Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-03-17
ALEXhND ia,
MONDAY, MARCH l.,
VIRGINIA ELECTIONS

| we resume 70 cay the inycsi,.
ltion commenced in our pa2n;
Thursday. We have already ",
dered that part of Mr.. Mason.
position, which compels every ~
Ieither to perform his regular b.,
military duty, or to furnish s',.:
'ltute, on pain of being shot as de ,
Ter. We come now to the consiS'
|tion of other provisions, not less ~.
|trary, and certainly, when We "
Unto the account their partial c,s. &c
ton, not less Objectionable. IT,
mount of them is simply this--aa,.
every quaker or other person, r., ~
|scientiously scrupuloas of be,r s.
arms, shall be required to finisSs
substitute. on failure whereof. ~
commanding officer of the dctaclnS-..
shall forthwith procure one for bin
at any price, not exceeding Eve HAM
dred dollars, if in hi opiuion. srS
quaker hath property fFlcient 70
and satisfy the sum attracted E:
And in this case, the Substitute ,br In,
employed, is authorised to sue for a,J
recover from said quaker. The sm
thus contracted for, by motion IN
any court of record in the STATE, terri
tory or district, wherein such quste,
shall reside. Is But in case such ur.
ker, or person. SO being scrupulous Of
bearing arms, should not. in the o.
IPinion of such officer, possess sfF.
Gent visible property to hire sabsti.
Itute, according to the provisions herr.
Iof, then such person. if ne fail t, iur.
nish a substitute, shall be COMPELLED
ito so in person, and serve in an, o.
Their capacity than that of a solder
bearing arms"
We beg on readers to compared,
summary here given, with the word,
of the proposition, published at hl
length in our paper of the 18th ins.
and then to consider seriously and Sc.
parately each Of its provisions.
We do not profess to be very learn,
ed in the laws of foreign countries;
but we venture to affirm, that the CON.
mon law Of England does not. and to
express very strong ''onbt, whether
the cannon or the civil law OF the con.
tinent does, recognize any principe
more arbitrary, more odious, Or more
fanti-republican, than several Of these
comprised in the proposition Of Mr..
Mason: In our OWL country, there
lis scarcely a constitution that docs nd
provide most amply for the scrupks
Of conscientious mind. Those Of
N. Hampshire, massachusetts,, Penn.
sylvania, Delaware and keaturky.
expressly guarantee to every mar,
whose religion requires it, an eycmp-
ton from the military duties Of lis
country. on condition f his paying
an equivalent. That o. Vermont Gu
Dhatically declares that ono man
conscicntiously scrupuous OF bearing
arms. can be justly compelled thereto,
If he will pay an equivalent" And
the law of Connecticut estimates that
equivalent at the moderate Sun Of
three dollars and tllirt, cents per an.
Mr.. Mason recognizes no such print
cipie. He allows OF nc exemption
from military duty, but thlungh tho
medium of a substitat. And TO those
acquainted with the 'enets Of the re.
spectacle society, for which this pro-
vision was specially Designed. it is
known TO be matter of perfect in
difference. whether their military du-
ties be required Of them in their OWN
persons, or in the persons of their sub
stitutes provided by themselves. Both
are equally abhorre"t to their rcli-
gious feelings. An neither furnish
es them any other al rnatyc than pa.
tent submission to whatever penalties
may be prescribed. whatever punish.
ment may be inflicted.
And what are tn penalties Pre-
scribed ? What the punishment pro-
posed, by the law in question I A fair
and reasonable cq i,alcnt, on the
principles of the estral constitutions
above referred t. u annual tax. as
in Connecticut. Of dollars 50 cents
Or fine, as.in virginia, not exceed
ing, as We have jus; learned, Go dol
lars I Those, founded in principles
of equal or exact justice, could Tot be
objected to; evineing. Of least, Lbs
raj and humane disposition on tn"
part Of the legislator. they "oahI. no
doubt, DO met witt correspondent
feelings by those on whom they were