Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-03-18


blood, and count the millions of dollars, il
cost You to drive the savages from Your from.
uer VINO were ted and supported from those
posts. Is tue possession of Fort Erie poth.
mgr OF Michilimackinac, the Gibraltar of
America, notningf Are our feets and posts
on the Lakes to be deserted, or left with on
~ an hundred men each for their pro,ec..
ton! When the British shall withdraw
from our posts when they shall reduce
their forces in Oar neighborhood if, when
all TINS IS done, our peace establishment be
too large. 1t can be reduced. 1t is ALWAYS in
the power OF Congress 10 reduce it. IF we
do divest ourselves of all our fo,ce before we
see tins peace going into absolute effect, will
It nor be premature--willi t not in fact be
an invitation to aggression There was
another consideration cf more general
nature, opposed to this reduction of the ar.
my; what Is force of ten thousand men
TO this vast Continent? Look at the hell
winch surrounds you, by ocean and land !:
anu answer. how, with less than ten thou
sand men, even in time of profound tran
guilty, we can garrison the necessary posts.
MS honorable colleague had remarked, he
SAID, that 1t the Indians were affronted. the
western riiiemen would subdue them
lhough they can do SO, their blood and the
National treasury must first freely flow for
they are brave enemy. Besides, thev
are fellow men: and Christianity teaches us
to use the means TO prevent their hostility.
rather than to be obliged to punish it by ex
termination hereafter, Our Spanish neigh.
oors-Mr. II. demanded, were they to be
entirely trusted at this moment Did gen.
tiemen recollect how distant from our shores
was Havana, one of their strongest holds.
and where they keep the strongest military
Iorce did they recollect the contiguity of
vera Cruz That kingdom in state of
distraction at this moment MAJ eventually
become hostile to the United States. Ought
we not to graduate the Peace Establishment
to events which might befal us in yearl--
Inc Greek Indians, too, Mr. H. said, were
yet sore with the beatings they had receiv
ed. Ii the Spaniards were hostile, would
they not command all that country Would
gentlemen, to guard against all these con.
tingencies, and to meet them when they oc-
CURED, rely on taking their fellow .citizens
from their farms and fresides to fight our
oattles-and disband men already in service.
who would be very glad to remain in it p
Ne8 Orleans itself would require for its con.
SAINT guard one sixth of the whole force now
proposed to be retained. Would gentlemen
abandon Plaquemin--keep no force at Co.
quiles
~" ion6 was IL since party OF pirates
iouse ca themselves In the sea islands in the
vicinity OF New Orleans, and committed
enormities which men shudder to relate
until expelled by our gallant tars MIR
ri said he believed the people would much
| rather agree to support an army common
,urate TO his wishes, than be subject TO be
harrassed and troubled, called agay from
the,r heids and hresides on every petty &C.
Casion- Oor Western country, he said,
would always be, for some years to come
| In as tate ot trouble. Russia, he had heard
It said, considered herself at peace, when
there were not more so or 40 thousand men
lighting on each side on her borders S,in
our western Country, even in time of peace
the moment you enter sparse settlement
yeu are on hostile ground Scatter ycur
garrisonS along Prairie du Chen, Michili
mackinac. the key of the Lakes, and by
the time you get to Plattsburg, and have
placed IN safety and secured your ivalua.
PIE stores In that direction, and you will
mud your six Thousand men dwindiing into
that sort of insignifcance, that, if a foe Won
have, lie will laugh in your face, Our force
ousht to be ten thousand at least. Common
sense, and Common prudence, Mr. II ap
peared To think. would place it much high.
er. But as the bill had been reported for.
ten thousand, he would be contented with
that, though he was sensible it was bad
policy to reduce it so low Let gentlemen.
he said. lay to their hearts the considera.
tlons ne had urged. When gentlemen, OBJ
Jected TO keeping up an adequate force lest
It should degenerate into a standing army
he begged them to reflect that they were
creating military host by resorting to Nil
lltia, and that danger to our civil institu.
ton was, much more likely to arise from
making every man in the Country a soldier.
than from keeping up an efficient peace
establishment, Let US not, said he, by a
kind OF incestuous haste, destroy the here.
tits we expect from peace. Ii is because
wish to see peace efficient in ali its parts.
that l would keep up, at least until the next
session OF Congress, an efficient military
force. Our safety requires it, aud prudence
demands it Of US.
Mr.. FORSYTH saidhe was opposed to re
ducing the military force to be retained r.
six thousand men and was DESTROYS of in
creasing it to atleast fifteen thousand men
lime had been, he said, when the recon-.
mendations of the Executive of the United
States, and persons TO whom the Fx.
ecutive officers were committed. had some
weight in this house when the opinions ogs
persons who had examined, in all their de-
tails, subjects on which they most be best
informed, were considered of some force <,
authority. l fear, sir, said MIR. f. tbis