Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-12-06
r to Che CommonweaItI, near the BeIl-Tavern

law practicable. which was found in the ,a,ute hook
d. lniPIaetclo'e orm In spirit of concession, vol
eu TOT 'he anendatory bill, and under that bill, som
volunteers were raised, who have done honor to tn
country and themselves but then thought and not
thnk' that The Measure especially the principal
was temporsng and inefficient. This law, however
was afterwards repealed and another at the same tin,
substituted in its place. for enlsting men for one year
III us practical operation nearly the with the
peaed one, except in point of material importance
IN myludsment, to its disadvantage. That point il
evident tendency to discourage the recruiting servic
iorihse years; By commissioning officers 10 recruit
the same tune and place, for year, with those 70
nVe years. OEder string convictions of the njuriou
tendencies OF that BILL venred against il, no.
withstandng il understood to be sanctioned by tn
appreciation OF the admiDistr4 ton The principl
Oh tnisf oaiSo, very few noaths after its pas
atledst disapproved by authorisng the Pre-
sident to raise five of the regiments for the war
which remained unoifcered. and which by that law
were TO nave been raised for year. But the oppu
sl;iou % the principle of the bill for raising twenty v
thousand men for five years, did nos cease upon TN
passage OF the bill. proposition afterwards in
trodpced, said be the invention of the new comman
der IN chlet then in the full tide of popular and govern
mental favor reduce the discretion of the Presi
CENT the term at service OF fifteen Thousand of the
proposed TO be raised for FIVE years. eighteen months
notwithstanding the high source, whence the though
emaDated could not give my assent TO the PROPOSE
tion. 1t nevertheless became law. II was my mis-
fortune to differ with the administration upon ohe
measures he one the for setting apart from
! the greet body of the militia one hundred tlo,isan,
men, before their services were wanted to serve for
months. One great objection to al these temporisin,
expedens, was their evident tendency to throw obsta
cies IN the way OF raising for longer of ser
wee The other was proposition for building TWEEN
V tve additional lrsates. This measure was oppose,
win An unfortunate success by most of the gentlemen
oenomihated supper erS OF the administration" an,
understood 10 act with its appreciation. My honorable
colleague, aud myself voted in favor of it. It appear
ed to u.s. not only to be measure OF justice the navi
eating states but of the best of annoying thu
enemy. Besides that measure would certainly hav,
brought the whole of the Eastern states into the war
which circumstance aione, would have more than com
eEsated tor the whole of the complete equpMen
OF additional frigates
You have now before you. fellow-czens plain an,
nii view OF The material points of difference in opinion
between ne administration, and myself, upon the all
Important questions Of the preparations for the wal
ne plan on the part of the administration consisted
| the militia Tor three months service hundred
Thousand detached militia fer six months fifty Thousand
volunteers Tor twelve months the peace establish
mep TOR three years, and troops for longer tern
OF service The proposition Cor raising ten thousand re
guar troops Tor three years reported BY e committe
20 he ousc ct REPRESENTATIVES, and rejected by tina
house said 70 BIZ an addition made 3, h, Commute
20 the original EIeC'tive project The pan reporte,
| on the paft % committee of the Senate consisted {
twenty i've thousand additional troops to be raised 70
hVe years. The peace establishment of about ten thou
sand men, and the militia, en- n1G8se to which woul
nave added hve thousand for Te years. twent
hve rigStes but those propositions when made, wer
nov approved by majority of the committee The sue
cessive changes Of most of the Executive measures
eainst which then voted is the best evidence tha
had not at that time very much mistaken the public
interests Ia those respects. Because these changes
the results OF actual experiments, and experiments
made by gentlemen under very strong opposing prepos
sessions Bat in these respects, experience almost
singular fate for although the measures disapproved
upon the experiments of their authors been ount
wanting, and the course originally recommended to t
senate nearly the owe, pursuing in practice b,
the administration, yet the popular clamors against
Tor refusing my support these unfortunate Executv,
recommendations, far as am Informed have not a
all abaed and for other differences in opinion respect
ms measures, which would certainly upon exDerimen
be found to evenuate in the ike results, have ereatl,
increased The for setting part one hundred thou
sand militia. has not Been repealed but think mav
safely leave to its fate under its late probation II
Virginia II has been fully executed in the view of thu
people. The Executive, whoi laboring under th
ELECTS OF some Of its detective provisions and the Gene
raj Assembly. whose duty it will shortly be- 10 de,ibe
rate upon some OF its consequences will be fully able
estimate its merits and dement's and freely trust il
their hands my opposition to that measure ROt il
most Injurious effects, have been felt from the use mad
OF It, by States uufrendy to the These unfortu
natey, were not the only points of difference in opn
on. between the administration, and myself
! When war was determined on, the administration wa
OF opinion. hae Upper Canada could be forcib.v occ
Pied without the previous possession IF the Lakes wit
| nominal militia Sbrce Of twenty FIVE hundred mer
and about three four hundred regulars after beipe
from the nature OF the service, subjected TO fatigue h
ties almost unexampled was of opinion that the nva
sioE ougtnot To be attempted without the previous pos
session of the Lakes with force ofess than tyer,
thousandregular troops Amongst the observations
in the early part of the session were the foowing whc
1 afterwards during the same session repeaedv en-
| larged upon and enforced.
"DEcEHBER, II, 1911
~" Mr. Giles begged the Senate to turn its attention ,
the means Of resistance now actually in Canada wbic
would probably be opposed to the contempIsei Corc
From the hest information nc could obtain the British IN
at This time Canada from 100000 regular troops an
from 1910 5000 well appointed, well furnished niiti:
dawn from population onesy 100000 SOILS If tler,
tore your troops could be- ready 10 the spring befor
tie breaking OF the ice. and before the British cal
throw further succors into that country, appe TO hi
there would be very good employment for 900 men
subdung this force and population and IL undertaken wit
ever men, failure OF the euterprzc would probably
the consequence Besides SIR, should recolect tn
Great Britain - the Great Britain encountered
/ l775, l776 &c. and although gentlemen seemed
suppose that she was fully occupied with the European war
that she was Impoverished fighting for her existence q