reply would involve a waste of time and the public money; an appearance of respect for a sister state is not demanded towards one which has shown so little respect for the general government and in its resolutions offered the greatest possible insult to this state; a reply must be expressed in terms of the highest disapprobation and probably would be more irritating than the action proposed.
For the Republicans the motions to dismiss the resolutions were opposed by Messrs. Pennington, Southard, Stillwell and Morgan. All four expressed their own disapproval of the resolutions[1], two of them asserting, without contradiction, that the resolution had no friends in the House.[2] Thus seeming to agree with the Fedderalists as to the merits of the resolutions they advanced a variety of arguments for a different disposal of them, advocating a reply which should state the reasons of the legislature for rejection. The subject-matter of the resolutions involves questions of the highest importance to the welfare and happiness of the states, but upon which there is much difference of opinion and agitation in the public mind. A sister state, especially one of the importance of Virginia should be treated with respect; if the resolutions are indecent, "let us not retort upon them indecency." It is certainly the duty of New Jersey to endeavor to appease, not to irritate, and a well-reasoned reply will be the most likely means of preserving harmony between the states and may tend to work conviction. Many members of the House cannot be persuaded to vote for instant dismissal, and to force a vote upon that issue would create an appearance of division of opinion in regard to the merits of the resolutions. But these arguments were of no avail, for the vote upon the motions to dismiss appears to have been a strict party division, twenty to fifteen. In the Senate no action appears to have been taken, that of the House being regarded as sufficient.
From the debate in the House one might conclude that New Jersey Republicans were not opposed to the Alien and Sedition Laws and differed from the Federalists over the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions only in desiring a respectful reply to them instead of a summary dismissal. But an inspection of the columns of the Republican newspapers of New Jersey shows beyond all doubt that
- ↑ Pennington: "could not approve of the resolutions," "I disapprove of the resolutions as much as any man." Southard: "He should be sorry to be understood as approving of the resolutions," "he was of opinion that they had gone much too far." Stillwell: "He much disapproved of the resolutions." Morgan: "voted for retaining the Virginia resolutions, not that he approved of them."
- ↑ Pennington: "I am persuaded that not a man on this floor, will vote for them." Morgan: "I cannot think that any gentleman on this floor, would wish to countenance those resolutions."
