The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-11-10

whole to the bill authorising the President of
the y. States to accept the services of such
volunteer corps as shall organize themselves
and offer their services to the President of
the ". States.
The amendments having been all agreed
to, until that came under consideration which
goes to strike out the 18th section, which is
in the following words
{" Ind be IL further enacted, That the of
hcers. non-commissioned officers and privates
accepted under the authority of this act who
shall serve two years in the army of the u.
5. shall be eXemptedfro from militia duty during
the present war;"
On the question to strike out this section, to
which he was decidedly opposed, Mr.. Haw-
kins required the Yeas and Nays.
Mr.. Fisk Of ". opposed the erasurs of this
section. He deplored the errors of a false
economy which had pervadcd the measures
of Congress from the commencement of the
war, and which he saw with regret in the
determination to withhold this, the only in
ducement to volunteer under this bill. The
section proposed to introduce no new prin-
ciple; for exemptions were already recogui-
zed by law in particular cases, and III none
more rightfully than this If they went OH by
scanty means, as they had heretofore doLc,
the war might continue not only two years,
but ten times two, &c. SC.
Mr.. Ra7vkins Of NJ. spoke at some length
and with much force, in favor of retaining this
section, which he believed vital to the utility
of the bill He addressed himself to the ma
jority of the house-for, as to the minority,
they we're opposed to the administration and
TO the war, and could not be expected to go
along with those who supported either
What, said he, do we now want? We want
soldiers, and expect to obtain them under
this bill, and under another of more ener-
getic character, now before this House. APP
peals to the patriotism of the country, to
volunteers, said Mr.. II. are beautiful in sound !;
they please the ear-but, when brought TO the
test, this species OF patriotic spirit may be
worn out by too severe a pressure. IL gov
ernment rests lis claims to the services of
its citizens exclusively on the patriotism of
the country, in the time of most need they
will be found most wanting. In particular
sections of the country, particular classes of
men had borne the brunt of the war by vol
untaIy contributions Of service, as far as they
could so bear 1t. There was scarcely man
OF any standing in the western country whe
had not contributed in some way his person.,
al services in support of war which he be-
lieved to be righteous and just. Let future
calls on their patriotism be made in such man
ner as to convince them the government does
not wish to tax exclusively their patriotism
INlT. H. IIlSn examined the Inducements O1
land bounty and pay held out by this bill !;
which nc said were no temptation to the
hardy baCkwoodsman of the west, who by
labo~iag one-fourth of his time, can earn a
subsistence fer his family, &c. He then made
few remarks ON the military services al
ready rendered by the citizens of the west
ern states, where these men were expected
to be habitat portion of the country was
already exhausted by the services they bad
frequently and successfully rendered. 1t was
impossible, therefore, that any large force
could be collected under this bill, even retain
ing the section which had been stricken out
in committee of the whole. But if gentlemen
persisted in calling upon men for a contribu-
zion of voluntary services, not to defend their
homes, but to fight our battles, to march
here and there, without appealing to other
inducements than patriotism and bravery,
they would only deceive themselves and the
government.
Mr.. Calhoun of s. C. remarked, that the
military force by which we can operate con
sists of two descriptions the regular force,
whose general character is mercenary, the
soldiers enlisting for the sake of the bounty <
subsistence /; drafted militia called into SER
vice under legal obligations and volunteers,
bro't into the field by patriotic motives only.
II volunteers were to be obtained only by the
greatness of the inducements or tine amount
of compensation held out, why call for volun-
teers at all Mr.. G. said he would not consent
to derogate from the motives of those who vol
unteer by supposiug them TO be altogether &C
tuated by such motives. There were tempta-
tons of one kind held out to those who enlist
in the regular army, and of another to those
who volunteer. Love of country is the boast,
it is the Jewel of the volunteer corps. They
are unfit for the tug of war, for It's drudgery
and fatigue. They are peculiarly adapted
to cases OF emergency, of great personal dam
ger, but not great fatigue. We must rely on
regulars to be enlisted, and if not to be had
in sufficient numbers, on those who shall be
drafted from the whole body Of the militia.
These two constitute the bone ard muscle of
the army. If great reliance had been placed
on volunteer force, why had another bill been
reported by the military committee, with ex-
traordinary provisions for filing the ranks of
the army Certainly, the volunteers had on
ly been considered a cooperating or subsidi-
airy force, the regulars being the basis. a
body OF volunteers, for instance, might indivi-
dually and collectively, possess the same spi-
rit as the little army under Gen. Brown, but
they could not be expected tc render the same
Kind or services
IIEr. Fisk Of ". said that the argument Of
the gentleman from S. Carolina, extended a
LITTLE farther, would favor the denial Of any
compensation to volunteers for their service.
The gentleman would then see, how many
patriotism alone would indnoe to take tie
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