The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1812-02-26

] ceptance Of volunteer corhs, ggkose hafriofick
/! ardor may court participation in argent SER
/ OiceS." The manner in Which the Presiden,
| speaks Of the volunteers, can leave no doubt
| upon the mind Of any one as 10 the ser7''ce in
which they were TO be employed It! arc
evidently intended to be upted with III. reg-
| ulsr troops TO perform urgent services, ac-
| cording to the express language of the mes
| sare MIR. A. would ask the hcnourable
| member what wes the urgent serUice meant
| by the President Most certainly a descent
| upon Canada, in which the regulars and vol
| unteers were equally TO participate. Why
| then the honourablc member had taken so
| much pains 10 prove that the 10000 regulars
were the only military force wish which the
| President had intended TO perform the VrYent
service referred TO in his message, Mr.. A.
was at a loss 10 comprehend ; for he under
stood the message and the object of it very
differently aud he should have expected
tina, the caudour OF the honorable member
would have induced him to have given tie
message fair Interpretation. That be had
no, done SO, must be supposed 10 proceed
fro:n his rcceat, but very strong attachment
10 regular military force. However anti
republican this doctrine had formerly been,it
medium by the honourab!e member from
Virginia. Mr., A said, that having, as h"
thought, proved, by a fair Interpretation of
the Presidents message, that he intended 10
unite the volunteers, (ihat might DC thought
'equislie) win the regular troops, to per-
form the urgent services of which he speaks,
he would endeAyour 10 present fair and I'M
partial view oil the course recommended by
the President, and compare 1t with the course
which had been taken and so strebuously
supported by the hoaourable member from
Virginia. The President had recommended
the raising Of volunteers and II was inciden-
tally made known, that the auxiliary force
spoken Of, was 10000 regular troops. Ii
then provision had been Immediately made
By law for raising ten Thousand regular troops,
AND also for raising volunteers, those troops
now would De in state of preparation ;
considerable number of the regular troops
would ere now have been enlisted, and the
chance Of getting the whole number greatly
increased. If time had been afforded, as il
ought 10 have been, the laws passed within
two or three weeks after Congress met,
which might have been done, 4 sufficient re-
guar force would, in all probability, have
been In a state Of readiness in all the month
Of April and the number of volunteers
which might have been required to make mp
the necessary force, would no doubt long
since have offered their services and the
whole have been III a state of preparation 10
take the field in time to have peilormcd the
arduous service, contemplated by the prcsi-
dent. Ent instead OF that course having
been pursued, what has been done Your
tr.i - e.
go, is now under consideration TIE session
now almos, half expired, and at this late Pc
riod, the honourable member, 20 whom, as
chairman OF the committee, sc. the whole
management, OF the military business was re-
ierreo, insists Upon raising 25,VoO regular
troops, whose duty IL shall be.to rake a des-
cent upon Canada, In all the month OF May
= San the gentleman be serious Does he be-
iievc it practicable ? If he does, MIR. A. said,
he should be obliged tn believe, that the bon.
member was II carpc7t some daysago, when
he assured the Senate, that he knew very lit
tic OF military affairs. Mr.. a. said, from
the proofs we have repeatedly had, of the
difficulty of obtaining men by enlistment for
SO long time as FIVE years, and The want in
In our country OF those kinds CT materials OF
which regular troops are made, he did not
believe that one half the number proposed 70
be raced by the bill could be enlisted within
the time required. Mr.. A. said, although
he was not as much in the habit OF prophesy-
ing as the hon. member, he would, under all
circumstances, adventure to predict, that the
scheme OF nosc raising twenty-five thousand
regular troops, 10 perform the ardnous SER
rice contemplated in the Presidents mes
sage, would entirely fail, and that the course
pointed out by the President must at last be
adopted, that 10, to unite volunteers with reg
uiar troops.
Mr. A, said he trusted that the hon. mem
Der and " nself had in view the same object,
but differed as TO the means OF carrying II
into effect ; the means proposed by the hon.
durable member were regular troops ohiy.
If then The hill should pass 10 raise $4,000,