Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-07-08
TO IRE Sssate and House If E2e,sre-
a1ntrfrrtea ~ IA. II Clnl.u

lothe Scssate and House If Rey.re-
! sta,ancsS Of The o. SAFES
lie act aupSorisiilg q detachment Of ere
ssfrdred .hoas9ea men from the militia viii
eXpii'c On the stth OF March next, les carly
revival IS recommended, in order that timely
(, steps iaay be taken for arrangements, such as
ghe act ecnte9plated
Without intirferiTg with the notifications
Eeidered ncceisary hy the detects, or the in.
efficacy OF tIcia laws restrictive CT commerce.
ard nayigationl or with the policy OF ,lisallow-
| InS to foreign atned vessels, the use Of our
waters; it falls within my duty to veconTaend.
| Sls7, that III addisian to the precautionary
| measure authorized b. that act. and 20 the
regular troops, eonlpletinS the legal esta-
c.ishmens Ok sThi0n sl'sSrnegts5are renewed,
every necessary provision may be made, for
a volunteer force OF twenty thousand men, 10
DC enlisted for short period, and held in a
state OF Organization and readiness for actual
| service, at the shortest warning.
submit to the consideration OF congress,
moreover, the experience of such q ciasslii-
cation and organization Of the militia as will
pest insure prompt andsuccessve aids, fro,a
that source, adequate to emergencies which
ri..y call for them.
Ii win rest with them also, how far fur
| Their provision may be eXPedient, for putting
hto actual service, II necessary, any part Of
ihe naval armament row employed.
| Alta period presenting features in the
tconluct Of foreign powers towards the Uni-
lted states, which impose ON them the neces-
sity OF precautionary measures involving ex-
pense, it's happy Consideration that such
is The Sold state OF the public credit, that re-.
lance can DC justly paced, on any legal
provision that may DC made for resoiting co
It, IN convenient form, and to an adequate
amount.
JAMES MADISON"
January 5, 1910
To this niesscge I lad fIie .}cii3.ping o6jec
Iions:
1st. If the honor and Jlle interest of the
United States did in fact inpefioGsy call
for war, then instead Of tho nall way mea-
| sures contemplated IN tie message, the res
commentator ought = have been, that the
abundant physical resources CT the nation
should be duly organized ana brought forth,
with tone, that would uneqUivocally mani
| fest ct home AID abroad :. determination to
take manly stand, and, especially, as such
I q precautionary measure las. not unffe. Iuens-
! ly, had the elect OF avtr,ing war.
3D. If war WIS not the rtal object, whence
was the necessity Of filling the puoIic mind
| with the alarm OF war? Whence the pro-
priety Of expending our Treasures in callin.
| to arms 30 000. such men Whence the pa-
ICY OF ,riiing " Ith tue manly, generous fceS-
ings of brave, honorable, enseTprisins peo-
pie, as are the people Of the y. state
| Sd. At ali events, Whatever may have been
| the real object, the studied ambiguity Of TIE
| language formed ofitseli a Sufficient o5jecti
on. OF this ambiguity Mr.. Madison Was du :
IL apprised. And, as was foTeseen, members
| of Congress, not comprehending It's meaning,
applied, but in vain, for the requisite expla-
nation. At length, arf.ubGccR Senator, dis
tinguished by ms sound principles as States
man, as well as by his independent feelings
as gentleman, did in very able speech
make among other topics the following pithy
comment upon this extraordinary message.
"The President message of the Sd inst.
has been introduced By the chairman of the
Committee insupport of this bill Feeblemust
lie the aid which this measure can derive from
that source. This message in point of obScu-
rity, comes nearer my ideas of a Delphic Ora
| Gle, than any state paper which has come
1 under my inspection. 1t is so cautiously ez-
| pressed that every man puts what construc-
| Ton upon It he pleases l. ne for war9 The
message breathes nothing but destruction and
| bloodShed. Is he for pcaceS The message
! is mere milk and water, and wholly pacIhc
Is nc for the Fill before yous The message
calls for lis passage. she friend 20 a large
STANDING arG,ys why then the message
means 10000 regular troops. Is lie friendly
to the rlilitia? The message does not call
! scr regular troops--it means militia. Thus
| sir, this message. means any thing, on nothing,
| at the viii of the Commentator, Ii this mes
sage is oracplar in its meaning, it was NJ
less miraculous in its PRONUNCIATION. The
| newspapers to the East Of this, stated that
such message would be delivered, and stat
ed It's contents nearly one wees beSare il
reached the two Houses Of Coagfcss. 10 ac-
count for this phenomenon, Is neither within
ny power or province
lth. The noE-interoourse Law of the last
session was also the devise Of Mr., Madison
Il too was Introduced BY presidential MACH
uery
Should this statute be viewed as IL ouggi
20 DC, IN connection With and as cmanatine
from TIC law ofMay, 1910, thenwid We have
toioiS for tle '.faey" required ~ taat law
namely, the actual reyocgtich u the Bcriir
and Mildn decrees.
Ifthis reYoCationdd in fact take place, q!
declared By the proclamation thcn Che &C
of May, cfnfhuniaatea KS i had been 1g e..
executive 90 the two beiligeTent powers, G. &
becOme i5soJ acfo 2 comract b6tween zoe u
states atd France and IL that eaSe i.sithcl
, patty hada r'ghtto disre 5trd, 81 ~ law I,
Chaago;its stipulated terms and conditions
as tins government confcssedly did 81 IL,
uoa-.nte course act o. the Mst session.
Ine ace 81 Mayl 1910, il is a srrewfa
tuIlh, did not provide loi several obvious Gu
b sca, wherein our merchants rnust NECESSARILY
q have observation-disclosures IN -he event Of tina
: law having been carried into eject in tn
r crude ,orn in winch s had been passed. O
: ths InProyidence, our cialens might, IN sue
] case, wei have mplaincd a6nuat tneir rC