Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-11-24

OF both. and connect command with eN'
eculicn.
We have been too long accustomed 70
the cheap pairio, SIN thai maulie>is lis
love by hattery. II Is time that we Judy.
ed ourselves IA others will Judge IL, and
ceased, by gliding our errors, Ia insure
tue recurrence OF them. Let us look hon
esily at the history of the year 1919, and
hnd how zeal and !iberaliiy terminated, bN
| mlSappilcauou. III prOi!l.acy aud DIS
grace. The naiion poured It's resources
on the AMY and the army scarcely fell
taem. The roads were Sireued viii
means OF subsistence aai munitions of
war. After encOuutcring piiiage, vase.
| DELAY and destruction, The rrmnani. at
! having COST the nation ten ioll It's original
value, arrived IN most cases when The
| need WAS gone by. The army WAS un
paid when money VAS In ihe hands at
| discussing agents. /, was unfed while
contractors grew rich. The soldier vas
freezing while his clothing was forgot.
ten IN store house. With the most am
pie supply of medical mcans, Sackeii's
! Harbour, the ST. Lawrence, French Mills
and Cha plain bear melancholy witness
OF the fruiiiSsS application Of them. Tire
waste OF lite WAS eGualled only by HE
waste OF treasure. Fraud was embolden
| Ell by .ltrcsponSibilly. aud the war against
| tnr treasury more vigorous Than that
agaiHst the enemy. And It What is il.is
! HUeXa2gera,ed detail the proof, but iiai
| the Illustration at naiional hope, The
sarrtice OF Ii iP and the very debls We arc
gr1auing under now, are the result OF su.
pimrnr>S, rather than al miSfOriuna of
inahfqudie preparation, more even than
VI faulty execution! The recognition OF
a few leading principles ana the iorma
ton Of a few combinations, neither dan
ger0us nor expensive, would have check
ed Ills evH current al its iountAiN. The
single department of the Qua.lermastcr
General. connected Nv II is i,h every
military aci and want, might. by the ap
piICation al its own machinery. have
contributed all th, relations Of an army
| either IN Ms operations or eXpeHces. A
| responsible commissarlai, the eXtrtnitits
OF which should communicate knowledge
| OF wants To the otnirp, and The centre. as
| by double circulation, impari 80 The eX
iremities the means CT supply, would
! have been ii cheap and certain purveyer
| Tie ordinary relations between chirf and
subordinat.. had time been allowed 10
establish and enforce them, would have
made The paI department an unimp drd
channel between the treasury and the
army. Experience IN the prevention of
abuse IN purcbas might Ilavr been
subsiItu;' Tor confidence III individual,
| A medical department, which tie ustlOu
had broken IN 10 ITS duty. aud where The
! head had hern allowed lime 10 make IL
sell known and felt by The Ia rmbci=,
would scarcely have Witnessed ilit waste
| fife and OF the means 81 preserving II,
| where its own responsibility was To pay
| it.ay har
muluplie'i, II record at faults anG
| pHrlshmeHis had pointed IN the way al
depressing item. II was by these safe
and limited preparations that our treasury
WAS TO nave been saved from exhaustion
and our arms rendered eHectual. II
there be not strength enough In The laws,
nor vigilance enough IN those who admin
lister them, 10 guard these departments
from corruption while they are forming
we are cursed with some inhrreat iurpi
iude, that Nill and OugEi, 10 stand forever
IL The way OF our sucecss.
TIE numerica! strength of The army is
III conformity TO the duty we assign 10 il.
Our institutions wOuiS forbid il 10 be
greater; our necessities prevent il from
beng less. II was given 10 The nation b,
that one OF lis cOuncIls 90 which the
subject was most likely 10 be fami.lar,
choice OF individuals and best adapied 10
make II practically useful. It's establish"
ment winch was The result oil experience,
and lis distribution which is thai of ne
cessi'y, are the best arguments for pre-
serving it as aud where ii is. But the
obligation OF Congress does not end here.
II Will prove itself not unmiudIul OF ex
perlence when II fosters the means of OBJ
viaiiDg future III jury and eXpenCe, by
applying TO the force now IN existence
the administrative departments that con-
troll Its conduct, fu!ni1b it's means, elicit
lis usefulness, study lis capacity and
abridge Its eXpences, and which by eX-
tension, not alteration, may accomplish
the same for future force The BruIum
Fulmen IS of The last and easiest fOrma
ton; that which launches and directs it is
the result Of time and Iabour. What This
directing power is will endsav0Ur 10
show. HURON.
We deem il necessary state that in laying the following
piece before The plbie we aetuated solely by sense OF
public duty. We nave towards Mr.. Megs
no private grrs Of any sOr-snd so far as we have
feelings towards at gengman they those nf good vii
towards him. We have received even c,iles from him il
The line OF our prniesson which are calculated to create
some bias in has favor, public officer. But this appea
IS made to he pres, and yield TO the duty il impose
When the prss ceases to be independent il be,oms LITTLE
more than empty brass and tin.lng cJmha" is no
for public men TO shrink from public investigation Th
offices they bold the property of the public and the pub
lie have right to have Of them. Tor the rul
of the writer's do hold ourselves repo
SIble 10 the community know, however, that hc write
from Washington, that called for his name. thar h
promptly gave up and that he is ready ayOw pub
Icly should IL become ncessy II is cessary add
that shall most cheerfuy give place any reply whc
the Post Master General any OF bis frieuds may hn
proper to MAKE.
TO THE EDITORS OF THE ENQUIRER
Gentlemen,
1 am aware that when a man takes NJ
his pen TO censure the acts of the OffireIs o
! agents OF Government, he often undertakes
! thaUkIess aud an Improbable task But thes'
considerations are OF minor Importance TO hin