Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-12-07
VIRGINIA ARGUS.
PRESIDENTS MEssAGE.-No v
X I III M o ND:
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7. 1912.

we have not been able to travel with sue.
hcient CELEBRITY, over tie presidents mes
sage OF the 4th ult. to prcccde, on all jts
points, the orators of Congress. This cir.
cumstance, no ycvcr, will afford us room to
meet, IN some respects, the arguments Of
the opposition fresh from, the mi1f, and brief
~ To examine them before they become too
current.
There is just now before us a speech of
Mr. Josiah Quincy, federal member from
Massachnsetts, on bin introduced into the
House of Representatives concerning the
pay or non-commssioned officers. &c. The
real object of the bill was to promote en-
ilstments of men for the army. In one Of
Us sections it provided that Ct every person
above the age of eighteen years, who shall
be IN listed by any officer, shall be held in the
service OF the U. States, during the period
OF such enlistment; any thing i'm anv ACT TO
the contrary Notwithstanding. Up.n this
provision Mr.. Quincy founded bis logic, and
INSISTED that 1t was scheme purposely CON.
tr'ved TO "acduce n'inors Of dNdescy;i,ions.
from the service Of their guardians, mas
eer@, ana fdrtnts With that unfairness
u inference which is peculiar to him, Mr..
Quincy then quotes the passage from the
message IF the executive which points To
the reason that the regular military esta-
b!ishment has not been filed. "Such (sava
Mr. Madison) is the happy condition Of our
Country, arising from the facility of subsist
ence, and the high wages for every species
~ occupation, that Notwithstanding the aur-
mented inducements provided III the last
session, partial success only has attended
the recruiting service" Now, any reasons
able man would perceive in this PASSAGE off
the presidential message, the mere sta,e-
inent OF simple fact, intended To- excite
Congress to eqUaii-e, IN some degree, the
wages OF the soldicT, and the citizen. But
Mr tlnlncy Connects the suggestion of the.
President for higher pay To the recruit. with
the provision in the bill relative 20 the re-
tanning in service all persons enlisted aboye
the age OF eighteen: And then exclaims.
" our children are TO be seduced from their
parents. apprentices are invited to aban-
don their masters A legislative sanction is
offered to pertdy and tire cherry UNIV
and WAGES to flial dIsobedience. Such are
the moral means by which war, no, of de.
fence or of necessity, but of pride and am
bition, should be prosecuted FIT means C
SUCH an end" 1t must be Obvious to men
WHO have arrived at the years of discretion,
hat this rant IS aD atfectaton of semsibititv
ana that there is ali possible difference be-
tween VIVA Mr. Madison has Recommended,
and what Mr. Quincy inputes to him. The
president recommends better pay u the sol-
der: MIR. Q. says he means TO seduce chill
dren. wards, and apprentices!
we do not think there IL much occasion
to illustrate what MIR. Madison has adj anc-
ed on the subject, for ne rs ery explicit as
to ms particular meaning. aboring man,
or man able to perform manual labor. and
who would be likely TO enlist and proye
efficient in the regular forces, can COM
mand, 1t he chooses to work, at the vey
lowest computation, as stated by MIR. ID. II.
Williams, nine dollars per month: This he.
can obtain without the rirks incident 10 7var.
And all that the president says is. that the
man VINO enters the army, who ventures his.
lite IN defence of the Country, who endurcs
the hardships Of camp life, should be as
qoeH hatd as the laboring man who STAYS at
nome and has all his comforts about him.
Ia there any thing in this that looks like re-
commenting the seduction of minors from
their dutyl
Bus, then, Mr., Quincy may say, the maioo
rity of the House Of Representatives ap4
prove the bill with a Clause which autho-.
rises the detention of minors in the army
contrary to the will of their guardians, &cy
And, as that majority and the president W..
gree IN politics, IT is therefore sanctioned bvs
the executive. To this we have ready an
sWer: The majority Of the Senate, wlroak.
% S0nD"S hi PoiltiCS with the president,
have stricken out the exceptional section ~
the bill and, therefore, the executive. By
the same rule OF reasoning, is opposed to il,
In truth, we are among those who dislp
prove of the doctrine of skrcen,ng appTeu,
tees from the authority of their masters.
except IN cases OF great necessity. The a.
nalogy attempted to be brought forward iu
the militia law does not hold good; for when
the contract between the master and the aD-
prentice vas made, tho militia law existed.
and the master knoz0h;giy took him with the
of his being called out in the mi
litia. Nor do we perceive that the urgency.
of the times requires such a measure. Thee,
are men enough to be had If YOU O ffer them
sufficient to make il an object to them to en-,
list. This, we are Of opinion, it would De
betterto do by way of 6op1ty in the first in
stance, than by any great increase of rec,s-.
lar pay. The most of those upon whom pc.
cuniary inducements act are in pressir,.
want Of hresenE supply OF money. The
way, then, TO make such inducements efFec-
tive, IS to offer as much as will ~ oues re-.
Iicve the pressure of the want. Suppose a
man owes twenty dnIiars--his vile and
children arc in d I'm for,v dol
lars IN haLaG NJ, leave
wenty march
on wy SIS in ten
ne is wav,
w ay, urge
ssipated
;r for H..
= Of eight
'Fll cash
itinnal
Lreuce..
"a with >
ldier 10.