f his superiors, a like state of feeling and purpose had
extended to Congress, and a resolution had been introduced requesting
the President to inform the House "whether any officer of the army, or
the Attorney-General, had been directed to visit the State of New York
for any purpose connected with the imprisonment or trial of Alexander
McLeod; or whether, by any executive measures, the British government
had been given to understand that McLeod would be released."

Fearing that the result of these proceedings might lead to a great and
most formidable issue of peace and war between the United States and
Great Britain, Mr. Adams took this occasion to express his views on the
subject.

"The first question which occurs to me is," he said, "what is the
object of this resolution, and for what purpose has the house been
agitated with it from the commencement of the session to this day?
The gentleman who offered it has disclaimed all party purposes; he
breathes in a lofty atmosphere, elevated high above that of party.
But what sort of comprehension had both the friends and the
opponents of the resolution put upon it? No party complexion! O, no!
No; it was patriotism--pure patriotism--patriotism pure and
undefiled! Well; I am disposed to give gentlemen on all sides of the
house credit for whatever patriotism they profess; but sure it is
that patriotism is a coat of many colors, and suited to very
different complexions; and, if it had not been for that unqualified
profession of patriotism and no party, which had rung through this
house, from every gentleman who had supported this resolution, I
should have felt bound to believe it the rankest party measure that
ever was introduced into this house.

"What is the object of this resolution? It is to make an issue with
Great Britain--an issue of right or wrong--upon the affair of
burning the Caroline. No, sir; never shall my voice be for going to
war upon that issue. I will not go to war upon an issue upon which,
when we go to a third power to arbitrate upon it, they will say we
are wrong. The issue will be decided against us. We shall be told it
is not the thing for us to quarrel about.

"I have not the time, were I possessed of the information, to give a
history of the affair of the Caroline; and it is known as much to
every member of the house as it is to me. We have heard a