Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-01-10


either OF them, or was the result Of cowar
dice or treason suppose any result, proba
bic, or improbable and where is til.
constitutional remedy How would thu
gentieman lay his hand on the delinquent
An meestigation, it appeared to him
csltd not properly be made by trisn
nal which had not the power 10 apply the
remedy. The investigation, as we'll a. the
remedy, rightfully belonged to another de-
pzrtmcnt of the government. Martial law
was the only proper corrective TO be applied
to misconduct of military men. Not MIR I.
said, that he was opposed to every species
OF military enquiry. Far from il. There
were certain species of such enquiry which
It might be perfectly proper TO institute. For
,he purpose of new modelling an army; a.
tolishins certain descriptions of force or
grades Of Office such enquiries might be
necSssa,y. Bur, said be, for the purpose
e KISSING n raftjcuar ohilitary cDran man :
der. whois supposedwo have forfeited the
confidence of the people vhe femedy is not
yours it belongs to the Executive. Not
having the remedy in our hands, the enqui
.ry cannot be productive of any advantage to
the public concerns. But with respect
30 some evils which may result. Mr.. L. said
he would add few words. What descrip
tim of eyideRce would be necessary to the
intelligent prosecution of such an enquiry
Nothing short. certainly, OF. the plan OF the
campaign, the correspondence between the
generals, and the correspondence of the gem
erals, with each other, &c. Mr.. T. dwelt
on the evils which would suit from expos
ing to the enemy plan of the campaign, &c.
Unfortunate as the termination of this cam
paign may have been, it would become more
SO by exposing to the enemy the Official de-
tails Off its plans and progress. Wherever
swehad experienced duringthe war any thing
of disas or defeat, it was attributed to our
ignorance of the force of the enemy. 1t was
therefore obviously important TO US, to fol-
low the example of the enemy in this respect,
and keep him as much as possible in igno-
rance of our military operations. He may
occasionally derive informa ion from tra,
tor or deserter; but information so acquired
bore no comparison to the injury which would
result from aifording the enemy official in
formation on these matters, and such Official
information, he presumed, would alone sa
.tisfy the object of the gentleman's motion.
He hoped therefore it would not pass.
Mr.. Bradley said, ifbe could suppose that
by the adoption of his resolve, the house would
in any way afford aid to the enemy, however
gratifying its passage might be to him person
ally. he wou!u most readily abandon it. But,
Il the gentleman bad attended to the terms of
the resolution, he would have seen that the
informationto be communicated was lett dis
seetiaparJ With The Presid=at; and he was :
competent judge Of what could properly be
commu icat, d. He asked not for the plan oil
the campaign, but for these causes -sf its fail
ure which it was not improper for the country
to know Neither was it his objec., Mr.. Il.
said 10 call in question the sagacity or con5uci
Of the Department of War; nor to take any part
in the differences supposed TO exist between
the officers of the Army, or to impute any want
of geHeralship to either of them. His objec,
was To ascertain why all the movements Of our
army had been so imperative and had dfsap.
pointed the expectations entertained by all men,
the reasonableness of which the PRECEDENT III
his message seemed to have recognized. 4,
ought not to be supposed, because this or that
general did not move in a particular direction
that this state of things exists The causes
ought to be ascertained and made known to the
house, to enable them, If within their province
to provide remedy. Without such kaowI
edge 1T was impossible the Executive and lie
gislaturc could ever move together Money
might he wanted-men might be wanted
Gould not Congress supply remedy for either
OF these defects II might be, that the yer,
opposition of the Northern States to the wal
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The a. lien ON thepassape OF lie resolu 10
was then decided as fol.ows
YFAs-Nessrs thloxaeder' Aston. Amber
som. archer. Averv. pa,n.s p.,i;ss &c Was.
Bayiy, of yirg. Bea!i Bigelow, bradbury, Brat