Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1815-01-12

nut CfSh PfectIfW Is not 20 DC round. What
the principle ofthe law Of 1891 ci1zens "of
able bodies and suitable ages, might be enlisted
under the direction Of the president" In point
OF fact, the president did direct that minors should
not be enlisted. But suppose he had airccted o.
therwise, and minors bad been enlisted Their
contracts were voidablc under the stste laws. ana
on application, the state judges might. and FREE
qnently did release them. If the enlisted hincc
had parent, guardian or master, either mieht.
and frequently did reclaim him from the service -
How different Is this ACT. Here yea not only n
express terms authorise the enlistment Of miuprs.
out YOU declare their contract establishment cunru-
sve You, IN express terms, authorize the ap-
prentice 10 Violate the contract with his rnassrr.-
And you declare the master entirely without rene-
dy. Have gentlemen considered the psr<ial opera
ton ct sh's prwwisuns fts Effects YIN NO, b. xfg -
the south, where manual labor - performed not by
hardy freemen. but by slaves. II will not be feie
in the south and the west, where manufactures.
and consequently apprentices, are few But II viii
tall with dreadful violence upon the north and the,
east, where the hardy Of the soil rely up-
On their sons to till the earsh--where manafac,o-
RES OF all descriptions, private and pubic. have
suddenly rpultlplied beyond all psraIlel-and wherc
the services Of apprentices are all important ID
their success. Certainly il any act was ever Justly
odious, this win be most Justly detrsted by Tie
freemen oftlle north and east.
Here, perhaps, ought to stop. But I hons
the house viii bear with me while bcstow few
moments attention upon the speech ofthe hon gem
tlcman from kentucky, Mr. Sharpe That gentle-
man has given his fancy latitude ofparty crinlna~
ton, beyond the ordinary field of debate. g
An honorable gentleman from Massachusetts.
Mr.. Ward, had spoken OF the domestic happiness.
the social and maternal feelings which this act
would violate of the heartrendlng scenes that
must occur, when the youth, who in moment OF
feverish ambition, or giddy rcvelry, had enlisted.
should be dragged from the embraces Of his mo,h-
err and his sisters to the dangers of Canadian war
Gentlemen who favor the BILL have all appeared to
me TO treat this subject with too much levity.
Sir the best feelings Of our natures. thoae strong
family affections, which form, At once the liga-
ments and felctes of social life, cannot be violated
by any government with impunty, And thoxe
measures, which cause the tears d i whole nation
to flow, cannot comport with Its interests its hon.
or, or its durable prosperity But these, it seems,
will be the tears of women.
| The age Of chivalry may have departed. Bus
the nature and affections Of man remain unchanged.
And the annals of the world win prove, that.
when BY oppression and injustice. tears are wrung
| from female eyes. 1t never Can be lsnrs bAeso
they mmgie with the blood Of man. Let no legis.s
lator forget that closely are the affections knit
together, well are all our feelings and interests
woven in the very frame Of society, that the arm oe
the strong, can never long be wanting to avenga~
the wrongs and protect the rights Of the weak.
While on this subject. would say . word upon
the refined esson which has been Just read BY the
gentleman from Kentucky, to his counirymer.-~-
He has recited, for their initiation, the address IL
a Spartan mother to her son, he WAS departing
on a maraudlng expedition " bring back thu
| shield or be brought back uponit."
| trust. am not insensible to sentiments or ac~
| tons Of heroism. But, whenever have read this
address, emotion very different from admira~
ton, has always been prevalent in my mind,
The address is from mother to a son. Where
were those claims of nature, those strong natnrI
affections which cling to the offspring with force
stronger than death ! None ofthem resided IN the
bosom OF that Spartan mother. Sir, have often
wondered, when have heard the sentiments and
conduct Of the Spartan Afistocracy, cited for the
imitation ola Christian people.
/ They were race, faithless, cruel and barba-
rous hateful and terrible TO the rest Of mankind.
! An their maxims were unjust and selfish, and ali
their institutions modelled on principles Of immor-
al fendency calculated, only, TO extend the eru-
pire of ignorance, desolation and revenge
why will not the honorable gentleman proceed,
and cite from the same polluted source, examples
I for the imitation Of our youth One great object
of Spartan policy was TO accomplish her youth in
! the useful science ofthieying II become Spar
maxim, that to steal adfoity, was meritOricas.
/ BIZ to be detected was crime and ignominy. And
i no doubt, many Spartan mother has charged
her upon the eve OF some petty larceny exped-
ton, .return successful and undetected, or return
| a corpse
4
But that is not heroism, which smothcrs in the fe-
male bosom, those refacd feelings, those fond at
tathments and divine affections, which, constitute
all there is Of gior, in woman, IN her relations Of
daughter. wife and mother. Give 10 the females
/ Of the Clocsaw tribes the polished language o.
| Greece, and they would turn you sentence
breathing the same spirit and feelings as that utter
| ed BY this Amazon OF Sparta. 49,
| Thatour countrywomen should cherish the de-
Tenders Of their country il natural and noble And
when the defence ofour rights 10 the sole question,
! even female iimidty may assume defiance md
! with her own hand arm the warrior Tor battle
| But no American mother can urge her son to the
invasion of canada--to carry misery 10 those whom
the spirit Of Christianity has made her sisters. IT
I that dreadful work ofdesolation must COON, let
the only agent be man. And if he falls IN the bat
tie. DENY not tohs mother, his wife or his sister,
the holy Office Of mourning his fall and bsdewing
| his corse with her tears. ss,e-..sfst 49,
| MIR Speaker--The same hon gentleman has
complained ofthe assertions 20 often made by US,