The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-09-21
OUR CCUNTRYt NJ !.

OOR COUNTRY No. /.
The time has come when al temporary e-l-
pedients must be put aside, ard syStcn, uuitv
& energy must become the O,tieis oj"the 0av.
Congress are now in session. Plans should be
laid before them without delay no time be
idly lost IN cold debate for the enemy will
not withhold the blow, until we have spun ont
weeks IN e'wranSles of party we must act,
am. not tcAk.
We should profit by the errors which we
have already committed. In the conduct of
this just and righteous war we have indeed
committed errorS--but happy is that man
VINO can extract lessons from his miSf0rtuncs
one OF the grosseSt sins of which we have
been guilty, is always to have been amusing
ourselves with the hopes of heacc. Some airy
phantom or other has been ever fitting before
us First we were to have an arinistice in on
don; then Admiral Warren was TO have civ
en- 1t to us; and next 81. q. PreVost-then
peace was to have grown out of the mediation
OF Russia and last OF all we were sure that IL
was come from Gottenburg or from Ghent-
We have thought much more of hozu 10 put
an end to the war, than hcgv to carry it on
The frat OF all this has been that the 6rsk
measures have never been pursued for it's pro-
seCuton ; & that we have done too muchby fits
and too little by system. 1t il time TO awaken
from this delusion, and to SIT down seriously to
the great work before US. fla treaty should
be made ut Client, we shall rejoice at tiff
the meeting should go off in smoke as many
suppose, let us at least be sure Of this that there
is 10 other way to set favorabie peace.
than to extort it at the point of the sword.
Another SIN into which VIC have fallen is in
not exercising authority enough by the gene
raj government, and throwing the states too
much upon themselves. The former has it
in charge TO defend US from invasion and
nso doing, raise money. march the miiitia,
&c. Cases indeed VII! always be found.
where owing to the distance OF the seat Of 90
vernrGent as well as the unexpected events
Which may turn up, no provision can be made
III time TO meet the blow and the local au-
thoritics must then act for themselves. But
IN all cases where provision can be made for
the event, the y. States ought TO act for them
selves, trusting as little as possible to the in
terpositon OF the States. The States may not
be able or willing to carry into effect the
viii of the ion. Thus, in the case of militia,
the Umion should go directly to tie man as of
ten as it can 6 dispense with acquisitions &
exercise its own powers as often as It becomes
necessary.
One of the first things, therefore, which we
ought to do, is to supply any deficiency which
may exist in the present plan Of defending the
sea board. The Federal Government must
decide, ho7O many men they viii have under
arms the officers who shall command the
POSTS where they shall be stationed, and the
lines in which they shall act the de8cTitlfious
Of force which they will employ, how many
mounted infantry & riilcmen, how many flying
artillery men, how many foot ho7vthe local mi
litia are to be called out TO aid these rallving
points III case OF unexpected alarm. Our pre-
seat means for this purpose are not com
petc. Some general and well calculated
scheme of dclence would not only better pro-
tect our coasts from depredations, hut It
would be much cheaper, more respect bic g
more efficient.
Again-to shield our sea-board from inva-
sion, We must seize the best points and erect
Qualifications
But the best means Of defending our towns
on The sea-board. is 10 carry the 7yqi- into the
eHeMV8 cUtufry. This is an object which
should command the mast serious attention OF
Congress Suppose, only that by sending our
troops to CaHada we send the enemy's troops
also to that point-what an expense do we
save ourselves from, besides shielding our
towns from desOlation 10 or IS, 600, Of the e.
ncmy's troops on ottr coasts viii keep FIVE or
six times as many of our troops under arms :;
because, as they have command of the water.
and we cannot guess on what points they will
alight, we must always have number of
troops stationed at a variety of points. il we
allow Savannah 5000, Charleston 5000, Nor
folk 5000, Richmond 1900, Washington
5000, Baltimore $1,000, Philadelphia 10000,
New-York Is 900, New-London 5000, Boston
10000, Portsmouth 5000, we have at once an
aggregate of more than 1OO,OO0-ezClusigcly
OF the detaChments winch must he scattered
upon other points. u 80, or 10000 Of these,
in addition TO ourprCscnt force, were sent in
70 Canada, it would relieve our coasts from
It's present invaders, and thus reduce our mi
iitdry establishment ON the sea-board.-That
tle enemy 7youM dispatch their troops to the
defence Of Canada, we can have no doubt,
VIXEN we recollect the interest which they
have in that quarter, the fur trade, the in
fuence which thcy would maintain over the
minds OF the Indians, the slender ties which
thcy have % the allegiance Of the Canadians
themselves .ac wounds which tleir hriJe