Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-04-17

trenchment to be made.
In order, therefore, to lessen the ex-
penses of the government, it was neces-
sary to dispense with, or destroy, some
object of expenditure. In the civil de-
partment but little of this could be done,
and according to the view | took of the
| subject, but little more could be done in
the military department.
At the close of the late war with Great
Britain, the full light Of experience was
shed upon the councils of the nation.
The want of military skill at the COM
mencement of that war, and the want of
system in our military establishment,
vast, and ramiGed as its operations were
required to be, gave rise TO an expendi-
ture both of blood and treasure, which
rendered that experience dear-bought
in the extreme.
With the advantage of this light, our
military peace establishment was Or
ganiz ed and fixed. 1t was fixed under a
fresh and heartfelt remembrance of the
past disasters, which had brought to
an untimely grave, many of the fairest
sons of our country, and with view to
the prey ention of the like disasters if war
should again af1lict us. To better its
organization, and to render this army
more effectualiy what it was intended to
be, the depos!tary of military science,
and the basis Of defensive army in time
of war, would have commanded my most
ready support. But when these objects
| l., ual,,tiov,
posed, merely to lessen in a very trifling
degree the public expenditures, felt ii
my duty to oppose it. The bill to re-
duce the army, was however, so amend
ed in the Senate as TO remove some OF
the most prominent objections, and in
that shape voted for it, and it finally
passed, effecting merely saving in that
department, between seven and eight
hundred thousand dollars.
The same dear-bought experience,
which led TO the organization of the ar
my al the close of the war, led also 10
the adoption Of a system of Notifications
for the defence of our frontier.
In the prosecution of this system,
several Notifications have been COM
menced at those points, deemed most
commanding, and without them most
vulnerable to the enemy. To the prose-
cution of these works, the appropriation
ofmoney was necessary, aut as if the in
termlnable reign Of peace were decreetl,
ii was proposed to abandon them, and in
part they were abandoned. Although
these Notifications are principally upon
our maritime frontier, and therefore but
remotely necessary TO the defence of the
interior, deemed it my duty, as men,
Der of the national councils, to oppose
those inroads upon system thus de-
liberately adopted, for the national de-
fence; and although less necessary to
the defence of the state which | repre-
senled than to many others, voted for
the means to continue their prosecution
and | did so upon the principle, OF saving
the effusion of blood when driven to war,
and to be provided for war as the best
means OF preserving peace.
Nur,urcd and educated as l have |
been, in the walks of simplicity and
economy, it would be strange indeed
were not to listen to their admonitions
in public life. But even in the haunls
ofrural simplicity and patriarchal econo-
my, there are limits to their counsels |
short of the sacrifice of comfort and safe
ty. To have entirely disbanded the ar
my, and stopped short in our system OF
Qualifications, would have effected still
greater saving ofmoney, tor The Present.,
than was made by partial reduction.
Thus disarmed, however, would our
rights, our property, and our honor as
nation, have been equally secure
The Tiger feeds upon the lamb. So
nations that are strong, prey upon their
weaker neighbors. Unlike the lamb,
we should be prepared to meet the Tiger,
when ever he shall dare to assail US.
To the prosecution of this system Of
defence and of national safety, money
know is necessary. But it is known
there is money enough in our country if
it could be called into the Treasury.
Having satisfied my own mind of the
necessity ofsuch a system of defence as
shall cause our rights and cur heace to
be respected, if no other means could
thus call it into the Treasury. was rea-
dy to vote for loans or taxes. But for
the erection of permanent and useful
Notifications, such as | have mentioned,
in the present condition of the people at
large, would rather raise the money by
loans, than taxes. To loans, to meet
ordinary expenses, l admit there are
strong objections. 1t is wrong to load
posterity with debt, incurred in pro-
viding the means which we consume in