Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-01-14
CONGRESS-.
HOUSE, OF REPRESENTATIVES,
December 90.
IDe5ate on the Neto .zrmy Eli.
rcoNriNrED1

7
low the rank ofcolonel to the President alone,
enquired the reasons why, contrary to the gen,
er''i usage. the Senate were precluded from
concurrence in these appointments
Sir. Williams stated that the motive of the
committee in proposing this provision, was to
avoid the delay Incidental to the minor appoint
ments which could be much more easily and
eitectually made by the coloncls of the regi.
| ments respectively, who would DC personally
acquainted with and responsible Ger the good
Conduct OF those who were appointed.
| Mr.. i'itkin said, it was on account of his oh.
Elections to this provision of the bill and for o :
tier reasons that he was about In move that the
tcommitteo rise, The House had Just been pre-
sented with the plan of the next campaign nv
the chairman Of the military committee (Mr
Williams and the bills for increasing orr pre-
sent regular force to 5000 men had been to-
day fof the first time under discussion. He
| confessed fer himself that he wished for a Ion.
| ger time TO examine them, not only in principle
but IN detail, he hoped that two DAYS at least
! would bc spent in committee of the whole ON a
subject so ali important to the vital interest OF
the nation MIR. PItkin particu,a yly objected
| 90 the provision giving the appointment of in
ierior officers to the President exclusively
! The gentlemen had toll the Rouse these officers
were IN fact be appointed by the colonies !;
ana that II they were virtuous the power would
be well lodged. Sir, sajd Mr. p has not the
! gentleman ttls day told YOU th1t one of YOUR
| generals was either a traitor or coward Sun
pose the colonel OF a regiment was such man,
/ could you trust:tne appointment of your officers
to hum You would not. For this reason
would prefer the appointment residing in the
| officers heretofore designated for the purpose
| There may not be so nSch dispatch AS in the
mode now proposed, becauae ii is not in the
| nature OF our government TO be randi I'm II .
movements. Dispatch is the virtue of despo-
| tIsm, bat caution and deibcration are The yir-
tues OF Republican government. There is much
more danger IN giving the President the now.
or OF appointing military officers, than there
would be in giving him the po n of appoint.
| ing ciVil oiticers. You may next saw, sir that
the President shall appoint all military officers.
Give him an army OF an hundred thousand men
! with officers OF his appointment and who will
| say that he shall submit TO reelection every
| four years : The Presiden; Of the United States
| has now more power than IS consistent with the
simplicity OF Republican government If this
| government ever be wrecked, it will be on the
rock OF Presidential power. I am not Tor arm.
ing him, who already possesses too much, with
| more powers. il 10 thc Patronage from i'm.
| mense standing armies that fear. I ash the
! gentleman whether raising such armies, and
| giving power TO the President of the u. States
10 appoint the officers; be not sapping the loun.
dation ofthe government II is in time of war
and commissions that power is improperly vest.
| ed IN men and when they have thus obtained
| the power, 1t has been found difficult in pea,e
TO divest them Off ask If Burr, or q per
| son OF like disposition, had been put al the
! mead OF this immense military force with the
power OF appointing ali his officers, where
would be the liberties Of this people? would
hstop the project in HR,ihe-I would resist it at
. the threshold. do hope that the committee
| Tor this and other reasons will rise. and sDend
fltf.f ~, - a.
on this subject.
Mr. Williams said he was surprized to hear
the gentleman talk of resisting the principle
at The threshold. This principle, Mr.. w. said.
| was not new. The law which he held in Ia
hand, passed in the year 1898, gave the Presi.
| cent, besides the pOwerto Coz omission officers.
SO much objected TO by the gentleman, the
power to call into service and commission any
| number OF companies lie thought proDer. Mr.
w perfectly appreciated Che said) the obscr-
Fatlons OF the gentleman about limiting Exc
cutrve powers but he thought the gentleman
| would admit that in state of declared war.
when we arc in danger from every quarter, Il
IS not expedicnt TO delay, procrastinate. and
interrupt the necessary provisions 20 secure
our safety. We were not in '99 when this Dro-
VISION was adnpted,'in a state of danger We
assuredly are now and It cannot he less exDe.
dent now than than then. Sir, said Mr. w.
Serostratus got himself a name bv having de.
stroyed the Athenan temple; let it be our
care that By our delay and procrastination we
do not become equally notorious in the -.
siruction OF our country.
Nv Pitkin said it hand become very fasbi.
enable OF late TO refer TO the administrator of
John Adams tor Precedents for measures of the
present day. The rzeasuics 10 which the con
tleman has alluded, together with many other
things Of that day, did not meet the anproba-
ton OF Mr.. p. nor, he unprecedented, Of the GEN
tiemsn from South Carolina, whom, il he was
not mistaken, Ice had heard iuyeiph apaipst
them. lie considered the case the ren,1cman
had quoted rs a bad precedent and would MT
pursue It. II it was wrong, then, lei us avoid
1t and do right now. Mr.. p. moved tbaf thc
comini'1ce Should rise and obtain leave 20 sit
again.
Mr Little opposed tho motion. The snliec,
was as well understood now as il could he In
two or three weeks and The gentleman was At
liberty To propose any amendment now that he
thought proper.
Mr.. Rhea conceived that the wise trainers Of
our constitution hsd intended 20 authorize
Congress to place the power of app5hting these
officers wherever they tho't proper & had not
contemplated, in case Of q great emergency
that any such appointments should await tie
slow process ofg0ing through the Senate. Mr.
D. could not conceive greater emergency than
existed at present. re was therefore vili,,
u sanction the exercise Of the powel--and was
opposed to posiponmcnt.
Nv. Bigelow hoped the committee Would
rise and report progress 70 was true that His
bht had been proposed sons days ago, but IL
was only 70 day that the intention Wei vj,;cL
'ne addhlonai force was proposed and the plan
OF the campaign HAD been laid before diem.
and 1t was impossible to examine chat subject
correctly without mature deiiberation. lie ex.
peS'sd TO have heard the gentleman 20 farther