Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-02-18


military portion out of It's place. COM
pounding or blending in amy form, the
civil and military principle. Let your
military be honOred aud rewarded. Pay
them with money, with land, with offices,
with honors ; but never pay them with
your civil nor religions rights
1t Is now proposed more particularly 70
eNamlne the claim TO the right of suffrage,
grounded upon military merit
IL has heretofore been observed, that
the relations between the governors and
governed, are grounded upon reciprocal
dulles and obligations; on the part OF the
governed, TO render personal service and
pecunilry contribution in return for
which, the governors are bound to protect
person and property. All persons are
bound TO render personal service, who
have capacity To do 80. All cxempts are
grounded upon incapacity To render ser
vice, or upon The ground thai The exempt
Is engaged in rendering To the State grea-
Ter service, in some other way. Al who
have property, are bound to render pecu-
mary contribution. Hence, it follows,
that all these who are capable of service,
and also possess property, are performing
two distinct duties, whilst they who are
capable OF serving, without possessing
y
ties. Are these two descriptions ofindi-
sons, then, rendering equal services to
the State? And ought they TO be put OH
an equal footing in relation To all rights
Certainly not. One is performing SIM
Gle, the other double duty 10 the State;
both equally important aud indispensable.
But, II Is said, that the military projects
the property OF individuals. This is true
only III a qualified sense. II MAY Just as
truly be said that property protects the
persons ofindividuals. Money i, said to
be the slnew ofwar. Without it, AN army
would make poor figure i'll protecting
either person or property. An army
wlthoutnecessary supplies, could protect
nothing. Ii could not exist. Whence
comes the supplies ! From those who
have property, or from those who have
none? Property, therefore, it would
seem, has full agency inits own protec-
ton, as wellas the protection ofpcrson
in fact, that the protection Of both
rights is grounded upon the concurrent
operation of both principles. Ard altho
all capable individuals are bound TO rem
der personal services, they are amply
paid by the contributions of property.
The government is the Just arbitrator be-
tween the two principles and if the ex-
lsting laws have not already given money
enough IN exchange for personal services,
let more be given, but never pay with CT
WI nor religious rights.
To place the subject in still stronger
point of view, let us place two miita-men
in the same ranks: the one worth one hum
dred thousand dollars; the other, not
worth one dollar. Are both these men
rendering the same serviceto the commu-
nifty Certainly not. They render equal
military service-Thcy are both subject
to the same tolls, the same hardships,
the same perils but both receive pay fer
Their services. From whence comes the
pay! Not from the man without dol
lar; but from the man with his hundred
thousand. The one without property,
receives his pay from the property the
community, without contributing any
thing. The other contributes more than
he receives. He not only pays himself,
but he contributes enough TO pay not on
ly the man without property, but perhaps
dozen other of his comrades. Ought
these men then to be put upon an equal
footing, Iii relation TO all rights growing
out OF state ofsociety The rights Of
property, as wellas the rights ofpersons
Such aprinciple would involve an inius-
Ice TOO glaring to he denied by any i'm
partial mind. Give then, the militia man,
without property, his full pay, his full ho-
nors, for military services but do not
pay him with the wrong DIN. De moi
give him every thing; that which belongs
to him as we'll as that which belongs TO
others. This would be confounding all
distinctions between right and wrong,
berween Justice and injustice. 1t would
tend TO break down all barriers set up for
the protection efproperty. " 1t will not,
ii cannot come TO good"
Let this part of the subject be present.
ed III another point of view. Persons who
bear arms are of two descriptions those
who compose the regular army, aud
those who compose the militia. Those
who compose the regular army, render
military services in consideration of actu
al compacts. The government is the ar
bitter between the two principles of per-
sonal service and pecunlary contribution.
Its decisions are seen and proclaimed in
the laws fixing the military establishment.
They offer TO those capable of rendering
personal service, certain compensations
derived from pecuniary contributions
which, when accepted, may be consider
ed a fair compact between the two prinoi-
pies. 1t is a voluntary exchange of per-
sonal service, for specified emolumenls.
| The obligations for the performance of
this compact are reciprocal; and when
| completely executed on each side, the
| parties stand in equal relations TO each o.
| ther. There is no preference, no obliga-
| ton left, from tue one TO the other
4. Al. Il. Il al 4.