The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1815-05-20

10 not turn from the door. either the Off
GERS or soldiers, OF the old or tie late war
In all these points, viii most cordially go
with you, heart and hand.--But | must 20
further. | must contend that these are far
from being sufficient to " suit the action" to
the time. IN the Presidents Message of the
18Th February, think we have much fuller
more sufficient, < really respectable creed.t
And here, take up the gauntlet which
You throw down. You defy me to produce
" one sentence, word or syllable" IN your
late circular letter, to justify my assertion"
You may bubble, sir, about the word any"
- w NAT | meant to say, and again assert
It, rs, that your lscrer breathes direct op-
position 70 4 respectable means or system. of
defence. ~
In the first place. then, you do rot DENY
mat YOU are opposed to a NAvY-Eour Cir
GUAR says it your civil communication to
me repeats 1t. Now. if the experience of
tae late war does not satisfy you OF the t,t-
~ ct respectable navy, no words, | am
sure, could 60 it, though one were to rise
from the dead. OF the Glory of it's achiev-
nents. say nothing Of the utility of Ma
Wy IN protecting, or rather depressing attacks
Upon the natural C' direct trade OF the u. 5.
snail say as htte.-But are you not even
satisfied, that AN efficient navy would save
our generous Militia from, being so excessive
" harrassed, and cooperate in most impor-
tant degree in repelling ilUaSion IL, by be-
ing masters OF every part OF our sea-coast, a
maratiine enemy can throw his troops upon
innumerable points, his scattered corps of
or 5000 Can employ and worry nearly the
wnoie militia. OF the coast. BY navigating our
rivers, he can penetrate into the interior. and
lay waste cur villages and fields. If we had
had respectable maritime force in the Che
sapeak, would the British have been able to
have seized the town Of Tappahannock, the
IN nvnl 90 <I
where slept the ashes of my family?
but IN the second place, your letter docs
not embrace respectable means of defence,
because You are moreover opposed to res
Peccable military establishment at this time,
as inter, without any sort of dispute, from
the following Expressions :" And SO long as
we have such country and such form o.
government to defend and protect, am tho
roughly persuaded we shall never want Jack
sens or Scouts OH land, nor naval command
ers OF whom We have already too many to G.
| nurnerate on the ocean, to repel all aggres-
SONS whatever, tvith0nt reSorfing 10 tire ne
ceSSHy 0ffluifi1ls oar men 10 school 10 LEARN
HOW TO FIGHT either on iQnd or water."-
A hat is, you re as much opposed to an ar
my, as to Navy, to discipline and teach our
men how to fight. No establishment, there
! tore, which may raise up such men as Scott,
| when may embrace and initiate regular
\ w
respectable corps hogo 20 fight, and thus be
ready TO meet the aggressions of the world
unhinSeG as 1t now is, which may facilitate
the collection end discipline of lai ger regu-
| lar army, when the trump of war is intended
/ to sound, and may serve as an efficient nu-
cleus tor the gathering of our militia no such
military establishment enters into your views.
| but such force, in "a sufficient quantity
| seems to me to be necessary to our efficient
| defence, in conjunction with a respectable Ma
| Wy, military Schools. harbor Defence and De-
| pots of arms and ammunition
| But have already spun this letter to too
| great length-I write in haste, and have
the Lady's excuse /; l have hot time to make
! it shorter.
Yeti cannot close it. Sir, without assuring
| you, that take no pleasure in writing it. You
put me on my defence, and / write to repei
| imputation.-F the notice which / took of
| Your Circular letter" can really be called
| " CGSh5a'ion,' it was surely too Slight Que to
call for or to justify the rude attack which
! you have now made upon mel must repeat
that had you made sfvH call upon me,
should chcerfuly have published any COM
muncaton, by way of expla ton, which
| you might have judged necessa, II could
not have forgotten that no circumstance of
personal asperity had hitherto mingled i'll our
political relations; and tbat there was d time
yet dear TO ny infant recolleCtiOns, when you
and myself, and almost all that we held dear,
| had breathed the same air, and associated
| with the same good fleOhie.-Nor, perhaps
| ought you to have forgotten that some years
past had given place to several very long
letters. which were intended as a Reply to
| some short pieces, dictated by my pen, on the
views of Mr.. Randolph--that within few
| days, have published your defence against
an anonymous paragraph, though its author
IS IN every respect dear to my hearc--aud
that have given you some evidence since
our schism in politics, that ] am not the mis-
cradle fanatic which you have Represented,
willing to drown all sense Of decency, all re-
gard for feeling, all the charities OF social
life, all the civilities of private acquaintance,
in the turbid pool of political hostilities
return you your letter, Sir, that you may
give it such a direction as you please.-Ihis
letter, also, is at your disposal.
| am, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
THOMAS RITCHIE.
Richmond, May 10, 1915.