Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

DEBATES OF CONGRESS. 563 JANUARY, 1835.] French Spoliations prior to 1800. [SENATE. [Here the honorable Senator read a long list take their chance; some are given up for a of military and naval preparations made by gross sum, and some, such as these, when they Congress for the protection of these claims, are worth nothing will fetch nothing. How specifying the dates and the numbers.] monstrous, therefore, sir, that measure is, which Nor did the United States confine herself would transfer abandoned and disputed claims solely to these strenuous exertions and expen- from the country, by which they were said to sive armaments: besides raising fleets and be due, to our own country, to our own Govarmies, she sent across the Atlantic embassies, ernment, upon our own citizens, requiring us ambassadors, and agents; she gave letters of to pay what others owed, (nay, what it is marque, by which every injured individual doubtful if they did owe,) requiring us to pay might take his own remedy and repay himself what we have never received one farthing for, his losses. For these very claims, sir, the peo- and for which, if we had received millions, sir, ple were laden at that period with heavy taxes, we have paid away more than those millions in besides the blood of our people which was spilt arduous exertions on their behalf! for them. Loans were raised at eight per cent. I should not discharge the duty I owe to my to obtain redress for these claims; and what, country, if I did not probe still deeper into these sir, was the consequence? It overturned the transactions. What, sir, were the losses which men in power at that period: this it was which led to these claims? Gentlemen have indulged produced that result, more than political differ- themselves in all the flights and raptures of ences. poetry on this pathetic topic; we have heard The people were taxed and suffered for these of " ships swept from the ocean, families plunged same claims in that day, and now they are in want and ruin," and such like! What is the brought forward again to exhaust the public fact, sir? It is as the gentleman from New treasury again, to sweep away more millions Hampshire has said: never, sir, was there yet from the people, to impose taxes again upon known, before or since, such a flourishing state them, for the very same claims for which the of commerce as the very time and period of people have already once been taxed; reviving these spoliations. At that time, sir, men made the system of'98, to render loans and debts and fortunes if they saved one ship only out of every incumbrances again to be required; to embarrass four or five from the French cruisers I Let us the Government, entangle the State, to impov- examine the stubborn facts of sober arithmetic erish the people; to dig, in a word, by gradual in this case, and not sit still and see the people's measures of this description, a pit to plunge the money charmed out of the treasury by the pernation headlong into inextricable difficulty and suasive notes of poetry. [Mr. B. here referred ruin! to public documents showing that, in the years The Government in those days performed its 1793,'94,'95,'96,'97,'98,'99, up to 1800, the duty to the citizens in the protection of their exports annually increased at a rapid rate, till, commerce, and by vindicating, asserting, and in 1800, they amounted to more than $91,000,satisfying these claims; it left nothing undone 000.] which now is to be done; the pretensions of It must be taken into consideration that at this bill are therefore utterly unfounded! this period our population was less than it is Duties are reciprocal: the duty of Government now, our territory was much more limited, we is protection, and that of citizens allegiance. had not Louisiana and the port of New Orleans, This bill attempts to throw upon the present and yet our commerce was far more flourishing Government the duties and expenses of a former than it ever has been since, and at a time, too, Government, which have been already once when we had no mammoth banking corporation acquitted. On its part, Government has ful- to boast of its indispensable, its vital necessity filled, with energy and zeal, its duty to the citi- to commerce! These, sir, are the facts of numzens; it has protected and now is protecting bers, of arithmetic which blow away the edifice their rights, and asserting their just claims. of the gentlemen's poetry, as the wind scatters Witness our navy, kept up in time of peace, for straws. the protection of commerce and for the profit With respect to the parties in whose hands of our citizens; witness our cruisers on every these claims are. They are in the hands of point of the globe, for the security of citizens insurance offices, assignees, and jobbers; they pursuing every kind of lawful business. But, are in the hands of the knowing ones who have sir, there are limits to the protection of the in- bought them up for two, three, five, ten cents terests of individual citizens; peace must at one in the dollar! What has become of the screamtime or other be obtained, and sacrifices are to ing babes that have been held up after the be made for a valuable consideration. Now, ancient Roman method, to excite pity and move sir, peace is a valuable consideration, and claims our sympathies? What has become of the are often necessarily abandoned to obtain it. widows and original claimants? They have In 1814 we gave up claims for the sake of been bought out long ago by the knowing ones. peace; we gave up claims for Spanish spolia- If we countenance this bill, sir, we shall renew tions at the treaty of Florida; we gave up the disgraceful scenes of 1793, and witness a claims to Denmark. These claims also were repetition of the infamous fraud and gambling, given up, long anterior to the others I have and all the old artifices which the certificate mentioned. When peace is made, the claiis funding act gave rise to. [Mr. B. here read

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Title: Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.
Author: United States. Congress.
Canvas: Page 563
Publication: New York, [etc.]: D. Appleton and company [etc.]; 1857-61.
Subject terms: United States -- Politics and government

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Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

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