The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-03-20


Dec. iT.C.-- General Washington o Ias esrnestj
til regiments. IL aJnistcti tha, taosc arca,.y
voted would, mos. probably, not be- eonivi,tv nu,
he contcmicd that by directing an a,,i,uonai NUM-
Der, aud appointing other oiicers taorc woniu
DC ehtteti, as every oiicer would recruit few.
With respec;to the additional expense To lie incur
rcd BY the measures lac Recommended, t Oh
served" that our funds the oni, object now
to he taken into consideration. The cpcuy, IL was
iouni. we're uay gathering strength from tie dis
s'sctei This strength like snow bah b, ,ollius
would enci ease uieS, coaid DC d. vised
TO check efeetuaisy the Progress of th..r Mi
i'la might po-s'by do II for hitc vhi,c; but in
little while also, the militia OF those states wcl,
were Frequently called upon, would not lru out at
All, or would t'it ont witi much reluctance aud
sloth, rs To amount to the same thing
"CN.id amy t'ins, lac asked, sc DC more Irstrue-
1--WE OF the recruiting business, than g,v ten dol
rs Tor SIX weeks service in the initia who co,ne in
you cannot tell how; 30 YOU cannot tel when and
act you cannot tell where; who consume Your pro-
VISIONS, exhaust yor stores and leave ydu az last in
a critical moment. ~.
"Thesc, sir" he added, g." are the men am to
depend upon ten days hence, This is the basis upon
which Your cause aill rest, and must forever de
pcnd, until YOU get large standing army Sufficient
OF itself to oppose the enemy" VOL g, pa 5S7, $685.
5SD.
l77S-~" The problem, whether nation can be
defended against permanent force, bv tcmporary
armies, by occasional calls of the hlsbandman from
his plough to the field, was already solved; aud, in
its demonstration, the Independence of Amer;c, b,d
nearly persisted in its cradle. All eyes were now
turned ON the army to be created for the ensui,p
campaign, Ms the only sslid basis which the homes
OF the Pairiot could rest" Vol 2.pa. SIS, $50.
Mr. GiesncIt observed, that he begged to he in
Obliged in exhibiting to the view of the Senate the
character and proceedings of the Congress of l777
at the moment ot the most alarming peril and de-
spontency duurng the whole revolutionary war. not
because 1t has any direct bearing upon the i,nmc
~ lR.s dis rgSsSs h,t,
example highly worthy of imitation at the present
day.
The frmness manifested by congress through
oet the gloomy and trying period which INTERVIEWED
of Princeton, entities the members of tina, dav 10
me admiration OF the world and the gratitude of
thc'r ie'io* citizens. Uhswed by the dangers which
threatened them, and regardicssof personal safety
they did not for m instant admit the idea that the in
penhence they ha' declared was To be surrcndc rcd
and reace to be purchased by returning to their an
eient Colonial situation Vol. 9, pa. 557.
i''S -" To recruit the army ion the next cam
?ain was an object OF which the commander in chief
te't the importance and Iabcred to impress on the
several states, as well congress. But it was
AN object the difficulty OF accomplishing which .on
I'nuaiiy increased. From the depreciation of paper
anu rom other causes, no hope remained of
obtaining any respectable number of nen by yoluu.
th eniistments; and coerciye means could ONLY he
employed by the respective states. To persuade
them to apply with the requisite dispatch sufficient
energies to this subject, required allthe influence of
general ashington. aud his letters urged them Inv
every motive which, could operate on the hum =
mind, to meet with sufficient means the crisis of The
war, which he apDrehendcd was now approaching.
lie them 10 place confidence in for
cign aid, but to depend on their internal strength
anu resources for the maintenance of their ndenen
uehee- lie did not doubt but that Britain would
II not prevented bya war in Europe, make great ex-
ertohs 20 Reinforce her armies in America and
effect the objects OF the war. Only correspondent
eSefons to keep in the field a continental army AZ
success ,, .... ~. -. f @'i
" He enclosed to each state return ofits troops
On the continental establishments; thereby exhib;
ting to each its own deficiency, which each was
Strongly urged to supply" Vol. g.
MY iI.9-" In the more early stages nf the con-
test SAID the commander in chief to congress in his
letter of the 18th November. +" when men n,oht
have been enlisted for the war; no man rs my Whale
conduet andthe uniform tenor of my letters will e.
vince, was ever more opposed to short enstments
sian was and while there remained u prospect
oi obtaining recruits upon a permanent foo,ins, in
the first instance, far as duty and regard tn my
station would permit, urged my sentiment. in "a
vor OF 1t. But the prospect of keeping up an army
oy voluntary enlstments being changed, or at least
standing on too precalous and uncertain foo,ng tn
uepend ON, Tor the exigency of affairs, took
me liberty, IN FEBRUARY 1873, in particular manner
TO lay before the committee Of arrangement then
with the army at Valley Forge, plan for the an
'uai uaoSht RS the surest and most certain if not
"A proper and respectable ground. And more and
more confirmed in the pro Iety of this opinion. by
thc intervention of variety OF circumstances, un.
necessary to detail, ! again took the freedom of
urging Tie plan to the committee OF conference in
January last and having reviewed il in every po;nt
OF tight, and found right, ut least the best that has
occurred to me, hope shall be excused by con-
gress in Offering it to Them aud in time for carry
ms 1T INTO execution for the next year: if they
should conceive IT necessary for the states 10 com.
pirte their qut tas OF troops.
" The plan would propose is, that each state he
orined by congress annually ofte real def:iency
OF ITS troops and called TO make itup, or such less
sfetIhe number as congress may think proper nv
a diaust. fhst the men draugted join the army
ny tAe hrst OF January, and until the first of
January in the succeeding year--That from the time
me dGapss JON the arry, the officers of the states
rom winch they come, be authorized and directed
10 use their endesyors to enlist them for RE war
anccr the bourte5 sraItcd to the officers them
Selves and The recruits, By the of the 23d of Jan
vary last 'iz-tcn dollars to the officers fo, each re-
erllit, i'r Two hlnired to the recruits themselves
nat III state, county and town bounes to draupbts
Il practicable, be entirely abolished on account of
ne uneasness and disorders they create among the
aoWIey, tlc dcseItions they produce, and for other
reasons when viii readily occu-. That on or n,
orc the hrst OF October annually, abstract or re-
turn similar TO the present one be ter nsmted to ON,
able them to make their requisitiors ON each state
wan certainty aud precision. This would pronose
as general plan to be pursued and am persua
ied that This or one nearly similar % it, will be found
ne nest nov IN our power, it viii be attended with
nc least expense 20 the public, will place the service
'h Tue roofing Of order and certainty, and viii be the
'aiy one that can advance the general interest TO nv
great extent. Vol. ., pa. les, 1877, 12S.