Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-07-28
.SPRDpApORo
EDwARDsVILLE, JULY %, 1926.

We were at first drawn into the re-
marks which, it seems, have produced
something like controversy. by COM
munication published in this paper on
the 3olh oil June, signed " A Citizen,"
which claims for General Duncan the
need due only to high and commanding
talents. The writer says " He is in
every other respect, /. G. besides mill
tary services qualified for the station to
which he aspires. Possessed of a judy
ment clear, coel, and decisive, profound
ly acquainted with the civil policy Of
our government" &c.
Seeing this high claim, so far beyond
our previous approximations of the Ge-
neral's capacity, we we're induced TO ex-
anime a little; and as the militia law
seemed to present the fairest criterion,
ipasmuch as il was considered not only
the greatest Of his works, but that Of
which we could most securely appropri-
ate the authorship to him, we selected
that as the test. And here, TOO, we were
induced to discriminate between errone-
Gus provisions and important omissions,
lest We should inadvertently make the
General accountable for errors not his
own. Some things were passed over,
therefore, which nigh, otherwise have
attracted our notice; such as the ex-
emption from carrying musket in GER
tain cases on parade-which we believe
was an northumberland the terms of
exemption granted to persons censcien-
tiously scrupulous of bearing arms
which terms, being the paymen, OF
fine INFO the military chesf, afford no re-
lief whatever to the peaceful Quaker,
who would just as soon muster, as pay
for military equipments. These and
other things we passed by, as we observ-
ed; and merely presented to the consi-
Iteration Of our readers, whether the to-
tai neglect of all provision for the regu-
lation Of militia elections, afforded much
evidence Of that cool, clear judgment,
that profound Acquaintance with our CT
oil policy, which, according to i" A Citi-
zen" render him "every way qualified
for the station to which he aspires" In
doing this we incidentally suggested that
he had displaced the officers by the ope-
ration of his law. This suggestion is
denied as if it were an assertion Of fact.
/, would have displayed a more pro-
found acquaintance with civil policy"
in the General, to have a6duced reasons
TO controvert it, as, what it reslly is,
matter Of opinion.
Ho has, however, quoted the constitu
ton to prove that the officers could no,
be dismissed, except by impeachment or
northumberland we mention this
the more particularly, because it is the
only thing in his communication bearing
the semblancs Of argument. But, un.
fortunately for this semblance, the &C.
neral Immediately proceeds to say -" AS
there was some doubt entertained, whe-
ther the enactment Of new law on the
same subject repealed the former ones,
and as there was an alteration made in
tho rank Of the officers" sc. I" it was
though, expedient to pass the supple
ment." Even from his own showing 1t
appeared to have been the general opin-
ion ,hst this law superseded and -eteal.
ed all former laws; and moreover it ap-
pears to have been his DUN ohinion but
inasmuch "as there was some doubt"
occurring, it would appear, AFTER the
passage Of the bill, why " it was thought
expedient" to remove all doubt by pass.
ing repeating supplement. And it was
in this affer-thought tina: the attempt
was made to reinstatc the officers.
But, says the General, " if there had
been such provision in the law, it would
have been nugatory" by reason Of the
constitutional provision that "officers