Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-04-04
To THE FRBEHOLDERs OF
PRINCE WILLIAM, LOU
NOUN AND FAIRFAX.

10 scan tuo iuCiieo VI
who sue for public distinction thro'
the suffrage of the people. is the un-|
doubted right Of freemen to uss tins
right moderately, calmly, and politely
lis the pride of Virginians. Twill not
|detain you by ample remarks on the
relative pretensions of Charles Fenton
Mercer, Esq. and Gen. Armistead L.
Mason as candidates for Congress !;
hut will content myself with llustra!-
ing their political characters by their
own plans and language on a SUBJECT
Iof highly interesting nature anu one
which affects the rights of every man.
In one column below you will see
Ipropositions of Mr.. Mercer to amend
| the militia laws of Virginia at the last
session of the Assembly in the other
| ths propositions made by Gen. Mason
| in the Senate of the U. States to alter
the militia laws of the United States.
These acts furnish their own com.
ments and Fluctuations, and will ena-
BILE you to form some estimate OF the
views of their authors.
During the war an act Of assembly
passed containing basty provision
lfor treating as dsserters men called
out into service. even though never in
service. provided they did not obey
the call. Session before last Mr..
Mercer attempted its repeal and fail
ed T.; he,renewtd the attempt last SEES
sion in the way disclosed below and
succeeded in The house of delegates OF
which he was a member, but the Sc
mate refused its sanction.
You perceive Gen. Mason's amend
Imcnt. which miscarricd, thank God.
Iprovided that if a man was called out
and failed to go by himself or by sub
lstitute he was 10 be considered as a
ldeserter and treated accordingly. A
idcserter is liable to be shot. The old
law in force in the time Of Washing
ton, subjected a man who was called
lout and failed to go to a fine OF 80
:ldolIars or 100 dollars. Why change
lit The country had fiourished un.
|der it, it had suited lis in peace. and
had stood the tug of war. BY Wash
lington's Law man must nave been a
lsoldier before he could have been a
|deserter, and until he went to the
place Of rendezvous he was a citizen.
! mt Gen. Yarnum and Gen. Mason.
mo, tent with regulation so
BwEoiesc attempted to make a man
IA deseit,r before he ever saw the
camp. that is, as I take it, to make him
i. a runaway from a camp where he had
never been and dealt with him accord
,ingly. A man a deserter and liable
to be tried for his life, who is peacea-
: BILE at home, perhaps sick!! This
project exposed the citizen to mneces-
jsary impositions and yexations and
Imay be fairly pronounced arbitrary in
1.-THE bighy degree. It came out in
.lSpring rs G, about year or two at
tier you bad so freely split your blood
land layishcd your money in defence
of your beloved country. How Ill
timed, how i'll Judged!
Fellow citizens, read the PROPOSE
lions of both gentlemen, and both are
certainly very respectable gentlemen,
land say, not as party men. but as A
mericans, as enlightened arc tempe
rate freemen, for whom you will vote!
70 that portion of the Community
conscientiously serupulnus as to hear
ling arms. the meek and pious disci-
piles of VIM. Penn, what shall | say !
Any petty officer is to judge of your
ability to pay. and to make for lou
your bargain for not more than 500
dollars. Many militia officers are
reasonable men; but others are too
much Influenced by their passions,
anu the wanton pride .oftheir commits
,sions and epaulcts. What kind of
bargain do you believe they would
make for you? The utmost limit of
the law would be their only limit, you
would then, in all probability, have to
pay 500 dollars for single tour, and
your officer to be the judge whether
you are able or not. He is first to
make the bargain for you, secondly
to be the only judge Of your affairs.
to appraise your estate for you, and
last of all, if he determined you una
Bile to pay, force YOU to war. not to
light, but to perform any other SER
vice. You are to drive the Wagon,
II, II a.,