Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1815-04-06

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tax .mposed OF he sill itself; tax OF
po-.er, ale anu strong beer; on leather
iron, nails and brads; paper; candles
hats, caps and bonnets, Of leather, wool OF
fur, and chip hats Of certain descriptions
boots and bootess, saddles and brides,
household furniture, watches. manufsc
tured tobacco and snuff, umbrellas ano
parasOs, playing and visiting cards, and
on gold, silver, and plated ware anG
jeweIry duty on all sugar refined within
the United States /; an additional duty OF
fifty per cent on the postage OF letters and
newspa pers; duty on licences to retailers:
and on the sale at auction of ships and mer
chandize, fifty per cent higher than that OF
last year; stamp duty on bank notes and
promissary notes negotiable at bank and
bills of exchange, and heavy tax on all
carriages for the conveyance of persons-
and these, not for one year, or limited
term Of years, but perm anent and pledged
to the public creditors-sre among the
scourges which, have ensued from the war,
and the memcntos by which the people are
to be re minded OF its authors and conduc-
tors a prosperous commerce, peaceful
state. and rigid economy, may enable US,
ere long, to remove or TO alleviate some OF
these burthens--but neither you nor |. can
expect to see the day when all of them can
be taken off, and the people restored to
the " state before the war"
Many questions occurred during the ses-
sion, which created here, and | believe
througout the nation, the greatest solicit
tude but which have now lost much OF
|, ipta roct ku no lacsaI nj, &c
l cannot with propriety pass them over
without notice Among those none stood
more prominent than the claim advanced
by the administration, of right In the
general government to force every man,
they pleased, into the ranks Of the regular
army This extraordinary power, as des,
potic as any ever exercised by the most ar.
bItrary government IN any age, was not
only broadly asserted by the President,
through his Secretary of War, and attempt
ed to be justified under our limited and
free constitution, but was earnestly and
perseveringly sought to be enforced by
various projects brought before Congress
Some of the projects proposed distribu-
ton Of the freemen able to bear arms, in
to classes and the compelling Of each
ciacS, CitilCt w OEdlJ or tHcS, 10 IGTIlst
soldiers for the regular army, who should
be delivered over" to the nearest re-
cruiting officer. One scheme more cunning
than the rest, endeavored to effect the
same object in an indirect way--lt pro
vided for classification of the militia, and
a draft from each class of certain number
nominoljB as militia men, but an fact, to
perform services Of the most burthensome
kind and which militia cannot under tbs
constitution be called on to render-from
these services they were to be excused, on
condition of finding soldiers for the army
The same principle ran through all
these schemes; a principle in my iudg-
ment equally uniouDded and detestabIe, and
utterly repugant to the nature of the federal
government-the principle of military con
scription. 1t was pretended that as the
constitution gave to Congress an authority
"to raise and support armies" this grant
carried with it as necessary and proper
incident, the power to force any man they
pleased to become himself soldicr-to
serve for any length of time-ior any par
pose--in any region of the globe--by sea.
or by land After demonstrating the alb
| surdity of this forced construction of plain
grant of power, it was asked how is it to be
reconciled with the sfurity which the con.
stitution has provided Against unreasonable
calls for the services If the militia They
cannot be ordered oct but on certain speci.
| fed emergencies and to do limited duties,
and to be commanded by their own officers
! How Is this restriction consistent with an
unlimited authority over every one of them?
The answer was grevely given, that the
conscriPts we're to be called out as indiUj-
! ducts, and not in their capacity as miIiti q
men !, was impossible for such sophistry
to ettect its PQrpose-from it nothing was
to be dreaded, But thank God that nei.
ther executive influence, nor the violence
or party spigit, nor the desperation of the
| times, was able to iasten a CONSUMPTION up-
on as! With power of conscrip tion in
! the general government, there is no sove-
reignty for the States with such power
carried into full execution, there is no free