The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States, Fifth Congress, [Second Session] Page: 1,353
[599] p.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
1353
HISTORY OF CONGRESS.
1354
March. 1798.] Relations
gaged in the honorable and humane employment
of clothier to the army. [Mr. Brooks said, he
had the honor of taking up arms in defence of his
country, which he carried until he was taken pri-
soner. He was a prisoner eighteen months, and
when he was set at liberty he found his vacancy
was not preserved for him. He then served his
country in a different line, and he believed in a
manner which entitled him to at least as much
merit as he had assumed. He believed that pro-
viding the army with clothing was an essential
part of the service; but, (said he, with great
warmth,) if the gentleman doubts my being a
soldier, I am here to answer him. [A loud cry of
order, and Mr. B. sat down.]
Mr. G. said, he had received this information
from one of the gentleman's friends. He made
the inquiry, because he did not know what ser-
vices he had performed; and he assured him the
information which he had received had tended to
raise, rather than sink him in his estimation; but
he was not alarmed at being told he was a soldier.
It had been said of the resolution before the
committee, that by stating we are not ready to re-
sort to war against the French Republic, that it
might be implied we are ready to go to war with
some other nation. That this idea might be done
away, if gentlemen will permit the words "against
the French Republic" to remain. If the mover
would give his consent, he should have no ob-
jection, to add the words, "or any other nation."
Mr. Harper hoped, as he had been particularly
alluded to by the gentleman who had just sat down,
he should not be considered as trespassing on the
patience of the committee in an unreasonable man-
ner, if he made a lew remarks in reply, though he
did not mean to do it generally, as he perceived
others had undertaken to do that, whom he was
conscious were better able to do it than himself.
He was called up merely by the gentleman's per-
sonal observations.
In the first place, he was charged with great
indecency in bringing forward and commenting
upon the gentleman's own speech. He left it to
the committee to determine with what propriety
this complaint came from a person who has omit-
ted no opportunity of attributing the worst of mo-
tives, not only to gentlemen in that House, but to
others out of it; neither age, character, nor ab-
sence, have preserved gentlemen from his cen-
sure ; from a person who has always indulged
himself in the most violent philippics against the
Executive of the United States, and all who con-
curred in his measures ; from a person who. when
gentlemen declare they are for peace, says he does
not believe them; from a person who has con-
tinually charged all those with inconsistency who
differed in opinion from him. not by examining
their conduct, but by making insinuations against
them as to their debts, or to the way in which
they may have acquired money, or by following
them to their youth, before they became members
of thisfHouse 1 He thought the gentleman ought
to attend to the old, but just adage, " He who
lives in a glass house ought not to be the first to
throw stones." If there could be a man more re-
France. [H. of R.
gardless than that gentleman of all the rules of
decorum in debate, he had never heard him.
As to the charge of inconsistency in hk con-
duct, it had often been made in private, and as
often contradicted ; but as it is now brought into
public view, he would say a few words on that
point.
It was said, that in 1791 and 1792 he was a
member of a Jacobin society, and a warm de-
eiaimer in favor of the rights of man. What was
said respecting his being a member of a Jacobin
society, is one of those falsehoods of party, which,
though known to be unfounded, is still reported.
The fact, Mr. H. said, was this, which he never
concealed: In the year 1791, there were instituted
in Charleston, a variety of clubs, (there were seve-
Tal before that time;) of many of these, being a
young practitioner of the law, and desirous of ex-
tending his acquaintance, and procuring business,
be was a member. Among these was a society
called a Patriotic Society. It was composed of
French and American citizens; and he and seven
oreight other youngpractitionersbecarnemembers.
and attended one or two evenings; but, finding it
composed of persons from whose society much im-
provement could not be expected, they never went
afterwards; and so anti-jacobimc was their con-
duct considered, that they merited and received
an expulsion from the society.
As to being a declaimer in favor of the rights of
man in 1791 and 1792. he owned he partook of
that enthusiasm which at that time raged in
America, because he was deceived. He then be-
lieved the French had been unjustifiably attacked.
but he now found that they were the first assail-
ants. He then believed that the treaties of Pil-
nitz* and Pavia, of which they had heard so much.
were realities; but he now found them contempti-
ble forgeries. With respect to other parts of the
French Revolution, he then believed that the prin-
cipal actors in it were virtuous patriot*, but he had
since discovered that they were a set of worthless
scoundrels and mad-headed enthusiasts, who, in
endeavoring to reduce their fallacious schemes to
practice, have introduced more calamities into the
world than ages of good government will be able
to cure.
Mr. H. said, he never was a declaimer in favor
of what gentlemen meant by the rights of man.
, He held them and their author in merited con-
j tempt. The pretended factitious rights of man to
which gentlemen referred, were the rights of a
| few noisy demagogues over the rights o? the peo-
! pie. Though he always believed "this, he did not
j know it so well, in 179*1 and 1792, as he knew it
I in 1794, and since. And, therefore, he was net a
j declaimer in favor of what the gentlemen mean
I by the rights of man, but he was a warm admirer
j * The speaker here alludes to the paper called " the second
i treaty of Pitnitz," which he declares to u> a forgery. The nr«
5 treaty of Ptlmtz was a mere conditional agreement t-etween the
I Emperor and the \\mz of Prussia, that it eitlu r ot'them sh >uM be
1 attacked by France, they would unite to repel the attack. This
\ treaty they avowed: ami when, on the acceptance >>t the new
| Constitution by the Kins; of France, ixnter prospect? of a peaceable
conduct on the part of that nation were entertained, the\ suspextd-
I ed this treaty l>y a formal declaration
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Gales, Joseph, 1761-1841. The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States, Fifth Congress, [Second Session], book, 1851; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29472/m1/71/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.