Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-03-02

ground Of service to the END Of the war; that he ex
eiusively rested his amendment. He thought the
right unquestionabe upon fair uction OF the
latter clause, which referred 10 the cage OF sups
mersry ofiicers He would read IL again:--
hnu oil such officers AZ have, shall D, come SUI.
peinumerary on reduction Of any Of the sid ba,ta,ion.
and shall enter into service If required so 10 no
IN The san- o. any higher rank and continue
The end OF tie war, shall be en,i led 10 hall pay
during h", TO c"mmencs from the determination of
their command ,ervice."
lie though, the elau'e ju.t read. very clearly en-.
or,ced two ciasse. o supernunerary officers.
| Frst. Those who he'd continued iu the service N,
I'll their bat alton reduced and their command de-
ernined, and ,cho not again regured to enf,r
into The
| Secondly. Those who after the rsluct;on of hi;
bat aion were required TO enter, and did enter ay lin
no the service aud continued in until the end OF the
war. ~
| The committee on Revolutionary Ciaim.. considered
The latter class alon- entitled ,h- clam
ru lie considered it very obviously the int ntion of
he ac to embrace both. To pve TO the clause indeed
any other cons'ruc ion, would involve in fusion
every principle Of Engli-h composition, and yio,,s
every rule OF legd Interpretation. Why insert the
| eianse-"V required SO 10 do,' unless il was i'm
shced 10 give TO the clause significant operation i'm
Tue sentence?-Strike out those words. and The com
s'rucon given by the Committee TO the act woud h.
souud-rstain them, and it cannot be sustained WHY
say, from the determination OF their "co,mnnd Or,
unless Intended 10 embrace those " no were not
required to enter the service. WHY provide ih,,
when again required TO enter into service il shall
only he III tho "sne higher rank" if no, 10 proect
the officer against the forfeiture of resfei yigbt
should the Government attempt to practice fraud or
oppression by DEGRADING him in military rank? wiz
ne Siid That those words rte ntlv insert
ed in the paragraph The history ef that act rene.
The suggestion. For The word tsheneper required 80
do were, after ielib ration AMI discus struck
ou'-and The words u required to do" substituted
in their pace-and the words "or serpice, con.titu,s
one OF The amenlw ents of the Senate 10 the bill az il
passed the III. OF Delegates
Mr.. Faulkner lieved that no critical
could further illustrate propion expressed in an c
eear and persricnons phraeo"gv AMI unles. il was
ucsn q by the Government OF Virginia to hold on,
10 her cizens pledge which Tho never intend sd 4,
redeem, he felt little he alton in saving IL wa, obvi
ou.y the intention Of the act TO embrace both de.
scrip ions Of officers. IT, indeed, il was not the in
hhuon al the act IL embrace those W! O wer.
not required again 10 cutter tue service the vboIc
clause itself IS nugatory. For those who were again
called INTO service and served to the end of the tcur
would ciaim-no: un Ter the paragraph in uueson--
but under aproccGag paraera h. promising half nav
10 these who served TO the end of the war-Why th.n
insert The latter clause! The construction OF The Com.
'itee involved the trainers oil that act i'm the ab.,rJi
TIES OF repeuiien,-his construction IA ,rnoni.eJ Tho
whole act-and gave 10 each clause proper operation
and force. - i
But, whatever doubt or obscuty might renain.-af.
Ter critical examination OF the language Of hi.
clause, NJ. Faulkner believed that Ibos. douh,s
would b, eclualy removed by refer, nee to the his.
Tory oil nat periodto the motives and considerations
"h'h lea 10 the enactment itself, aud to the universal
cous ruc!ioa given to the law At that line bv the Er
ecu I'VE and Legislative Departments OF tie Govern.
ment Of Virg mia.
he promise OF HALF PAY for life to such officers
tas renamed IN service until the end of the war
ana 20 sca oD.cers as entered for tbs todr but toho
rfduch0n or fhetr bdttdii0nS and CORPS aceye com
peflea TO retire from command on hair pav was a
Porlon oil that admirable system of military defence
devised by the COMMANDMENT Chief period of great
national embarrassment; and was indeed the only svs
TEN, which could, in the then circumstances OF the
country, have carried successfully through the war of
'ne revolution The letters of General Washington
ABOUND in copious illustrations of the necessity of some
such system--and in strong and fervid recommends
uons oil the plan, to he attention of Congress and the
State Legislatures.
Those who entered the service as officers At any
carry pcroi OF the war-buoycd up by those lofty SEN
uncns which such an effort for freedom was caicuat-
ed 10 inspire, enlisted not only without to the paw
OF enoumentS but cheeriully made sacrifice of their
private fortunes, in equPping themselves i'm STYLE
suited to the dignity of their commands The suffer
nGs ana hardshps, however, which for three successive
years uey were compelled TO endure (and human forth
tnde and patriotism were called upon TO endure
severer ral0 UNMARRIED by any prospect of relief or
nope oil amelioraon, began very sensiby to abatc the
ardour oil their zea and triumph the enthusiasm of
ter hrst ieelings-ihc probability too in the eauent
reductions and arrangement of the battalions and
regiment that they might, many of their brave and
distinguished associates had before them, been thrown
out oil command after having spent their private for
tunes in the service OF their country Induced many o
pace putie value upon their commissions The scarcity
oil officers about this mc growing of these conside-
rations, gave serious alarm the commanders
To obvatc these difficulties and to engage ne,nn,ent
corps officers for the 'car, he proposed to hold out
the compensation OF halt pay for life TO such as should
enter Tor the war-making no di stnction i'm the nor
nanen annuity OF those might be retained in acu.
al command, and those who by reduction of their hal
aI'ohS, might he thrown out of comman annex king
however, condition the latter the forfeiture of
their eno'mens, shoudRhey, at any time if required
refuse again 10 enter into actual service.
ihcse views were feelingly and eloquently brought
70 INC attention OF Congress and the Virginia Legislature
by Gen. Washington
ITO place the officers of he army in a situation
which would render heir commissions valuable" saw.
hc historian OF his life, and hold out 10 them the pros
pect OF comfortable old age, in country saved by In
oIood their s'LieTngs and the abours of their best
years. and thus TO from the contempt end misery
100 oi'en attendant on poverty, who had devoted
neir prime of land many of whom had employed their
Htie ALL in the service of the public was am object
Which had always been dear the heart of the com
mander-in- chief.'
The plan had TO encounter difficulties II was on
posed as 100 expensive True economy, however taught
hem, that whatever promoted efficiency i'm war Was
the cheapest policy. BY Others it was resisted as re-
pugnant TO the institutions of the country Ii finally
nowevcrby the force o. necessity tumphed over all dit
hcuies,-anl its wisdom and DO lev were di,ploved in
me new energy which it inspred-and the increa sed
a'acn'y with which the officers ought the service
VIRGINIA, always first in whatever tended 10 pro
mote the cause of national liberty as carly as NAV
lII9, adopted the provision which has been made tc
subject OF previous examination.
Congress moved more slowly. The first resolution
on the subject, passed in May. l77s. This allowed TO
all military officers who should continue in service
during The war, haf pay for screen years. In 1879,
the subject was again taken up and after much debate
It's lurther consideration postponed. In October 1880
formally acted upon the subject, and adopted the fol-
lowing rcsolutions
Resoired, That the officers who shall continue II,
service TO the end of the war shall be entitled IN b,lf