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

140 ABRIDGMENT OF THE H. OF R.] The Tariff Bill-Reduction of Duties-Mr. Verplanck's Bill. [JANUARY, 1833. C. 18, 5, 4.) It is idle, then, to disavow re- chasing themselves and their territory from sponsibility. The injury is the act of our troops a master who would have vindicated their claims undel our own officer. We retain the posses- to justice. sion of the country occupied; we protect those These, sir, are the facts upon which the inwho aided us-subjects, patriots, and all; and habitants of East Florida rest their claims to the law is everywhere recognized in the books, indemnity for the spoliations of the American that, if we protect the wrong-doers, we are re- army. sponsible for the wrongs done. Whilst our troops were thus sustained in a foreign territory, whose inhabitants, using every MONDAY, January 14. effort of which they were capable, to repel an The Tariff Bill-Redution of Duties-Mr. invasion which our relation with the mother Bill. Verylanck's tBill. country rendered more unjust and oppressive, it was to be expected that much violence should The House again went into Committee of the be used on both sides; that much oppression of Whole, Mr. WAYNE in the chair, and resumed persons and destruction of private property the discussion of the Tariff bill. should result. In this individual instance, it is Mr. ELLSWORTH, of Connecticut, rose He said believed that the waste of private property was that when the honorable chairman of the Cornwanton and extensive. The letter of Colonel mittee of Ways and Means had introduced Smith uses the strongest language to show the this bill into the House, he had accompanied ruin following in the train of our armies: " The it with a few remarks of a general character, inhabitants have all abandoned their houses all of which were very pertinent and proper; and as much of their movables as they could but, since that time, the committee had not been not carry with them." And further, "the prov- favored with the views of any one gentleman, ince will soon become a desert." And the investi- from any part of the country, in favor of the gations had before the courts in that territory, in bill; and, if a judgment was to be formed from pursuance of an act of Congress, approved 3d what had taken place, thus far, there was reason AMarch, 1823, prove that the inhabitants of East to apprehend that neither they nor the country, Florida were driven from their homes by the were to be favored with any new light, or any American soldiery; that their houses, farms, new facts, or considerations on which the House and orange-groves were wasted; that their was pressed to pass so very extraordinary and stock was destroyed, and their slaves, to a large wholly unexpected a measure. amount, were enticed or forced away, and many He regretted this the more, the more he lookdriven to seek protection amongst the Indian ed into the bill, and reflected on the principles tribes, from whom they have never been re- it contained and the consequences likely to follow claimed. Such are the facts in the case of the it. Congress had never legislated on a measure inhabitants of East Florida. These sufferers are which, if adopted, would tell more in our funow no longer foreign subjects. They have ture history. He repeated it, that such a bill now no separate Government to which to ap- should have been introduced, and an attempt peal for a redress of grievances. They had made to force it through the I-louse, without fondly hoped, that when their impotent master one word being said by those who were in favor had transferred them over to a free and grow- of its passage, was most unexpected indeed. So ing republic, that a full adjustment of their soon as this bill should have passed both Houses claims, a full security for payment and satisfac- of Congress, and received the Executive signation, was guaranteed by the treaty of cession: ture, millions of property which had been inand they might still more fondly have hoped, vested in establishments that had grown up that, if any doubt could arise in the construction under the sanction, and on the good faith of of a clause so remedial and. so just, that our the Government-property, not of the " sumpGovernment would allow some little weight to tuous manufacturer " merely, (as he is called in the equity of the claim; that we would not con- the South,) but, of the working, laborious, comstrue an ambiguous promise to pay, " a promise mon people; the laboring community would be by implication," into a total release from an deprived of its value, and all the thousands, yes, obligation so cogent and so binding before the the millions of these laborious citizens, would promise was made; but, alas! they are deceived. find their condition in one moment greatly Two succeeding administrations have construed changed. The rich would become poor, and the treaty so as to close against them the the poor idle and wretched. Thus far they door of hope. Thus, sir, are these people in- had lived under a Government of some degree jured and deceived; ruined by our arms when of uniformity, and had calculated, as they had Spanish subjects, transferred to us their debtors, reason to calculate, that that uniformity would, they have none to intercede for them. The to a certain extent, be preserved; but now transfer, from which they had hoped so much, has they would, in one moment, find its policy rebetrayed them; because, in the language of versed, and themselves reduced to the utmost poetry, " it has held the word of promise to the distress. He had been told by gentlemen out ear, and broke it to the hope." It has made of the House, he had not heard it from any in us their creditors by our wrong, and then closed the hIouse, that the people of the South were against them the avenues of redress, by pur- looking with anxiety for this bill. He did not

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Title: Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.
Author: United States. Congress.
Canvas: Page 140
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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