Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-07-20
RICHMOND, July 60. I824.
TO fhe Editors ofthe Enquirer.


RICHMOND, july 60, 1894.
10 The editors ofths Enquirer.
GENrLEMEN 1 send YOU copy of a letter
from the Marquis, DE- La Fayette to Governor
Jefferson, the original Of which, written OBJ
v!"us'y with his own hand, is preserved in the
C"nncli chamber. request you to publish
u, ana I" call the particular attention OF your
readers to the last paragraph.
Inc marquis, las every body knOws,) was
the continental officer, to whom the defence
OF virginia against Arnold's invasion, was com
mhied and, as he was charged with the
au!'es, SO he was cloathed with all the powers,
incident u an independent command in chief,
IN TINS state. Ii appears, from the date of the
letter. that II was written shortly after he was
detached from the main army by Gen. Wash.
ingtHn, on this important service and. from
It's contents, that il was written after he had
assumed his command.
wish this letter published for two reasons
The first is, that ! think il well calculated
to increase IF that be POSSIBILITY the Just vene.
ration entertained by the whole American
people, for the character of La Fayette. What
the j." affair" was, to which the last para
graph relates, it is now perhaps impossible to
ascertain, since the papers which explained il
were doubtless returned, agreeably to his re-
quest In the postscript. But the passage suf
irlently evinces, how accurately this excellent
officer, though bred under military govern
ment, comprrhrnded the nature ola govern
ment of laws-how well he understood the
general spirit and genius of our Institutions
how he rendered the principles Of civil ,iber,y.
which he came htber to defend-and how
del'cate!y cautious he was, not to overstep the
just bounds of military authority. In short.
the letter, in my opinion, proves at once his
early wisdom and his exemplary virtue and
4 rfa tplx
merit Is wanting, yet every new instance of il
that can be brought to light, will q doubt not)
be as grateful To the hearts of all my country .
men AS To mine.
The other reason is, that hope the public
Will not fail 10 mark the contrast between the
sentiments, temper and conduct, Of this then
youthful French nobleman, and those of a
certain native born American general, who
had attained to the full maturity of his age
who had been Judge Of a court of iaw.-and
who sInned against knowledge-that general.
mean, who once foIbad the officers under his
command TO yield obedience to any direct
orders of the War Department, and who more
than once has disr.garded and condemned q, :
ders gwen to himself: who not only look up-
on MIN to proclaim martial law within our ow n
territory, hut, in mere wantonDess Of military
power, arrested and imprisoned Judge for
daring To issue a writ Of hubens corpus. which
he was bound by his solemn oath Of Office and
the most sacred Of his duties, never to deny :
who told the Governor of Georgia, with ev-
cry aggravation Of insocnce and contumely.
that he, had no right to issue any military or
der to the mill ia of the state, while He was
in the field: who, without the least necessity
according TO his own state Of facts,) subjected
to military execution. two Englishmen whom
he took prisoners in an Indian nation, as iond
ptrdtes, forsooth who collected an army of
volunteers, and appointed the officers BY his
own authority: who, without orders. If not
directly contrary to orders, levied actual war
against Spain who imprisoned an accredited
Spanish Commissioner, and menaced and
'nsuted the judge, who vainly endeavored to
extend To the prisoner the protection OF the
law OF nations and the law of the land who.
Gift had been the last act of his Iife,'') would
have punished the ring leaders" of the Hart
ford cOnr ention (; and who is deliberately of
opinion, that those :" ring Leaders," though cit
zens of the United States, were, for such
conduct, liable to military arrest, trial and pun
ishment and that they would THAT is ouehi
toy have been convicted and sentenced, under
the provisions IF the act of Congress for tn.
punishment of spies, by an independent
court mar tial''-meaning II presume) court.
martial, independent of the laws, the constitu
ton and the government, and dependent or
ehch SouuidDuiD6 Renerai alOne
i HENRY.
Copy Of letter from The Marquis La Fayeife
TO Governor Jcfsrson, dated Wiiiiams5ug
March II, 1881.
i Sir: From conversation with the quarter
master of this state, find that there will be :
great deficiency of horses, and that none O
those which have beer; procured, can serve fol
the purposes ofSkliNery- Under these circum
stances, and in1f full conviction that trans
porsation Of heavy artillery and stores, wa.
necessary to the expedition, thought tina
:, oxen might in some cases render the same ser
! vices, and the quarter master was of opinion
: that Abe 'snPfsssis6 ofthem could be more ga
silly done. "a
nave, therefore, given to him return nj
saddle horses, field artillery horses and hors.
Wagons. that cannot absolutely be, dspensed
"hn' and instead Of the large number of draf
horses that were necessary both for our heavy
ordnance and that Of the French. have re-,
quested him to impress zoo oxen.
am very unhappy, sir, to think that INV ar.
a rival In this state, is ACCOMPANIED with = no
cessIty to distress its inhabitants-I,utv con,
Excellency will Judge that a siege operation
cannot be carried on without great exuense
ano great means Of transportation. lis with
Ine greatest reluctance, that sign any impres.
sung warrant, butt hope my delicscy in This
matter. Will hp . - $50