Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-04-03


must, think, ccme TO the conclusion with my
sell, who takes these considerations into view, aud
reflects on Onr growth, the s'stte of our defence,
the situation ot tue nations of the world, and above
ali, with that nation 18th whom we are most likely
To come iuto co.on-for il is in vain to conceal il
uis country must have many hard and desperate
tug with Great Britain, le. the two governments be
how and by whom they may That
ran must be blind TO the Indications of the future,
who cannot see that we are destined to have war
alter war with Great Britain, until, if one of the two
nations DE not crushed, all grounds OF collision shalt
have ceased between as L repeat, said AIR. Q. if
the condition ct France were that OF perfect repOse,
instead oil volcano ready burst out again with
desoiatpg eruption; it with Spain cur differences
were settled; ii the dreadful raging in south
America were terminated; il the marines OF all the
powers oil Europe were resuscitated rs they stood
prior TO the revolution of France; IL there was uni
vers'd repose, ard profound tranquility among Ill
u1e hailois at the earth, considering the actual
growth of cur country in his Judgment, the force of
ten thousand men would not be too great for It's
lsences. Dogentlemea ask if | rely on the regular
iorce entirely Tor the defence Of the country l
answer, 1t is for garisoning ard keeping in order
Our Qualifications, fer the preservation of the nation
~ arms. Tor something like n safe depository OF mi
itary 'ceuce aad skill, to which we may recur in
utne OF danger, that desire to maintain an adequate
regular force | know, that in the hour OF peril,
our great reliance must be on the Wholc physical
torce oi the country, and that detachment of il
can be exclusively depended on. History proves
that no nation, NJ destitute of the military art,
WHOSE people wesC united in its defence, ever was
conquered Il is true that in countries where stand
ing armies have been entirely relied m, the armies
Rave been suhiuei, and the suhiugaon of the natl
on has been the consequence oft; bI; no exam
PIE IS to he found of united people being conquer
ca, who possessed AN adequate degrte OF military
knowledge. Look at the Greeian X pub!ics s,rug-
S"s successfully agans; the Overwhelming force Of
IA ,spcp at 1 i,ara nj
epniiicnce an tae militia, and would go with my
honorable colleague, (Nir. H1'Nee) whose views
kno" arc honest, hand in hand, IN artnug, discipline
ITS and rendering effective the Ini.itia-I am for
providing the nation with every possible means of
RESISTANCE. ask my honO' able colleague, after
nave gone thus lar with hin,, to go step farther
with ine, am let us retain tie force We now have
Tor the purposes have already described. ask
z ntiemen who propose to reduce the army, if
they have examined in detail the number and extent
oil TIE costs aat Slrrisons our maritime * interi-
or Il outer they have goae through this pro-
e IS o reasoning how shall arrive ut the result
that We can reduce toe army with safsty' There
is not one OF our tort adequately garrisoued at this
moment; and there is nearly one-fourth OF them
mat have not one solitary man. said the other
uay, That would rather vote for the augmentation
than the reduction OF the army. When returning
To my country from its foreign service, and looking
at this question, II appeared to that the maxi
mum was 10000, the minimum 10000 of the force
we ought to retain And l again say, that rather
than reduce would vote TO increase the present
force.
A standing army, Mr.. c. said, bad been deemed
necessary from the commencement of the govern
lnent to the present time. The question was only
as TO the quantum OF force and not whether it
should exist No man who regards his political re-
putation would place himself before the people on
Appropriation for its absolute ds5andment. He adj
united aqReston as TO quantnn might be carried 80
If nrinc
were to propose to retain an army of thirtyor for
" or nifty thousand men, then truly the question
wonid present ITSELF whether QUE rights were not
~ Danger from such standing army, whether re-
lance was TO be placed altogether on a standing ar
my or on that nstura sale defence which, according
To the habits ofthe country and the principles Of our
government, is eonslered the bulwark of our ber-
ues But between i've and ten thousand men, or a.
ny number under ten thousand, it could not be a
question OF principle: Cor unless gentlemen were a.
irad oil spectres, IL utterly I'M ossble that any
danger could be apPrehended from ten thousand
men, dispersed on a frontier of many thousani
mIies-here twenty or thirty, there an hundred
and the largest amount, at Detroit not exceeding
thin regiment. And, yet, brave gentlemen-gen-
temen who arc not alarmed at hobgobblns--who
can intrepiily vote eUeH against tdreS, are alarm
ed by 2 force of this extent What, he aske d, was
the amount Of the army inthe tine OF Mr. Jeffer-
son, time, the orthodoxy of which had been so os-
tentsuousy proclaimed II was true, when that
gentleman came into power, il with deterrni-
nation TO ret 'ench as far practicable Under die
iai Influence o! these notions, in 802 the bold step
OF wholly dlsban1ing the army, never was thought
o. ne military peace establishment then
iiXed at about iour Thousand men. But, before Mr.
Jefferson went ont o! power. what was donc--that
Is 10 April, 1908 In addition TO the then ex-
lsting peace establishment, eight regiments
amounting TO between FIVE and six thousasd
men, were authorised, making total force precise
~ equal 10 the present ssce establishment. IL vas
true that all this force had never been actually en-
listed aud embodied that the recruiting service had
been suspended and lhat At the commencement Of
the war VIC had Ear from this number and, Mr. c.
SAID, We have not now aeuiIy ten thousand men, be-
my at least two thousand deficient Of that number
Mr. T.. sdverted 10 what had been said on this
and on other Occasions Of Mr. Jefirson's not hav.
ing seized che favorable moment flr war which
was afforded by the attack On the Chesapeake. lie
had always entertained the opinion, he saih that
Mr. Jefferson on that occasion took the correct,
manly and frank course, IN saying TO the British
Sovernment-yOur officers have done tlis-it i, an
enormous 2ggrcs5ion-do you approve the act, DO
you make 1t your cause or not? That government
dm not sanction the act it disclaimed it, and
promptly too--and, although they for a long time
withheld the due redress It was ultimately terrier
ed. If Mr.. jefferson hai used his power to carry
the country MO a war 1t that period VI m ght have
been supported by public opinion during tie mo-
ment oflcver, but it Ould soon abate and the pco
PIE "Ouhl OcSin 10 ASK, why this war rad been
made without understanding whether the British
government agOwed the conduct of its oilieers N.e
II the thr ateHiug aspect Of relations with Bug
land had entered into the Consideration which had
caused the increase of The army at that time. Mr..
u SAID, there were considerations equally strong "a,
tnis time, with our aucmented population, for re-
taining our present free. II, however, there we're
no treatenings from any quarter, If The relative
force OF European nations, and the general blafce
oi power existing before the Freneh revolution
were restored; il South America had not made