Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-01-17

Congress ~ y - - d = . g "a
concription, and IN tho Executive 70
decide conrlusively upon the exisf
fence & continaance Of the enlersei'-
a.. the whole militia may be con.
.yerted into a standing army dIspos-
able at the will of the President OF
the United States.
The power ofcompelling the mill.
tia and other citizens ofthe United
States by forcible draft or con.
seription, to serve ia the regular ar
mics, as proposed in a late official
letter Of the Secretary Of War, Is
not delegated 10 Congress by the
Constitution, and the exercise OF =
would be not less dangerous to their
liberties than hostile 10 the sose-.
reign,y Of the state. The effort 70.
deduee thispower from the right Of
raising armies, is a fragrant attempt
to peryert the sense ofihe clause 10
the constitution when contfrs that
right, and is Incompatible with other
provisions in that instrument. HE
ar,aies ofthe U. S. have Away been
raised by contract, neyerby c0nserips
ton, and nothing more can be want
ing to a government possessing the
10 wer thus claimed, 10 enable it TO
rsnrp the entire control offl'e mill
tia. in ierogation Of the authority OF
the state, and to convert il by i'm
pressment into standing army.
1t may be here remarked as a
circumstance Illustrative OF the de-
termination Of the Executive to es
tablish an absolute control ever all
description efcitizens, that the right
of impressing seaa,en into t's, naval
service is expressly asserted by Tic
Secretary of the Nav, 10 q late re-
port. Thus practice "liish il a
foreign government has been regard
ed with great adherence by lie i,1o
pie, fads advocates among '',sse
who have been the loudest 70 con
denim il.
The law authorisingsl,e enlistment
Of aGnsrs and apprentices iato ''ie
armies of the u. States, witiisui the
consent Of parents and guardians, is
also repugaaat to the spirit Of Tn,
constitution. BY "a construction of
the power to raise arMies. as ap
piled By our present rulers, nst only
persons capable of contracting are
liable to be impressed iato the arny,
bat those who are anaer legal 'iisa
bilities to make contracts are to ~
invested with this capacity, in order
to enable them 10 anna at pleasure
contracts made in their behai; ny
legal guard ans. Such al insereler
enee with The municipal laws ai'!
rights of the several states. csui
never have. beea contemplated 10y Tie
trainers Of the constitution. L im
pairs the salutary centrol anu ~
Huance Of the parent over his child
the master over his servant. TIE
guardian over his ward ; anu s5ns
DESTROYS the most important FeItitos-
in socicty-so that by the eonseri.
ton Of The father and the sedacsion
of the son, the power o} the E1Fen
tive over al The effective male popa
lation Of the United States is made
complete.
Such are some Of the odious fla
lures of the novel system proposes
by the rules OF free country. I'M
der the limited powers derived from.
the constitution. What potion Of
them will he embraced in acts Gllally
to he passed. it is yet ossioie 70
determine. Its however sufficient
ly alarming to perceive. that these
projects eDanate from the highest
authority, aor shouId;t be Forgotten,
that by the plan Of the Secretary OF
war, the classification OF the militia
embraced the principle Of direct Taxa
ton upon thewhite population only Il
and that, in The house OF Eepresen
tatives, motion 10 apportion The
militia among the white popu!atio
exclusively, which would have heen
in its operation direct lax. WAS
strenuously urged and supported.