The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1808-03-17 00:00:00, page 5

W H E £ L IN Gy
Thursday, !7th March, 1803..
fried, on the night of the 10th inst. at
his larm in this county, Capt. Lewis
Bonnet—an aged, honest, and much
respected man.
VVe mentioned in our last, a report of
a duel between Messrs. G irderuer and
Campbell, members of Congress. The
popers received yesterday mention that
a duel was .ought between these jen
tlenrnn, on W dnesday the 2d inst. and
inat Mr. Gardemer, (not '*•* r. Campbell,
as has b .on reported,) was wounded.—
The wound is not ap; rehenicd to be
^a‘ , us ; but it wiil prevent Mr. G. !
h .itt nding jn his place tor some
time. Senator White, of Delaware, act
' > ed as his second. Mr. Epp. ?, a mem
ber from Virginia, was Mr. Campbell’s
second.
It has been observed.by a committee
o a legislative body lately, that represen
tatives ot the people represent their n\o
' a! cita) OL.tCi . According.to this obser
vation., as members of Congress nouse
mu shoot each other, and countenance
duels, the citizens of the United States
must be Considered a quarrelsome, bar
barous, fighting people.
The Legislature of New-York,on the
8th ult. passed an act to provide for the
defence of the northern and western
frontiers cf that state. It authorises
the Governor to deposit in the frontier
Counties, 3200 stands of arms, together
with suitable quantities of ammunition
and military stores.
Dispatches from London were received
by the Executive on the 24th ult. and a
cabinet consultation was held on the
25th, which continued nearly the whole
day. On the 26th, a confidential mes
sage was delivered to Congress. This
message, h is stated, contained lettefs
from the American minister at London,
detailing a conversation with Mr. Can
n*nS» which he remonstrated strongly
against the late arbitrary orders of coun
cil. It is also stated, that Mr. Pinkney
was informed, in reply to his remon
at anc-s, that these decrees would be
enlotced in the strictest manner.
The message also contained a long
letter from the American Minister at
Paris, to theN French Minister Cham
pagny, relative to the decree of a French
coui t on an A- . ■ ri> an vessel wrecked
on the coast of 'Y.nc6.. No letter from
the Minister at Paris to our govern
ment was communicated. A motion
c.eiing tor the letter to our government,
was made in the House of Representa
•.i\ , out the House reiused to consi
der it, 02 to 60.
On the receipt of the message, the
House of Representatives closed their
doot . On the next • av they had their
doors closed about two hours. The let
ters were returned to the President, and
the proceedings made public.
1 hf- following message was also com- ^
municated to Congress on the 26th ult.
1 o t'ie senate and house of vcpTcsenta
tives of the United States.
1 he danger of our country arising
Irom the contests of other nations, and
the urgency of making preparations for
whatever events might affect our rela
tions with them, have been intimated in
preceding messages to congress. To
secure ourselves by due precautions, an
augmentation of our military force, as
well regular as of volunteer militia,
seems to be expedient. The precise
extent of that augmentation cannot as
yet be satisfactorily suggested ; but that
no time may be lost, and especially at a
season deemed favourable to the object,
I submit to the wisdom of the legisla
ture whether they will authorise a com
mencement of this precautionary work,
by a present provision for raising and
organizing some additional force, reser
ving themselves to decide its ultimate
extent on 'such, views of our situation a?
I may l>e enabled to present at a future.
day of the session.
If an increase of force be now ap
proved, I submit to their consideration
the outlines of a plan proposed in the
enclosed letter from the secretary at
war.
I recommend also to the attention of
congress, the term at which the act of
April 18, 1806, concerning the militia,
will expire, and the effect of that expi
ration.
Th: Jefferson.
February 25, 1808.
The accompanying documents con
sist of a letter from the secretary of
war to the president, with two detailed
statements.
The letter follows : -
^ War department, Feb. 24th, 1808.
To the President of the United States. t
Sir,—I take the liberty of suggest- .
*n8bv,'hether under existing circumstan
ces, it would not be advisablevto pro
pose to congress an augmentation of
our regular troops, as soon as practi
cable ; and also the engaging and organ
izing of twenty four thousand yolun
teers, on the principles I have had the
honour of proposing for your consider
ation, the general outlines of which are
contained in the paper marked No. 1.
I he number of regular troops I would ;
propose being raised immediately, ia
six thousand, to be composed of suita
ble proportions of infantry, artillery, ca
valry and riflemen, and organized aa
stated in the enclosed paper marked
No. 2. »•
It may he presumed that previous to
thefclose of the present session, congress
will he possessed of such farther infor
mation in regard to our foreign relations,
as will be necessary for forming an ul
timate opinion on the expediency or in
expediency of a greater augmentation
ol our army than is now proposed ; aid
in the mean time measures may be tiilc
en for the recruiting serv ice in different
parts of the United States.
In the event of war, it wilj I presume ..
be considered necessary to arrange our
military force into separate departments,
and to have a commander to each de
partment, and of course, to have no
such officer as a commander in ciufe'f ;
and until a larger army shall be rjtispd
than is now proposed, it may not be ad
visable to have any' officer above the
rank of brigadier general ;—of that
grade it may be proper to have four or