Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-01-01
The resolution Of Mr.. NJ ,soN was adopted.
And then the Convention adjourned.
WEDNESDAY, DrcEMnEa Q.

"WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER o.
The Committee then proceeded to consider the
oth aud 7th resolutions of the Executive Committee,
which read as follows
hfesoiced, That the Commissioned Officers OF mi
ht'a companies he dominated to The Executive by a
MINORITY OF their respective companies.
ReSotrtd, That the Field Officers of regiments. be
nominated tn the Executive by majority of tho Com
'nissioned Officers of their respective companies.
Mr.: IRkzvANr SAID, that as both of th 50 rr,ulu-
tons had been a. pied his ion he would take
the liberty OF proposing an amendment which hc
thought better calculated attain the object he had
IN view He presented II IL the words following:
Iteofred. That The mode OF appointing militia of
hcets ought to be provided for by law: Procided,
nevertheless, that no officer below the Grade of u
BIigadicr General should De appointed by the q nc
raj Assembly
Mr.. I. accompanied the amendment, by n few re-
marks IN explanation, goug To- show hat chang
IN The present mole Of appointment desirable
oit that IT the experiment he proposed should ON tn
Il" De found 10 produce results than the present
system, the step could be rcrraced.
MIR MAcnAE moved tao following am"nt,m, Mt 20
that of Mr.. TRuzvANr.
Hesoired, That the Gcrcrul Officers OF tue nli,in
shall he appointed by the Executive by aud with the
advice and of the Senate upon the nominal
tons of the Field Officers Of the mill il ia such D-
lt'cs, and IN such manner shall DC prescribed by
law.
Resolred Chat all other OH FRS of thu Mill ia sal!
be appointed in such maliet as hall bo prescribed
by law.
sir. MAoRAE expressed his concurrence with the
views u the gcntl nan from SOUTHAMPTON i'll reSueCt
To tn: inferior officers lie thought the present noit.
%. appointment, judging by its results bad any
that could be dev scd; and, therefore, he was wiling
to tndkc TIC experiment OF elective nominations; but
aS experience, the Only test as human INST utIuS
night demonstrate the latter 10 be even wore than
the former, he was disposed 10 subject the whole.
na:"r la legislative control and discretion-The
military elections in Pcnnsy ivana lad resulted in
otc instance, in the cloiCc of Colonel Puck-wLilst
Dr rrtp cd
Court recommendations had sometimes iii III, norcd
our service. The Constitution of Now York. pro
vcs for the election OF the inferior officers Of rni!ia
but, ia trusting this idc of app ointment II author
iZ"s the Legislature to Substitute arv other m its
discretion. y" that, UPON the whole. il seemed TO be
most expects Ut TO abo ISL the resent cuns ltu,ionu
restriction, as 70 the mode of appointment; ana to
Lave it to the Legislature provide such As crrun
stances recommend To its adoption.
As TO the general officers, he aGvcrted TO the hrh
Importance OF selecting men of he best military quail
cItIOs and he declared lie considered the election
by the General Assembly, not ada pied TO that end
and resulting, III practice, III many evcep,ionaLc
appointments. He claimed to tie u ref r;ncr but HI,
lheorst: ne should "a for the pncipl.s that
would work wei; he would deducc them from facts.
supplied by history and experiences; and lie would an
ply them with view TO practical results He asked
II Il was not the tcad NY and eject of the present
system, 10 choose politicians rather than soldiers; tn
Potter CIVIC ncrit to military cldowmcmts; and To-
make IL The most Essential Gualiiicui ION io uti. he
station Of Virginia Gene al, tlnj he sloulJ no
Member OF the Legislature: IL must be So from the
nature fittings, and the ordinary workings of human
'nntAo; the cI"ct"rs have no opportunity OF makn
FIJI Comparison OF the precnSons of the rival canJ
dates aud they th r;orc, readily weld 10 the infu
ence OF lie esprit du corps, of personal friendship
esteem, racier during their association i'm nub
l.c duty. The Legislature had proved itself to be
wholly incompetent to the due exercise OF fills nlc
tive function, by the appointment OF popular men,
whO, however cniabe and resp ctab, ~, re not lc-
commended by either military service or military ia
lent, of men, who not only had
Nor the division Of a BATH knew,
MfIe than SpIu,er,"-
but were incapable Of drilling Screams Su,Ind
and, perhaps, had never even held commission In
these remarks. lac disclGimcd any particular iusion
He SPOKE ci'y OF the general tendency; and he
double not, that there had been many honorable cX
cepiions.
But lie utterly disapproved o the principle of
ding military service by civil Office; and he thought the
converse equally true, and that civil service ou lit not
to be- reward q by military office. He thought that
military men the best Judges of military merit;
q that the best depository of the power of nominating
our commanders, would be the field officers of Reg.
ments, who, however deficient many OF them must he
from the want of experience, Will always cmbodv tho
mass Of The military talent and spirit Of the State. The
nominating power ought to be lodged the hands of
those having the best capacity and opportunity 10
judge OF the qualifications of those recommended TO
Office and he asked whether this function could he
properly performed by the members Of the General
Assembly who are civilians. and no, soldiers, and who
officers from whom i'll general the selection ought to
be made other candidate presented for their choice
Emulation was the soul ct soldier; and the hope of
promotion the great incentive to military energy: and
these he believed would be much strongly excited
among officer, when they knew that their nd.
iancemcnt depended upon the estimates formed of
each other from personal observatoD certain inor-
mstion, and not upon holding place in the Legisa-
ture lie proposed to give the Governor and Senate
a negative upon the nominations with view TO the
correction of those instances Of erroneous Judgment
pcSO1al injustice. would
wherever the power OF see ion might be lodged lie
had made the Senate participate in the exercise Of
ha, negative at the instance Of others he was content
10 conide it to the Executive aone and he hoped
that those Who objected to his plan, merely by reason
OF the action of Tie Seuate, would TO strike out
that feature Of . Ills plan was recommended, too
By ITS cO1sonuce with those great and pervadng prn
c'ples OF our Constitution, which had operated so
happily for more than half cenuTyi namely, the d-
vision OF patronage and local nomination for Office
whenever those nominations could be best exercised
upon local knowledge. these principles APP
plcabe 10 the Legislative, as 20 the Executive De-
fhrncut of the Government The cUrrupting influence Of
al the ot trf f,te