The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-12-24

th'y p@p sc. VINO deserved Il Dettcr Iatc, nave
he, at, rt!oneI because they could not be de-
Tended or have been neglected through
:: s.lse principle ofeconomy, and cruel in
difference 10 their situation You will disco
~.r that although thus exposed, and thus sui
.cring, they have on two occasions only, felt
The hand of Government, except IN the way
q. drawing from them taXes-onCe when Col
Mcdowell made his fyirg trip, after the enc
nv had left us, and lately when III Ju,v ard
August, some OK the militia the south side
OF Rappahannock river were sent to our assis-
lance but Immediately carried 10 w Washington,
and along with them, the whole population
of the four lower counties capable of bearing
arms /; leaving fifty miles of our coast, ard all
our property, our aged mcu and women. our
wives and our children to the mercy OF an
eXaspera,ed foe, and rehellous slaves. FIX
ceps on these occasions, ~here no assistance
was aft rded. but an injury inflicted, we have
been left with a very thin population scatter
ed over Il very large extent Of country, TO
contend with all the foi &c which has rode so
proudly and tiiunphantly in the Chesapeake,
taken the Capitol Of the u. $. and threatened
Richmond itsrf
Ourmilitia were disposed to 90 their duty
in fact, they we're as good soldiers and AS pat
riot.c men as any in Virginia. Our officers
would, many OF them, have been willing t of
fer up their lives in defence of their soil, and
possessed skill aud spirit to direct the force of
the country but against very superior NUM-
bers they could effect nothing all their ef-
forts to check the enemy were abortive and
repeated disappointments and constant har-
rassment have contributed 30 break their spi-
rits, to DESTROY their health and cxtinguish
their enterprise.
In answer To all this I have heard it said that
the Northern Neck was not worth defending,
Those who make this statement, know moth
ing OF its situation, OF the advantages which
the enemy may & have derived from x ofits
present importance as military station
They have already got vast quantity Of
tobacco a great deal Ut stock and four. and
five hundred recruits for their armies, many
OF whom, as can prove, in a Court OF Justice,
:. they are now training for the spring cam
paign. Every expedition. gives them some
strength or lry assistance, and reduces
fifteen OF twenty OF orr people in good Cir
cumstanccs to the most aIeC. poverty. There
yet remains enough to subSist very conside-
rabl;- .,ice fora long time, and there are still
some thousands Of families to share the gHnc-
yal rum and is there no sympathy due to
Sem ? Or are they alone of I'LL the popuia-
ton il, our state to DC ,lisregarded But sup
pose from their poverty ur from their co'np;l-
rative insigniiicance, they are really not worth
defending, or in other words that their defence
would cost more thanthe country was worth.
What is this but that fallacious and niser-
able argument which has caused all our evils
the calculating dollars and cents, and
weighing them ag linst the Nat anal honor p
Every part OF our country, even If it s,a bar
zen rock, should be defended to the last
The foot of the enemy ought to be permitted
80 pollute no part of it, unless it is found lm-
possible to prevent lit is the duty of the
Government to protect all its oitizens.-For
what have the citizens of the Northern Neck
heSn paying twenty or thirty Thousand dollars
10 Virginia and perhaps as much more 10 the
y. States, III the way @. .npostS, ever since
tae year 70? (say upwards Off or. Inillions.)
IN peace they would have governed them
selves &c managed al their internal affairs
In war only, they require the aid of their
Government, or the society with which they
were connected, and in this they have been
wofully disappointed. E
II is true that in every war. the frontiers
of country are much exposed, and some
times necessarily abandoned, but it is no less
true, that they are always defended as long
as possible and abandoned only from necessity.
This brings me to the argument. of those
who suggest that the Northe rn Neck can
nor be detended--In the FIRST place, the peo-
pie here, have right to ask that the eXpe-
yiment should be tried, for they say with
yDuCh appearance of reason, that this is the
argument of weakness & Cowardice and in
decision and imbecity.--In the next place,
do assert that If no. more than FIVE hundred
here, they wonid with the cid Of the local
Inilita, not only have. afforded us con
Siderable degree ct security, and protect
ed us from the excursions of tue enemy
so far into the ecu TRY, but have had an
opportunity, on several occasions, of doing
them very serious injury.--ihey would too,
have keptup the spirits OF the people, have
Inspired diem with warmer zeal, and gwen
them confidence in their Governmcut--Ihey
would have saved the property Of hundreds,
prevented Immense supplies from going TO
the enemy, and diminished tie number of
their recruits. in short, they would have
done all that was represented long ago 10
both Governments, il a memorial Of all the
field officers, &c. of the Northern Neck
Tor myself, care nothing, but for the pco-
pic here who are dying with fatigue & Epidcm
ic, VINO are robbed of their all, and many OF
them totally ruined, do most sinceteiy feel
Two things ought Immediately to be done
The Legislature should suspend the collecti-
on of Taxes here, or rather relieve the peo-
pie from them altogether until they can re-
sumo their ordinary oocGpations--And SUI
GcicmL force ought Immediately to be sent to
prevent, or render very hazardous, the c1pe-
ditions Of The enemy.
TYeStmoreiIyd. Decew6er 12fh, 1914