much rather, faid Mr. R. my opinion fhould follow an examination than precede it.

Mr. Boyd made fome remarks in favor of printing. This was the old courfe of Britain, divide and conquer. The existence of fuch agencies was fufficiently known before. These papers only went to prove it. The Prefident would not have fent thefe papers publicly to Congress, if he had not intended they fhould go to the public.

Mr. Wright role in explanation of his former remarks. He wifhed it to be diftinétly understood that he had no objection to the publication of the fe papers.

Mr. Milnor faid, his purpofe in rifing now was to express the anxious defire he felt that on this queftion there might not be the leaft divifion of fentiment manifefted in the Houfe. He should be extremely forry at any time; above all, at a period of our national progri fs when it was thought that a change of circumftances of the most important kind was about to take place; that at this time an opinion fhould be imbibed that any portion of the people of this country were favorable to England. The candor of the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Wright) redounded to his honor. He was extremely glad to find gentlemen acknowledge, with refpect to the party in which he flood enrolled, whatever might be our internal differences, &c. that they could not be fufpected of hoftility to the union; there could be no idea enter. tained by fenfible men of either party that there was amongst us any confiderable portion of men who are inimically disposed to the union of the states.

That thefe papers proved a difhonorable attempt on the part of the British government, Mr. M. faid, he had no doubt. Al

though a strong fenfation would probably be produced by the dif covery of this circumftance, and it might be perverted much to the injury of the feelings of particular individuals, he hoped the good fenfe of the community would induce them, whilft they properly appreciated this attempt of a foreign government, not to be led into rafh or injudicious measures. He really wifhed the affair might be probed to the bottom; and that the British minifter having in one cafe come forward with a difavowal for his government, would fay in fome fhape or other what was the real ftate of the cafe now before the Houfe.

Mr. Rhea again fpoke in amplification of his former remarks. He faid, that be this man, Mr. Henry, who he might, he had done an important fervice to the country in expofing the views of the British government; and it behoved the Houfe to afcertain their truth, &c.

The motion for printing was unanimously agreed to..

Mr. Bibb moved to amend his motion for reference to the Committee of Foreign Relations, fo as to give the committee power to fend for perfons and papers.

Mr. Troup faid, that on occafions of this kind, great care fhould be taken left the House be hurried by a momentary excitement into an act of precipitancy. He had confidence in the difcretion of the committee of foreign relations, but the vesting fuch a power in the committee might be confidered as an inftruc tion by the Houfe to proceed under any circumftances to bring Mr. Henry before them. He had no doubt in his own mind, that the communication had been voluntary on the part of Mr. Henry, but he entertained as little that there may have been certain ftipulations and conditions which the Executive would feel itself under the strongest obligations of good faith to comply with, and which would exempt the individual, making the difclofure, from any responsibility of any kind. Whatever may be thought of the motives of Mr. Henry in making the disclosure, or whatever the epithets applied to him in debate, certain it was, Mr. Henry had done fervice to the country, and ought to be protected by it. If the committee fhould, on examination, think proper to proceed to fummon perfons, or call for papers, the House would not hesitate to veft them with the neceffary powers.

Mr. Grundy ftated what was his impreffion as to the courfe he fhould incline to pursue as a member of the committee of foreign relations, if these papers fhould be referred, as propofed, to that committee. If any engagement, exprefs or implied, had taken place between the Administration and Mr. Henry, that he should be free from detention, &c. he should not, as one of the committee, confent to violate that engagement.

Mr. Bibb faid, as there appeared to be confiderable difference of opinion on this fubject, and as the committee could apply for the power if they wifhed it, he fhould, for the prefent, withdraw his motion.

Mr. Randolph renewed it.Mr. Pitkin spoke in favor of the motion. He thought this courfe due to the people in that fection of the union whofe character was implicated in the fe papers.

Mr. Fish faid, there was no fe of this perfon abfconding; he was not that fort of a man. But were this man out of the world, there is evidence enough to prove the truth of all he has faid, without a fyllable from him. As to this courfe being due to those implicated, Mr. Fifk faid he came from one of the flates (Vermont) about which mott was faid in Henry's letters, and he felt no uneafinefs on that fcore; and he could not fee why others fhould.

Mr. Bibb accepted Mr. Randolph's propofition as a part of his motion, as he had only been induced to withdraw it by a defire to accommodate.

Mr. Macon required a divifion of the queftion; and
The queftion on reference was carried unanimoufly.

The question to clothe the committee with compulsory power, was carried, 104 to 10.

Thursday, March 19.

MR. PORTER, from the committee of Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the Message of the President of the U. States, transmitting the disclosures of Mr. Henry, a British Secret Agent, made the following report:

The committee of Foreign Relations, to whom was referred the President's Message of the 9th inst. covering copies of certain documents communicated to him by a Mr. John Henry, beg leave to

REPORT IN PART

That, although they did not deem it necessary or proper to go into an investigation of the authenticity of documents communicated to Congress on the responsibility of a co-ordinate branch of the government; it may, nevertheless, be satisfacory to the House to be informed, that the original papers, with the evidence relating to them in possession of the Executive, were submitted to their examination, and were such as fully to satisfy the committee of their genuine

ness.

The circumstances under which the disclosures of Henry were made to the government, involving considerations of political expediency, have prevented the committee from making those disclosures the basis of any proceeding against him. And from the careful concealment, on his part, of every circumstance which could lead to the discovery and punishment of any individuals within the United States (should there be any such) who were criminally connected with him, no distinct object was presented to the committee by his communication, for the exercise of the power with which they were investeal, of sending for persons and papers. On being informed, however, that there was a Foreigner in the city of Washington, who lately came to this country, from Europe, with Henry, and was supposed to be in his confidence, the committee thought proper to send

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