Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-03-11
WAsHINcToN CRY, March 2.
THE LATE SESSION.

The second session of the twelfth Con
grcss havingJust closed, it may be we'll to
take a brief review of lis proceedings.
The nation had been placed in a state of
war, under circumstances peculiarly dsad-
yantageous;w we say disadvantageous,b because
from tue nature Of our government. il was
impossible to make those provisions antece
dent to declaration of war, which are in
dispensable to its successful prosecution
ours IS government, whose operations
must be slow and limited we rejoice that
1t Is so; therein consists its freedom and
It's happy adoption TO perpetuate the bles-
sings of civilliberty. 1t was therefore. no
doabt. that the last point of endurance had
been reached, before resort to war and
that, when war was resorted to, no other
provision had been made for it, than the au-
thority given to RISE an army and that
Dat a few weeks previous to the declarati-
on OF war which was to be carried on BY
that army yet III embryo. There was, more
over, throughout the nation, an evident de
hciency OF military science the swords,
which the revolutionary war had beaten
out of plough shares, had so rusted in their
scabbards. thatit was difficult todraw them
forth. There were defects in our military
systems which experience alone could RENE
dy. Since the last session of Congress Sc
ries OF unfortunate operations had thrown n
strong light on those errors which were
most prominent, and indicated the remedies
proper o be applied.
The first care of Congress therefore was.
oprovide the means. and regulate the ar
rangements, for more vigorous prosecute.
on OF the war. As they had declared the
war, 1t became their duty to carry it on -
and to this object did they principally de
vote their attention at the late session.
Among other acts, Congress passed laws
tor raising twenty thousand men for year,
asa substitute for those acquisitions hereto.
fore too frequently necessary to make on the
volunteers and militia for increasing the
pay OF the present army from its better
organization of its staff for appointing an
additional numbered general officers: for
raising ten companies of rangers; and for
tile establishment Of expresses to the head
quarters Of the armies These acts are
calculated to remove the impediments to
the recruiting service, and to 0b Viate defects
i'm the civil and fiscal arrangements of the
army which had becomebut too evident.
For rhe prosecution of the war on the O.
cean, with means better adapted to cone
with those Of the enemy, to which no doubt
they were further induced by the gallantry
displayed in the actions of the little naval
force we now possess----they passed laws for
buiding four seventy four gun ships. aud Sc
veral frigates and sloops of war; They al
so passed laws to amend the act authorisine
letters Of marque and privateering, and TO
grant pensions to persons wounded on board
of private armed vessels.
They also passed law vesting the pow
erof retaliation in the President Of the u
nited States--a power which the savage
barbarities Of the enemy imperiously require
ed, ifthe Executive do not, as many con
tend it does, already possess It.
Ot commercial nature, but few laws
were passed. The most important act of
thesession, perhaps, was that directing the