Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-07-07

OF Georgia, upon Mr.. Benton's for
ti6cation Bill.
Mr.. X. said it was true that the See
rotary IN one part OIL his Report had re
commended the appropriation under tn
circumstances stated that the Depart
ment would have the examination an,
surveys made before any money woult
be spent. Eve would take the whole
Report together, however, we could
plainly sec that the Secretary was
yielding something to his friends. He
was reporting against the recommen.
dalton of the Engineer Department, a.
galnst the bill! reported by the Military
Committee of the Senate, and against
the known wishes of many friends
whose opinions he respected. This he
thought, would account for any tri.
fling difference between the Secretary
and himself.
The Secretary, he said, had been
compelled to throw himself against
some OF the most extravaganza schemes
for increasing military preparations
that had ever threatened the country.
The whole of them, if adopted, would
require at least one hundred millions
to begin with. One Bureau recon.
mended near thirty millions for provi-
ding munitions eff war alone; the for
tlhcations proposed by another Bureau
and recommended by the Military Com
mittee, would cost near forty millions
more; and he had noticed that in the
debate in the other House, twenty two
was spoken of to arm the mi
litia- 1 he standing army was to be
extensively increased /; and as to de-
pots, armories and arscnals, they were
almost without number, as their cost
was beyond computation.
1t would require some Hutton to give
us the sum total. Sir, said he, to con-
slider the past policy of the Govern
ment, and look at the documents on
your table, aud the views given us
from various quarters, one would think
he had been dreaming. The wise po-
Icy of allowing our citizens to prosper
in the enjoyment Of the fruits Of their
labor, was to be changed. Every
thing seemed to look to vast military
establishments.
Now, said Mr.. X. what / wish un-
derstood is, that protest against all
these schemes of heavy expenditures
for permanent establishments. They
will not only absorb the surplus but heap
new burdens upon us, and curse poste-
rlty with tariffs and taxes. We had
been reminded Of the systems and for
tifcations recommended by Washing.
ton, and asked why they could not in
crease now in proportion to our wealth
and population. This was strange ar
gument. Should we increase the nur-
SEES of the infant as he approached the
years of maturity? Should we quad
ripple them after he had become entire
ly capable Of taking care of himself?
We are able now to meet on equal
terms any power on the face of earth,
and all the powers Of Christendom u
nited could not send sufficient force
across the Atlantic to gain danger
Gus footing upon our SOIL And yet
in this period oil strength, we had all
at once become alarmed for our safety
and wished to wall the enemy out
Except for our large commercial cities
he wanted no walls except the wooden
walls that foated under the command
Of our gallant navy. He wanted no
ramparts behind which to defend our
country, except a rampant ofbayonets
pointed by the steady arms of frcemen.
Our main arm Of defence was the free
and sturdy yeomen, who, whenever
any daring invader should set foot upon
our soil would always be ready to drop
any petty or party disputes, and rally
around the standard of their common
country.
He said he must confess that as a
democrat, governed by the principles
of the old school of democracy he folt
great jealousy and apprehension of tho
OF these fortifcations.-
If we went on with them as threatened
he feared they might at no distant day
become the grave yard of freedom and
burying ground of tho Constitution, in
stead of the citadels of liberty. Other
gentlemen had made predictions, and
he would venture one that was if
these military projects went on as they
seemed to have begun; if our coast
of three thousand miles were to be
with Notifications and clouded
with cannon if our hitherto peaceful
country were to become a great mill
tary camp ifevery state in the Union
were to be hereafter bristling with bay
onets, and covered with arsenals, ar
mories, and depots, he predicted we
might, in the course of a few years,
take the parchment upon which our
was written, and cover
drum head with TINT Cor all the use we