The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-07-14

member was guilty of any irregularity, to cry
take care, fr, or viii name YOU" And ON
one occaiion, member vent,ited to whiiper the
Speaker, " And what would be the coniequence
if you did name me"' The ST. aker replicd-4
God only knows" Now in the fame man
ner mih'fters have thought it convenient to keep
up the terror of the General Defence A6t, in or
der to ftimuiate the volunteers yet they arc
fenfible that the menace would fail them, and
+ they were to be aiked, what would be the
confquence oftheir threat the anfwer would
be, I" God only knows" for no man could
think of putting in practice meafure 70 breg-
nant with opprefIion and injuftice. In the vo.
lunteer bill, which was lately 70 much the fnb-
jet of difcufiion in the Houfe, ii was argued TO
be unjuft that farmer fhould, againit his will.
be deprived of the labor of his fervant: and this
provlilon, underftand, has been altered In the
other Houie. But indeed II was of little coniei
quence to talk of the hardhips of the farmer
beng deprived of his fervant, if he himlelf was
liable to be taken and fent to ferve in the army
or militia. in Cornwall or Northumberland, or
any other place the mott remote from his abode.
But, IN truth, the very atrocity of this fa6 made
II impoinble to put it in execution 70 that, in
reality, 1t was as little calculated to be ufeful as
it was altogether unnecefiary as ffimulus to the
zeal and to the patriotiiin of the country. EIa.
wing Teen, therefore, that the General Defence
ACT was neither unnecefary in terrcrein, and
could be of no avail as bugbear, what practical
good was 1t calculated TO afford in ftrengthen-
ing our means ofrepelling invaiion have re.
peatedly fated in this Houfe, that conceived
II deilrable that, in addition to our other means
OF defence, we ihould have an armed peafartry.
MntterS themfelves go 70 far nc to fay that an
armed peafaiitry may be of ufe, to back the vo-
lunteers as the latter will be of fervice to tack
the regular army. They have never, however,
Propcied any rational practical means by which
TINS advantage can be obtained. Let us, there
fore, go INTO the committee, and dfcufs the ftb.
Ject. Let us there try if I've cannot devife fome
mode OF strengthening and confirming whate-
yer is wei! conceived in the preient fyiem OF de-
fence, by that which all cohfider ufefu and in.
portant, though in different degrees. Let us
there dncuis how the peafantry are to be called
out, armed, and arrayed. Let us difcufs how,
IN cafe ofemergency, they are to bs. employed:
now iar, If fire arms ta2not be found, pixies may
nor with advantage perhaps be put into their
hanos and whether it may be necetIary 10
place them under martial law, or by what other
code they may be rendered fubied to difci-
pine! Theie are fit objects for difcuiIion ih
the committee, and there alone, indeed, can
they be dlicuied with advantage. There too we
may reviie: ar,end, ed improve the different
meai,Tres that have already been paiied for the
public defence-there we mas correct their err
rors, remove their cont additions, and increafe
their effect. have already limited TIE general
importance OF calling forth the exertions of an
armed peafantry, and in this, even they who
think more highly of the volunteers will per-
fectly concur, becaufe the armed I,eafantry is
not intended to fupercede the volunteers. As
TO detailed plan -oHthis head, ! do cot PRO.
pofe to trouble the hou(e with anv at pr.fent.
Neither am prepared to fay how far this fer
wee mould be voluntary or cempiilfory. That
the voluntary zeal of the country would filpply
every thing that could be defired, am perfectly
convinced. At the fame time If it fiould be
thought necef'ary to make the fervice iii f,mc
degree compulsory, / will not fay that II might
not be proper to make fome prov;fion foi il.
Nevertheless, the means of calling forth that aid
mutt be freed rom that injuaice and inequality
to which the General Defence Af would now
be liable. How likewife is this force to be
armed; and If mulkets cannot be furnilhed To
all, furely thofe who are mott inclined to def.
pie the pike, mutt admit that the pike is
much better weapon than fpades or pitch.
forks, with which alone the peaiaptr.y are now
armed, even were they 70 arrayed and organized
as to be capable of being employed with effeet.
heie, however, and many other quefions which
are naturally connected with the fubied, and
which will no doubt be more particularly iniift-
cd upon this evening, will be proper for the
confederation of the committee, which it is the
Purpofe of my motion to irftitute. | fhall,
therefore, conclude with moving, that a COM
mttee be appointed to take into confederation
the fate Of the public Defence