Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-07-14
S. SPECTATORS
EpwARDsvILLE. JULY IA 1876.
THE MILITIA LAW. .

Gen. Duncan, have caused no little stir
among his supporters The alarm thus
excited, and which we hear has already
mounted some of bis friends in the sad
die, and sent them through the country
TO counterfeit their effects, affords good
evidence that the errors we pointed Out
arc of no lrillng moment. The sudden
exertion thus produced, is, in fact,
concession on the part of General Dun
cans friends, that he is touched on an
exposed and tender point. We think SO
too; for if the General has shown in
competency on o matter SO hackneyed,
and supposed to be so peculiarly adapt
ed to his capacities, as the organization
of the militia, there certainly is little
encouragement for US to make him the
sole DEPOSITORY OF our rights and inter-
esis in The popular branch OF the Ma
tional Congress. The mind that could
NOT collect The details of SO trite sub
;ec,, would not be emnently qualified to
originate great and impor ant proposi-
tons tor the benefit of his constituents
or to cope with the delegated talents q
twenty-iour states. We say this ~ no
unIriendly feeling towards General Dun.
can: and never should have said, eithet
this or what we have heretofore said, IL
the people had been left to Judge, freely,
OF the comparative merits Of the compe.
ttors or if they had been fairly stated
BY the Generals friends. Ii vas MOI
our wish to NEEDLE with the election,
further than 10 show, chiefly by the opin-
ions of those who had observed him OF
the theatre OF action, what had been, and
wba, could be done by Mr.. Cook. Bq'
the ,nsidious attacks that have bee
made on this our favorile candidate, havt
induced US to point out some errors OF
the head, committed by the General,
such as have never been attributed 10
MIR. Cook, in order 10 awake reflection
in the public midland to elicit the
question, whether we should improve
our prospects by displacing a man un'
yersally acknowledged to be honest, ~
deiatigable, experienced, and Distinguish
ed for talents, by the election oil 'ont
much inferior to him in mind, and &c
tally inexperienced.
Ii is denied that Gen. Duncan was
engaged ga whole year in preparing
the Bili.--In the Senate Journal of las
session, we fnd under date OF Janna'
Is 1926, page SO. rs following
Mr.. Duncan, from the Select COMMITTEE
appointed at tie last session of this Genera,
Assembly, reported bill entitled an act 10,
the organization and government OF the mil
tia OF TINS state which was read the first time,
and
On motion Of Mr.. Ewing,
The rules of the senate were dispensed
with, aud the bill was read second time BY
its title. and
Ordered to be engrossed for third reading
on Tuesday next
!" Ahtointed at The last session -
There Yeeas no p.aioer language. b.
!, is said he was not aitthe time employ
ed on it. Who ever heard OF an III
stance where man devoted every day
all day-ior year, TO writing book, OF
framing law. The whole recess was
before him--the subject was, or should
have been, much on his mlnd.-it was
entrusted TO hIm--the eyes and hopes oil
the legislature were fixed upon him
ambition prompted to diligence and ex
ertion-and he voluntarily rehorted it te
the Senate, at his own time. It is evs-
dent that he considered the bill complete,
and in need OF no further time or labor
Tor he was under no obligation to pre-.
sent 1t at the extra session Nor was il
necessary 10 press SO voluminous bill
through, during short session.
1t is said we were in error when We
represented the bill as having been hur-
ried through the Legislature wi'hou, due
deliberation. For this fact we relied Oh
cha ,nforvo,t;o, IF ~th.c.. .od ~