The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-09-15

; taxation proposed by the Secretary OF the
Treasury, aud in pursuance al his duty of
tered 70 the consideration OF the i.egissa
ture- = i. was noi. Gle Committee in
form u.s. found eNpeGient to adoD. the
pian." Having told Us ,a.s, enc w,.old sup
pose they nuSae have spared their animad-
versions. Bat censure was their oaiect &
censurc n,ust-f.dl, la tneir zeal 10 crlmi-
nat: Me- NJ .s!is ~ the various departments
are ransacEcd, and The prrpos;ti0;is OF thpsc
Who preside over them. never carried nitv
effect, and which may never bc revived. ave
drawn up IN Formidable. array against him
They have failed. however, in the mcdit:.teti
blow and IN having recvorse 10 ST. niiseld
Ole an expcdicnt, have bo,ae an invo,nnta-
ny, but most honorable Testimonial To The
excellence Of his character.
The Committee pr, coed to remark u,Ion
the mode of conducting the War in which
we arc engaged. A charge of negligence
is onequivocaily made, particularly IN the
management OF the war dcpartrient-
Which OF our armies. they enquire, is pro-
perry provided for tie present, or when and
where have arrangements been made for
supplies for the futuie? 9We fear. (hl il
viii not be found to be the army under 6 en-.
tl,ill: We are sure it is not the force coll
lected to defend the harbor OF New York !;
nor that-organizng Oh our western border"
Men disposed TO discuss this subject with
. cGador and forbeardnct," might have de :
rived some apology fh' the want OF . perfect
system IN the prosecution OF the war, from
che novelty OF the situation. But withou.
prssendingto know the Justice of all the
accusations made by the Committee, that
founded opon the supposed want Of neces-
sary supplies for the Army under G en-. Hal.
seemsNto be altogether unwarranted. The
statements from that quarter, and from
w ashington, concur i'll proving the reverse.
1t Is true that army has been sacrificed -
by a continuation against which no vigilance
cosld have guarded; it has been basely
betrayed to the enemy-An enemy who
dreaded to meet gallant soldiery IN homo
rabie warfare--who is willing where he
cannot conquer by force, to subdue bytrea-
chery-~whose weapons are the tomahawk
and the scalping knife--and who, like his
savage and skuiking ally of the woods, re-
spects not the usages OF civilized nations, nor
the laws of honor.
" A severe enforcement" is REQUIRED (e)
F" OF the rule which makes the president
responsible for the acts of his Secretaries. ar
I" 1t is IN vain to say, (alluding to the want
OF preparation,) (J) that these are the
errors OF the heads OF Departments The
Secretaries of the Navy and of War are
bound to execute the orders given to them
by the President, onall Naval and Military
afiairs--either' he directed the necessary
preparations to be made, or he did not. If
he did, he is responsible for continuing in
capable men in Office if he did not, the
blame attaches personally on himself.'----
Without meaning to disharage MIR. Madi-
sons reputation, acting solely from friend
~, motives, the Addressers have placid
him in an unpleasant dilemma But is no.
the doctrine of Executive responsibility
carried beyond just bounds For the con-
tinuance in office of Incompetent men, for
the want of general superintendency over
the different departments, the President is
properly answerabe. But surely the fra.
mers OF the constitution could not have in
tended that he should manage their details,
or that no order should emanate but by his
special direction. Such an expectation
would have altogether superseded the ne
cessity of appointing g heads of depart
ments," and would have assigned to the
President task not to be performed by hu
man powers.
PELOPIDAS.
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