Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-03-30

whe, warmed by the ardent desire 20 avenc
then countryS wrongs, have regarded the pre-
paration for war and its actual commencement
as simultaneous operations, have, in their ankle
| ty to attain their object, overlooked the ted
| GUS but necessary delay of preparation and or
! ganisation essential to the success, nay to tn
| institution of military expeditions. This i
would however have been criminal for 20
vernment to have overlooked, and we accor
dinghy ind, that the Congress have progress sed
from tho commencement of their present ses.
sion, with 4 deliberate but firm step pointed
out to them, no less by their own conviction OF
their duties, imposed on them by the actual
state ot things than by the urgent recommcn-
dation ct the executive.
we have bcen led TO these reflections BY 4
TSmark which just now caught our eye, in 4
valuable republican paper, rcprobating, VIVA,
Is there called the 4" criminal tard;ness" OF
Congress Let US sec, since they are said to
nave been so inactive, what has been done, in
the Presen: session, by way ofpreparation &c.
anticipated War. Notwithstanding The novelty
oil The subject, our inexperie1cc in war, and the
consequent difficulty of arranging the details of
large military body, its equpage, &c. we find
that
Congress have passed some acts and origina-
ted others.
To bill up the ranks and prolong the enlist
ments OF the present army;
10 raise AN additional regular force of twen-
ty-iive thousand men
To authorise the employment of a volunteer
force OF fifty thousand men;
To rasc six companies of mounted Rangers
tor the defence of our western irontier
To arm the militia;
To authorize dctachmcnts of militia
To complete the fertilization of cur maritime
frontier
To repair and fit cut our whole naval force
10 procure camp equipage, baggaSe-wag-
CONS, sc. sc.
To purchase ordnance and military stores
Topurchase vast supply of sulpher and
salt-petre;
To make further provisions for the corps of
engineers;
To establish quartcrmaster's department
and create coinmissary generals, &c.
To provide for the support OF the army and
navy Tor the ensuing year
To authorize Il loan of eleven millions to de-
fray these great eXpenccs;
And have taken steps evincing their deter
mination to lay taxes to raise revenue to pay
the interest OF the war loans, &c.
Is all this nothingf
Eut it may be asked, and indeed the cuesti-
on has already been put-why are not the men
enlisted why have notthe recruiting parties
OcCn sent
In reply to these questions, we need only
state single fact; that it was only in the
course oflast week that the Senate confirmed
part of the appointments of officers in the new
army, without whose aid recruiting could not
be commenced. We have unders, God that let
tiers of appointment have been Immediately ex-
pedited to those whose appointments nave been
confirmed, and that the recruiting will be forth
with vigorously commenced.
In relation to other preparations, we are not
in the habit of prying into executive secrets,
but we should Geem the head of the War De
partment remiss in his duty if he has not eau
sed ample preparation of military stores, camp
equipage, clothing, &c. to be prepared, in a
quantity sufficient to meet the probable dc
mand But We feel confidence that he has
performed this important, this all essentiafdu-
ty and that those who exult in the idea of
their country's imputed imbecility and naked
ness will find their views of prohting by her
distress most happily thwarted, to the Joy of
every real friend of his country