The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-12-20
WASHINGTON, Zee. ID
MILITIA DRAET.

Mill IA DktAt L.
The bill before the House Of Representa-
tiyes, and which has passed the Senate, au-
ssorizing the President of the u s. to cali in.
to service $4,000 Militia Tor the defence Of
the frontiers OF the u. States, yesterday pass
ed to a. third reading, without having under
gone any material amendment, EXCEPT the re-
ducticn of the term Of service from ? years to
! year.
BY a puerile SORT of Alteration, IS it ap-
pears To us, this blil has been treated by the
Imposition As a measure Of too great energy
for Republican governmert-and by their
printS RS, who perhaps labor under the error
of mistaking this bill for another totally dis
tinct lii its features, it is menaced with ress-
lance as copscriptive system. Now, is the
bill be fautty. it is in the deficiency of that en-
ergy which the character of the times re-
quires- It differs in no respect from AN orai-
NARY militia draft except IN the extension Of
the term of service, (Which does not affect the
principle and in the opportunity it affords
to purchase exemptions, which makes it less
rigorous than the ordinary mode of draft,
What shall we say, then to the mock So
Iemnty with which this measure is opposed
by the federal party ? Shall we ascribe il Co
that scrupuuuS adherence to the spirit aud
letter OF the constitution, by which the Re
publicans were once enabled to check fcde
I'd! administration in it's march over the pros
trste liberties of the people or, to that
unfortunate eXacrrbat,on OF party spirit
which, after determining TO upro0t the govt
rather than lend aid III its administration,
grasps at any straw 10 support its objections
- itP
The constitutional objection appears to us
50 utterly grouudless the whole federal doc
trirc III relat ~ to the militia so wholly in
conn itible with the theory or practice uf our
government, 50 subversive OF the important
attributcs Of sovereignty belonging to ali gov
erHmcnts, that to approach it, appears to us
to BE Suliiici,t to iemosh Il.
It IS surprising how soon, by dsuse, a gov
erHment or people forget their rights aud
duties. II is little more than twenty years,
say twenty -four, since Con. Washington laid
before Congress, with a fOrmaiity which pro-
vfd il to have received the sanction Of his
Cabinet, Plan for the establishment Of A
Militia System, ~ fundamental principle OF
which was the classification of the Militia,
first, n classes for occasional service and
secondly, in sections for TIE purpose Of fur
nshIog drafts for the Regular Army--a
course which is supported by an elaborate and
forC.b.e tram ct reasoning by the then BE-
Cretary of War. We see the venerable ia
Their Of the constitution, supported by its great
federal expositor (HanitoD) on the one hand,
and an highly approved federal politician
(knox) OH the other, consulting on the pro-
per organization of the militia. The result
If their united counses, is a system not on
]y more energetic, C more compulsory than
anyhow thought of, but quite AS much so
IS the Nal sicon code Of France which has
been 50 greatly, and, perhaps justly, con-
demned, by onf politicians.
Congress, 1t is true, did not adopt this plan
But they have adopted, and have ever since
acted on, plan analogous to, and arising OUT
of II, Of drafting the militia for months ser
vice, under the impression that short term;
ii service were most convenient to the people
and believing, perhaps, that months mer
would form as efficient corps as men cailet
into the field for longer term.
FROM this view, then, it appears that the
Question on the ,ill pow on its passag thro
CONGRESS, is one If cx. liency merely anC
IS ailedge4 uncoHstitutonalty an argumen
nch zone but sinking party would have
t'id hold u u IS AZ argument which viii
ut suPpor' them against the authority o
gfoc '..gas, x BIC eary history OF the govern