Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-01-27
INTERESTING DEBATE.
(Ma. GILES Speech coxcLubrD. -

| rs perhaps not less than seven and an half mil
| lions OF souls. Now, sir, this must be "a rupu-
ition Ola most Extraordinary character, and TN
der the influence o! government Of 2 most ex-
/ raordnsry organization. if it cannot command
the services of $4,000 men, upon TIE most OK
| triofSlinarv exigcnceG. But VIC are net without
a ~, norahlc experiment upon the population
| and governments of the l.. States, Il Z fCi.ncr
| period. IN l775, 1776, W. commenced the rev.
o';ition:ry war with G. Britain, with popula-
ton, very little, ii At ali, EXCEEDING two mil
lions ot souls. Let US see the Numbers Of req.
uiar troops, not mcTely voted, but ac,naii7
brought INFO the field, and paid Tor thcil scrv-
! ces during the whole OF that wS.. Thev arc rs
toilcw Total III pay, in iT75--27, A4S T.; IN
I 17T6-46, S91 ; in 1777-34,s30 s.1TT9--c7. 6g3;
| 17S0-21, 015; I78i -t3 300 l78c--1A,256;
| 17sS-13,476. These are the rcgula: troops
| actually IN pay, exclusive of,nilitiS
In making this compaIvtirc cst;mstc,-lie was
wiling, III these degenerate DAYS, tos;ivctwo,
nay three for orc, over the population OF 17T5,
and 1775 and it would appear, that the com
m'ttec had not drawn.uporthc existing. popu-
lation beyond moderation.--Wit a double.
! nay thrcefold population with more than quad
rnpled pecuniary resources with II capacity
for furnishing munitions of war above one hun
dred fold, the cqnnittce proposed to draw upon
the existing population for $4,000 regular
troops in the whole. In 1T76, there were actu-
ally in the field and paid IS 1871, regular troops,
exclusive of militia, G. Britain, with ponu-
lation of but Little more than double that of the
u. States laboring too under debt OF more
than scrcu hundred millions OF pounds sterling,
has ut this tiir6, in her land and naval service,
| perhaps 3CC006 men yctan alarm seems 20 be
produced here by q proposition to call into-the
service OF the l.. States, thirty-i:ve Thousand
| men. This too forrePelling the aggressions of
! the same C. Britain see encountered in w and
| 1176; and for the same cause. Yes, sir; it is
q .iNr f,c it,ya
| was then. 1t was then question, whether &.
| britain should impose tax OF three pence per
pound on tea, vixen in our colonial state Il is
| nov9 question, whether C.. Britain shall recr-
| late by force the whole Of our commerce. IN
| contempt and violation OF the laws Of nations,
when we affect to De in an Independent state
| IL, sir, Our fathers had conGescendcd to calcu.
late the costs Ola tax of three pence on 4 pound
| OF tea, compared with the costs Of the war for
| achieving oar Independence, rs some of their
| sons are now doing with respect to the value of
| our commerce submitted to the regulation of G..
Britain, we should not now have it in our pow
or to degrade their memories. blythe profligate
| abandonment of the independence achieved for
us by the profusion of their blood and treasure.
And what, sir, became Of the &c. S91 men raised
| TO oppose q. Britain IN 1776 We know they
were often compelled to fiy before superior Bri-
fish forces, and by the waste CT the war and
! short e7!fstnlentS, were reduced in 1888, TO
tS,476 Yet I'VE seem now to DC wiling 10 fall in
| TO this same fatsi error-AEd for what and from
[ what cause ! From groundless and visionary
fears OF the possible influence of regular troops
| upon our liberties. But. sir, these fears come
! too late. They should have come upon us lone.
ago. II is too late 10 say, are more afraid of
the means of annoyance, than the enemy to be
annoyed we ought to have submitted iong
| ago. We have now taken the ground cf resist.
| ance, and cannot rccede He hoped that the
considerations urged the other day upon this
subject, were sufficient TO demonstrate the fall
lacy of these alarms, and their unfortunate ten
dcncy in relation to the public welfare i'll the
present state Of our affairs. Upon these views
OF the whole subject, he trusted that Tire senate
would concur with the committee in opinion
that the number OF men recommended, is not
too great for the purposes Of the government
nor beyond the convenient abilities Of the u.
| States.
! Mr.. G. said, he would now proceed 10 Che
! tenacrest point Of this discussion-the decrepid
state of the treasury department. Mr. c. said,
he did not think this the true standard for esti-
mating the national resources, nor encrries
nor for estimating the means necessary for re-
Peiing aggressions upon our national rights
nor rs it the one recommended in the presidents
| responsible message. But the honorable mover
| had said, 1T demanded and ought to receive our
| first attention. lie complained too that Mr. G
had said the objects az stake were too great for
| counting the costs. Mr. G. said, this was not
| precisely the view he had before uresen,ed of
this part of the subject. The opinion lie ex
| pressed was, that there would he an economy
! in furnishing means sufficient TO effect your OBJ
! iccts; that the costs could not be deemed ex.
| ccssive, which would ensure success but If
| you dealt out your means so sparingly rs To fail
| Of your object, it would then become prodipaI
waste and prCfuson Of economy. To this opin-
| ion he still adhered and he thought that never
was all occasion, where the remark would apply
| with more force and propriety, than at present
| the gentlemen who express 50 much concern
for the treasury department tell US, that the gen
| tleman AZ the head Of that department posses
| SEES the most splendid financial talents, &c Mr.
! g. said, he hoped le did and he was not dis
! posed to detract ought from this impression :;
| but he could not help rcmariline that he should
] feel more confidence in that gcnleman's finan-
| Cial reputation, it 1t we're founded more on facts
| and less on Tumour and anticipation. The hon
| Orable Secretsry's financial reputation was made
| 70 his hands by others. lie has had little or no
| share in IT. lie has annually given us TIE most
| lucid views Of thc amount and manner Of reve-
| hue received at the treasury. which was provid-
| ed byothers, and the manner in which il has
| been disburscd for tho purposes of the govern
| mcnt. But this is no difficult task, ard is no
| evidence OF financial skill which he under
| stood TO consist in the faculty of getting the
| most money into the treasury; with the least
| Inconvenience 20 The contributors. lie was not
disposed, however, 10 complgin of this inactivi-
| " on TIC part of the honorable Secretary be-
| cause the government had never called upop
| him ioT greater eNertons, aid perhaps had no
| occasion to have made such a CALL until about
| three years ago. But sir, what does this ren-
| uemah tell Us, upon whose splendid fnauC ial
NoTE-Population ofthe United States, at