The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-02-04
| Vol. .9--------No. 81.

| >"N"' StlGf, the SeClt tafy
OF state enters upon the duties of Sec'y Of
war, he puts to adiutant gen. Gushing this
quesuoH " How many maj. generals & bri-
gadierS are necessary for An army of SIS 900
men Now as this question was put nv
authority, and was intended to be comm.
mc"ted to Congress, and was in its nature
very simple, one would have supposed, that
IL would nave been enough in ali conscience
10 nave given to it a direct answer. Besides
II is not always thought proper for those
VINO are IN the under grades of departments.
wnen one question is proposed, to enter into
tne discussion of another. However. NOT
!~Hnstand'ng these obvious suggestions. one
nan OF the whole reply of general Gushing
taken up In investigating, not the questi-
on wnich was asked, but the question ON
which the honest adjutant, in the simplic;tv
or ms soul, tells the Sec'y-s You har,e ,,or
required my oftinion." The whole of this
part OF the letter runs thus
In this Country we have never had
grace between the commander i'm chief and
that OF major general; hence it was found
necessary IN the continental army" tn give
10 the senior major general the command
Oh the right wing, and to the next in
rank that OF the left 4; which, from the
hmited number OF general officers, often left
DIVISION to brigadier, brigade to a CO.
fonei and reg iment to subordinate field
ofhcer; but in Europe this difficulty is OBJ
Vlated oy the appointment of general off,
GERS Ut higher grades.
| From the best information 7 have h.,,
aoie to obtain on this subject, have no he
| STATION in saying, that eight ma jor generals.
| ana sixteen briSadiers, to commant the Iii
VISIONS and brigades of an army of thirty
hve thousand men, is the lowest estimate
which the uniform practice of France. Rus
STA and England, will warrant. and thar
tnisis much below the proportion of officers
these
army of the revolution.
AS you have not required my opinion
whether 1t be necessary to have higher
grade than that of major general, have
not deemed 1t proper to touch this subiect
and nave confined myself to the number of
major generals and brigadiers, deemed me-
Cessary 10 command the divisions and bri-
gaaes OF an army of thirty five thousand
men. 1t may not, however, be imprrDer 70
remark, that if it is intended to have mn
niener grade than that of major general.
their number should be increased "a eleven.
SO as give one for the chief command ONE for.
eaeh wing, and one for each division of fonr
! thousand men,"
1t is entertaining to see, how much from
oie, the worthy adJutant takes to imnress
upon the mind, that the secretary of sta,a
had not required his opinion" on the sub
Ject OF grade, higherthan that of a M ior-
general. lie even goes SO far as to saw. thar
ne mas not deemed proper to touch this
, subject" 'i''s
Now. sir, I think he has touched the
suojece, ana treated it pretty thoroughly.
700: r or ne has shewn, not ONLY that II ia
difhcult to do without, but tha at it is more
economical to haze. grade, higher than a
major, general AVID this too, in an army
or only Mtr'y JFUe thousand men; But
~hen TINS bill passes, the army will consist
81 Hfty fOe thousand. The result is then
inevitable, you must have, in such case a
grade higher than major general in
o'her words ileutenant general. Such
1t cannot be denied, is the intention of ~.
caoinet. AS little can it be denied. that
the secretary OF state, the acting secretary
OF war, is the cabinet candidate for that of.
nee. so 1t has been distinctly avowed h.,
the friends and confidents Of that cabinet.
ana as such, have no question, is known
ny, every individual, in this house.
Mr. Speaker-What an astonishing any
alarming state of things, is this Jbrea
men, who, efficiently have had the COM
aahd OF this nation, for many years. have
SO managed its concerns, as to reduce :,
from an unexampled height of osneri,v
! to state OF great depression-not tn So,
m or and mey nave an ann ii Ms4 its
snr esut OF the whole matter il, that thew
are about to raise an army of IS 600 men
invest one OF their own body, with thi.
most solemn command, and he, the man.
who is the destined candidate for the Dresi-
dent char! What grasp at power is
this! What is there in history, equal to il :.
Can any man doubt what will be the result.
OF this projectf No man can believe thar
the conquest of Canada will be effected. in
one campaign. 1t cost the British six vearx
to acquire it, when it was far weaker thar
at present II cannot be hoped that we
can acquire it under 8 or wears. And
what. then. will be the situation Of this ar
my and our country Why then, the army
Will be tor the presidency And, whoever
IS candidate for the presidency, with an
army OF $4,000 veterans, at his heels will
not be likely to be troubled with rivals or
to concern himself with votes. A nresi-
dent elected, under such auspices NAV be
nominally president for years; but reaIIvN
If hepieases, president for life.
!, know that all this will seen, wild or
: fantastical to very many, PERHAPS. to ali
who hear me. To my mind, il is ne;,hsr
: the one, nor the other. History s f,Ii &c
events, less probable, and effected nv as,
! mics, far inferior to that, which is pronoss,,
to be raised. So far from deemine il urere
fancy, that consider it, absolutely certa;n
u TINS army be once raised, organized ,nd
enter upon successful career cf conon,.,
) The result of such power as this. entr,s
ted to a single individual, in fhc oresos.