Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-03-19

/ field and fight against, or like vetsrsi
troops.
Between such, and militia the differ
ence cannot be sufficiently important Z
indemnify the government for the oner
nous sums given as bosnties.
/ beseech gentlemen to consider, wha
. load they are causelessly placing upoI
| the country in the present instance, ane
beg Of them to wait the attempt at ne.
gociation, before they enhance the sur
ferings of the people, at least convince
them that you are sincere in desire &c
obtaiB peace. BY your fruits let the
people sec, that their dearest interests
are not in the hands of men, who sporl
with their sufferings and privatioDs
Let them at least have a respite from lhs
horrors of war. Ii after a fair expert
ment peace cannot be made, 1t the Bri'
fish are ,nexorahly bent On continuing
| the war in opposition to reason and JUS
tice, you will gain something BY the at
tempt, you will gain the hearts OF your
countrymen and unite them zealousiy
| in YOUR cause; but sir there will be no
refu.l on the part Of the enemy to any
reasonable proposition. Propose terms
| consistent With the rights of both parties
and you will see them accepted without
! hesitation.
A melancholy picture has been drawn
of the state Of the froDtier:--Our vii
ages have been exhibited in flames, and
their inhabitants flying from the fee, or
bleeding among the ruins Of their dwell
lings. True, it is SO; but can any man
hope with these recruits, seasonabiy to
oppose an army to the incursions Of the
enemy !?
Sir, the mischief is already done, and
armies will not repair it. Stop the bill
on your table, in its course, and appro-
pirate one quarter, a tenth, a twentieth
part of the money which is contemplat.
ed to be given for bounties to soldiers,
to defend the frontiers, for the use of
the wretched wanderers who have been
driven by your war naked and forlorn
from their houses, and every comfort, to
defend them from the inclement cold,
from hunger, and you will make some
atonement for the miseries you have
brought upon your bleeding, suffering
country. The money will be infinitely
more worthily bestowed, in this case,
it will relieve much actual suffering;
in the other produce mueb--in this it
will answer valuable purpose; in that
it will be worse than thrown away
Those unfortunate people will accept of
a dollar, rather than two soldiers for
their defence and in that proportion for
a greater or less number. IF we are to
act Tor the good Of the people |
let us do it and lei them realize some |
practical benefit from oar legislatiDg. |
They have had enough Of wars and en-
bargoes. They are weary of the hack
MED song of sailors rights and free
trade" They long once more to ex-
perience that free trade, and they have
70 fears but sailors will enjoy their
rights without any more fighting. The
greatest interruptions that "tiee fraIe
and sailors rights" have ever experience
ed is from those, who in language dis
cover so much solici,ude TO prctect and
cherish, what they have most assiduous.
ly been iaboring to destroy.
Mr.. Chairman, it appears by official
statements that we already have 3 large
army enlisted; more than can be ne
cessary fer the more object of defence.
Once sir, standing armies were dstested
and decried and the administration with
them. Yes sir, the SUCCESSORS of Wash.
ngton were written down for raising
comparatively small army, and now the
same consistent party who in 1898,
for the virtue and liberty of the
union, meRaced by a handful Of regular
roops, can offer unprecedented bounties
o raise their seventy thousand.
Another obligation exists in my mind
to the bill before the committee, and
vas the friend ofthe war thesobjection
would still exist, and the stronger my
lesires for its success, the less should
~ tuSiiuSu W NotC ludS US Il
objection is, if an army should be raised,
t is to be put under the command of
men who have given buta sorry earnest
If the future glory of the American
'rms--even, let them tell the story, and
heir achievements will not add lustrc to
bis epoch of our history. l do net re.
member single instance Of ex:rsordi-
,ary skill or valour from the defeat al
Iiateeanoe, to the defeat at Uill.oms.
u"gh, but the affair directed by the
rave CRoeHAN-Vaiiantm an-He and
lis little band performed in true style
he scene at the straights of 7heymotylr.
The rest is too uniform to be distin.
,nished-I admit General Harrison wa,
ot disgrseed by the attack upon Prsc-
or's army, nor does he deserve any
Ugh panegyric-with a great Army he
reformed lite job, and the disgrace if
ny, lies in putting SO much beyond all