Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-03-30

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lions, tha: those guns were net to be DELI
vered according ~ the provisions ofthe ssh
section, but that they should be deposited
in arsenals rented for that purpose by the
commanding officer, in the care OF an ar
morsr to be appointed and paid for keep
ing the same in good order to be delivered
out to the several companies ut volunteers
either to be instructed in camp duty and
disciplined or when called into actual SER
vice, tho arms &c. to become their proper
" ; provided, that before such volunteer
shall be entitled to receive his gun, &c. he
shall produce from the commanding officer
of his regiment a certificate, that he has
performed the service required by his en-
pagemens. 1t will therefore seem by the
4th and sth sections of this bill that the
soldier had enlisted and received his boun-
ty and was bound to do duty; but by the
9Th, 9TH and slh sections it was entirely
optional with him if he performed the
service he is to have his pay, and if he did
not there is nothing binding on either side.
Let us now pursue and examine those vo-
lunteers in the performance of their camp
duty. Who is to commando And by what
law AS soon as they volunteer they are
no longer under the command of the COM
mon militia officer, and they are not sub
iecr to the articles and rules of war BY the
4th section, until they are called into actu-
al service. So that you give a bounty to
the volunteers for doing nothing, while the
militia are obliged to arm themselves at
their own expence, and do all the duty for
nothing. All this may be right and pro-
per, but if it is, must confess have not
capacity sufficient to discover it. will!
leave it to the honorable chairman who re-
ported this bill, he being military man,
and this of course a new kind oil army, to
reconcile to himself what appears to mt de-
frcts and Inconsistencies in this bill. The
other part of this army that are called mi.
litia are detached for nine months, without
any bounty or arms, and they are as regu-
lar soldiers for that tme" as any of our
standing army. We find fault with the
English for impressng their seamen in
time of,war but here we draft or detach our
men iornins months 10 time OF peace and
II is no consolation to man that he was
drafted /; he goes as much against his will
as though he had been impressed in the first
instance, II you want more men enlis,
them. IF any thing Is. meant by this bill
more than the former detaehment. having
the same title, the people will be deceived,
and if not, it is a useless expence.. This
-drtaching ant sneamPing will be attended
with MANY evils and bad consequences, and
will disturb the minds Of the people very
mmch' The common: trainings that last
only one day serve TO corrupt the morals Of
the ihcautioas youth very much, and i'm
prove them very little in the ar, OF war
This encamping will be pernicious thing.
it will be school Tor vice and immortality
il will be new thing in many places and
parts OF the country it will collect many
idle and dissipated people together; i, will
be the means OF crnsral suspension of la
Dor in many places In the neighborhood of
the camps for a part of the ten: DAYS at
least. Tie officer. will have no power to
! control the soldier. The soldier will be re-
leased from the common militia law. and
they are not amenable to the articles and
orders war, unsilthey are called into &C
suh servise. In this situation, and under
all these circumstances, it would be we'll to
have a religious camp meeting to succeed
the military, as according to saying Of
the greatest parsonage that ever was upon
earth who said he did not come to call the
righteous, but sinners, to repentance, o.
pening great field for man of pie.y and
talents to exercise his ingenuity in preach
ing to these people in order to correct and
reiustate their minds.
We are IN no fear of invasion, and we
ought not to go 10 war for territory.
II arms IS the object of this bill, and the
southern people are not as we'll armed as
the northern, We are all of one great fami.
ly, let Us distribute arms to the several
states, according to the number Of militia.
And if unfortunately We should ever be- in.
vaded at any point, we should not want for
men to use them. 1t would not be asked
IN what partv a man brlonced or yhat na.