The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-04-07
DEBATE IN SENATE.
= IN SENATE-January 2g.
Ee6ctc on the bill fer raising fffy tLousond u

Iunteeys' ~
"fr. BIBB in repL to .Mr Cnes-conclsded
4 tif'ist now ask the Indulgence OF the Sc
nae, whilst l notice some remarks made by
the honorable gentleman, which do not fall
perhaps within the general classification
which have attempted. They were re.
marks of a character which come under "A
head which public speakers sometimes use,
and which they call Improving the subject !;
the speaker, under that head, usually con-
sidering himself at liberty TO say whatever
he pleases-He has expressed "a belief and
argued very gravsly (" that the government
(meaning the President and heads of De-
partments) consider volunteers, OF a force
enlisted for snort period, as the best
force" 1st. Because the report of the com
inlttee OF foreign relations, which he consi-
lers as the executive plan, recommends
$4,000 volunteers, aid only 10000 regulars
I'D, Because the Presidents message
communicating Mr.. Fosters letter, was
withheld during the discussion on the bill
ior raising $4,000 regulars, and communica-
tea during the discussion of the volunteer
Dill. As to the first, that the President
has a greater reliance on the volunteers
than on the regulars otherwise five times as
many volunteers would not have been cal
'ed for. III 1T were proposed to effect gi-
ven unique military operation, and on the
question shall 1t be done by regulars or BY
volunteers, the President had said 10000
regulars or $4,000 volunteers we're equal to
the end proposed-then we should have
had scale of equal parts upon which
we might fairly measure and compare his
reliance on the relative efficiency of the one
ana the other species of military force
And then the result would be that the Pre-
sident relied upon the efficiency of regulars
as being five times as great as that of volun
Seers. 80 that ifthe gentleman's arithme-
tical rule OF argument was fair one he
has mistaken the product, it should have
been that ten volunteers make one regular
IN the Presidential table of. their relative
powers. 1t we had to oppose 10000 or any
other certain ascertained military force by
an army OF 10000, then the proportions of
regulars and of volunteers, would be some
rule Tor Jodging of our preference for this or
tnat force when we speak of preference
II reliance upon this or that species of
military force, we refer to its efficiency for
ITS appropriate objects--Would it not be
absurd TO say that a commander underva-
lued the cavalry, because he had five times
as many infantry ?--The great errors of
the gentlcman's argument are these: he
las supposed that these volunteers were to
substitute regulars he has forgotten the
various purposes of offensive and drfensiyc
operations-Not knowing the relative pro-
portions of regulars and Of volunteers. which
viii be employed for the one or the other
service, he has argued unfavorabiy of the
executive discretion in that respect; he
has argued as if all the volunteers were to-
De actually embodied at once for present
service, instead OF their being organized on
~, and put in readiness to be called out
when emergencies may require he has un-
deryaiued the spirit of the country and of
the volunteers In toco
his excellent mind has been bew ildered by d,
counterfeit comparison the mere phantom
OF heated imagination. If he had attend
ed to the details OF this bill, he would have
perceived that 1t was not expected that the
whole number would be continually employ
ed-out detachments only in cases of emer.
gency, that may arise in this or that quar-
ter. The appropriation is not sufficient to
pay and subslst the whole number during
the term OF service permitted by the bill !;
because 1t cannot be reasonably expected
that emergencies will arise in every quarter
we are told, lii the second place, that the
time atwhich this message enclosing = co;;Y
OF Mr.. Fosters letter, was sent, shows a
disposition to favor the volunteer system -
and the time for which il was withheld was
TO favor the reduction of the number of re-
gnlars. here happens to have been Co
incidence between the delivery of the mes
sage and the pendency of this volunteer
Dill and tor that, the object of the mes
sage is attached to this bill If the Presi :
Gent had Withheld it until this bill shall re-
Celve It's fate, think it would have been
better cause OF complaint, and that gen
tieman no doubt would have complained--
he has complained already that it was with
held too long But why attach the message
20 THIS bill Were no other measures de-
pending in that house, nor in this, to which
the message could have had at least as
great an affinity as to this Yes, Sir, the
Macy bill was then depending---the bills for
arnInB the militia-muntions of war, &c.
exc. But this poor inefficient force, some
now or other, has been singled out by the
gentleman IN his mast respectful considera-
tons for the executive to be put under the
particular guardianship Of that message
II does not appear to me proper however,
10 connect, by mere circumstance Of time,
the messages oftEe executive with either
house, TO which tie message has not harfi-
GUAR reference. Again, the message was
withheld at time when it might have had
an effect III facilitating and accelerating the
passage of the regulararmy bill, as We are
tod by the honorable gentleman. Now,
SIR, understand the gentleman. He has
no objection to the interference Of the exc
cutive i'll the details of legislative business,
provided it is done in proper time and man
ner to favor his views the Question. The
delay IN communicating this letter of MIR.
Foster has been argued by time and CIR
cumstance into an implied hostility of the