The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-04-07

every faculty. watch the goo. ,s NJ ,src i,,,,
m,e, &c snrpass and eclipse every similar
Institution ON the continent, sud to found
manufaotory which should do solid and
lasting honor lathe state. shall be ex.
cused for inserting here the extract Of Letter
from Col. James Monroe, Ia committee of a..
executive by which It will appear that our in
siitution suffers no disgrace by a comrar;-
son with the best the continent of Euro,e
The original letter was before The arnoury com
mtt"e Thy whom it was treated with very little
e spcct) and is now :rlong the papers in the of.
nee OF the keeper of the Ro:s. The extract is IN
these " 'ds -
add with pleasure, that having taken
much interest III u,c SUCCESS of the institution. I
obtained Of Major Clarke an out line oil its paris
:the manufactured arms) when went .st
20 Europe, with view. tn consult able artists h
:"me military men them, Tor his intorgation &
tat DID cons';t caar-rters Of that description Y
among o hers General KosLiusko & Mr Fulton.
VII" assured ne that the institution had been
constructed III the must perfect manner accor.
ding 10 the improvement Of the present tav."
Wien was appointed superintendent OF the
manut"ctory, II saS well known to the executive
whc made and to the successive legislatures who
sanctioned the appointment, that nv trade was
tiiat ni mili-rig!lt and that in the business OF
making arms di. not profess to have any txpe.
rimentl knowledge. Nor was il necessary to
the apPointmtthat should
=" S'e'y institution OF tho Kind there are,
nasts arl,orors, Whose peculiar province il ;s 10
attend to the fabrication of the arms. The 49,
CHOSEN tor their skill in that business and from,
us ocinT their peculiar and single province thew
nave 1t III their power to dcyotc all their time in
whereas the Superintendent has some .dut;es
winch cali him away from the .armory. and fire..
qiently force him to leave il for DAYS and ,yatr
together such have been the duties which b,v,,
Carried me to- New England in quest of ar,ifcsr
70 Washington for observations on the fa.,n.,e...
OF cannon near that place: and suchthe duties of
making contracts IN various quarters of the co,,u
Try for materials for the manufacture OF arms.
and OF the unavoidable necessity of frequent n4r
soa;si intercourse with the Executive II is finn
this WIDE range of duties that the superinten-
cant Is never IN any institution required to be az,
arn'ourer, nor of course responsible for the COR.
rect fabrication of the arms ~
IL was IN proof before the armoury committee
t'a, tie present peiintendant of the manafac-
tory at Springfield was not an armourcr In that.
establishment, after the benefit of long exberi.
ence, 1T was thought unnecessary that lie should
DC SO. AT Harper's ferry, the s,ipernten,lant
was SO lar from being acquainted even with the
general outline of the business, (Mr. S,rode's
euioSiu'ns on him notwithstanding that he VII
steG our institution, and was with me for seve.
raj days fort the purpose of acquiring. the neces.
saiy knowledge oft. am new possessed of an
Original letter from that gentleman addressed to-
h'yseif IN which lie very politely expresses his
gratitude to me for the insight into the business
"''ciI,ne mad derived from the visit And the
very Legislature, who have recently DISPLACED
me, nave proven that they think the knowledee
OF making arsas unnecessary to superintendent !:
inasmuch as the respectable gentleman whom,
tney have appointed as my successor docs not
profess to have the slightest acquaintance either
with the making farms, or the building of ma
chinery hope for his own sake that he will be-
more fortunate officer than have been he will .
not, because he cannot be, more faithful or more
Jealous t the honor OF the institution and for the
pnblic good.
had proposed in this letter TO discuss the OBJ.
Jcction made by the report ofthe armory commit.
tee 10 my want OF care in the procuring of iron-
BUT tins letter is already extended to such q
Length as not TO admit the introduction ofthat to-
PIC 1t shall be the subject of my next
JOHN CLARKE
+. >. One word in elation 10 the last essay,of
Henry Banks in the Enquirer. He professes to
s"ew mat according to my own admission, he was
not unworthy ofhonorable resentment. What .
nave admitted fhimlis, tia, he has succecdedih
a .ite and wicked project so that sccnrdingt to
uhis mans Idea OF morals, success in a vile and
wicked project, gives merit, honor, character,
every thing Asto the gross and vulgar scurr.l:-
ues which H. has poured out against me, they
aamit but one answer; and the lay is not veiy
distant when II will be unavoidaby necessary 10