The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-12-03


ons which had been urged against the inca
| sure; bot, af-r the niU>t mature inyestiea-
ton which Mas able 20 make. they appear
al I" ne Ia b. without Fonda ,uii and in no
ldegrec warranted by II inst inie, expectation
! 1t the i1Ns ca Constitutions .s.the u States.
hat ins;ruGicai bs.. inCs. wisely, in irv p-
rimon, ptaccs. ihe whuc physical furee rs
the nation unier the ccntrul of Tie national
a1thority. by providing ;smong other iega-
latons, concerning the militia. that tlis. Pre-
sicenc shall Ce commander in Chief y. The
militia oil the sc.cra, states, when calle, into
ihe actual service Of the u. 5, The occa>iun
mich will justify their beng called ont. ar
he manner in which they shall be employ
Ell. m"St otnecessity, be determined by tire
G''icrol Government. 'rhat UNITY of design,
and indivisibiiity of command, are essential
TO success in military operations. is an a
lpothcgm as Just as 1t is trite, and ifinstead
| ut an influence, which shall pcrvatie, embo-
Idly and direct the force of the nation by a
comprehensive system, il is to be broken
iup. into as many Fragments as there are
states, and to be directed by as many diff
fercn, authorities; it requires not the ait! of
iprophccy to foreteil that these fragments,
may successfully become the victims o. To-
teign force. which if resisted by combined
effort, would be dssipated as chaif before
the wind. The security of the Stctes is
found In the s4lutary provision of the con
lstitution, which gives To them the appoint
ment of the officers of the militia, and in the
integrity, which the theory of the govern
| ment supposes, will always be found in the
Chief magistrate; whose sovereign control
OF the entire force of the nation, (if directed
| BY prudent and honest vicws,) cannot but
be productive: OF good Consequences; but
from whom there IS nothing to apprehcnd,
| should he attempt to turn the arms intend
| cd for the q fence of the state against itself
or against any particular member thereof;
inasmuch. as the patriotism and state at
tachments of the militia officers (who, from
| their very organization, will be always "a
bove corrnption,) would prompt them to
trown into contempt so fiagitious design.
1t 1t be admitted that the President of the
Udited States, is commander in chief of the
militia, when called into actual service, it
would seem to follow, as he has not the
power of ubiquity, & as they must OCCASION
ally be called upon different and widely dis
tant service, and, further, as they must fire
quently be associated with regulars, that it
is perfectly correct that a federal officer of
superior grade, should take the command
as representing the President, lest this di-
iemma should ensue ; that militia officer
of interior grade, in the absence of the Pre-
| sident, should either have the command or
carry on operations, distinct from, and in
dependent of the regular force. Reason and
usage unite against the latter state of
things; and it is believed, that throughout
the revolutionary contest, whenever the
militia of the states, & the continentals act
ed together grade always decided the COM
nand and where there was equality (for
the sake of unity of command) the CONT
mental claimed and enjoyed precedencv.
The document No. 9, is a letter from the
Secretary of War, received the I'd Septem-
Der, communicating the request of the Pre-
lsident of the United States, that / should
cause $500 OF the detached militia immedi-
ately to take the field 20 rendezvous at some
convenient point in this state with a view
ultimately to join the North Western Ar
my.-No- 10 contains my general orders
issued III pursuance of this request, which
an we'll as my fCrmer orders, detaching the
1900 militia Tor the defence of Norfolk, were
Iobeyed with the prompttude honorable to
the citizens composing the detachments.
Fhe requisition of 1900 militia was made
necessary iii consequence of the disastrous
occurrence at Detroit (; which, whilst it eX-
hibited the Notifying spectacle of an A
lmeucan army, surrendering without blow
t. the forces of Great Britain, laid bare our
defenceless frontier to the incursions OF our
enemy, and their feroCious allies, whose
deeds OF cruelty were every where manifest
ed by the indiscriniinatc slaughter of
men, women and children. To arrest this
horrible warfare, it was necessary that the
utmost dispatch should be used. AS, how
ever, this emergency was entirely unexpect-
ed, and considerable pecuniary means were
necessary for the equipment of the detach
ment, we were not without embarrassment s..
The contingent fund being fixed upon the
peace establishment, was scarcely adequate
to meet the ordinary expenses of govern
ment. HE extraordinary expenditures in
seperably incident to state of war, had
Exhausted it. One of two alternatives was
tobe embraced I; either the convention of the
Legislature, or an exercise of authority on
the part OF the Executive, upen their own
responsibility. The latter was preferred.-
10 nave convened the Legislature, would
have been inconyenient to the members !;
attended with, an expense amounting to a
sum beyond what was requisite for the e.
qnipmcnt OF the detachment and produc
tive of delay that would have counterac-
ted the object of the expedition 1t is be-
lieVed that there are occa siofs when it be-
comes tho duty OF the public servant to act
upon his own responsibility. This was be-
iieved to be enc or those occasions /; and was
therefore yielded by the Executiye.-The
faith of the state was thereupon pledged,
Ito be redeemed at Il distant day ) for the
materials necessary Cor the camp equipage
As dispatch was Indispensable, ] thought
proper to appeal to the patriotism Of the ci-
ti1cns OF Richmond and solicited their aid in
7 the making cf tents. knapsaCks, &c. II is
I tribute OF gratitude owe their K which