Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1840-06-18
MR. PoINsETT'S ABoRTlON-TiIE EN-
oUlRER "HONEYFUGGLED.n

,,,y Districts, OF arnns the milha al iher own eA-
,.ose. training thcm ''in garrison" twice year, sud
n .utiecting them 10 the absolute CONTROL Of the
President, the Richmond Enquirer preserved pro-
fo,nd silence in relation to the scheme To those
ho have paid any attention TO the tactics of the E
a;or of that pa er, this silence itself the most
.,,b,,ic indication that could have been given Of
,be light in which he regarded it. Presently, how
ever he bryan 10 perceive that the people had be-
,ome Justly alarmed at this new manifestation Of
= fixed purpose ofths state Rights Admnistra.
ON TO obierate the andn atks o State sovereignty x
10 s,rcng hen the Of the Federal Executive, in
his own language "aneady too strong for a Repub-
hc"-and DIR. J. l.. Martin, federal clerk, in the
pay Of the government. took the Hed, under the
nonymons signature of Finder. to arrest the storm
Of public indignation which The authors OF this mad
project perceived weeping the land, threat
ching TO annhale its daring authors. Nothing was
h.n said, hIweyer, OF the Presidents ignorance Of
thi, act of his Secretary, with whom he is in the
habit OF daily association and consultation. In ruth,
the idea absurd, that we even now marvel at
the impudence which attempts TO palm it the pub
lie. They then attempted to defend the scheme
they declared, that, If it was not entirely unexcep-
tonablc in all its Details still tue objections it
monstrously magnifed-and that even if this was
no, so, Knox and Harrison had sinned to great
an extent as Poinseu aud Van Buren,. Finding.
however, that this system Of special pleading availed
them nothing-that they could not rail the seal
from the bond"-they then fell upon exped-
en : they admitted the Objectionable and indcfensi-
Die character of the scheme, but declared that it
Mr.. Poinseu's own act and that, notwithstanding il
isa part of their creed lh,t the Cabinet is unit and
that the President. as its head responsible for lis
measures, Mr.. Van Buren,, never having seen the
details, ght to be held answerabe at the bar
Of public opinion for the offensive provisions Of Mr..
Ponseus bill. The Euqnirer touk the lead in this
portion Of The Defence and its Editor has been bu
silly procaimng, for weeks past, thai the innocence Of
the President would soon be shown upon ''lhe high.
EST authority"
Wcll-at length are favored with what the Eu-
quirer calls "lnterestiag Correpoadcace between
Thomas Richie and Secretary Poinsct. upon the
subject. And what does it amount to! FIRST.
there supposed Last year, to be danger of
and because of this temporary contingency, which
never happened. and all danger Of which has passed
away The militia Of the States TO be permanently
armed al their expense and in all future time
10 be subcctedio the harassmcn, Of rrson train
the Federal Executive! Secondly, the Secretary OF
War gances at The plans for organizing the militia
heretofore proposed by his predecessors and quotes
the opinions Of former Presidents IN favor Of The ex
pedcncy of organising The militia ; but lie has fail.
ed to show thai he finds in any Of those schemes.
except perhaps dat OF Gen. Knox, in tho infancy Of
our institutions when fresh from the perils
ofthe kevololion aud Threatened with every
hanf,-whcn the greai helllgetents Of Europe were
harassns commerce AMI insulting our fl tg on
the ocean, and when powerful Indian tribes were
desolat inland iroutieis.-and when, above
all, the government had money nor credu,-we
say Mr.. Ponseu has failed TO show, that in any Of
the schemes to which he refers as precedents, ex.
cert Gen. knox's Nhe offspring ofthe troubled
times and periious circumstances TO which hive
avened,) the slishes resemblance 10 the important
aud odaorious provisions OF his own! And it is
worthy be remembered that Gen. Knox, who
bred IN camps and not IN COURTS was more Of sol
der than salesman; and. above all, that he was
an avowrd Fcderdist and member Of a Fedcrat
Administration-the very LAST source, we should sup
pose which rhs self styled Democratic Republican
State Rights Administration would have bad the eff
fontery TO appeal in justification offs measures !
But desperate diseases require desperate remedies.
And. after all, do not why The Administration
should hesitate to back It's Federal measures by
fderdl authorltl, after hlsing resorted 10 the
Solute despotlsms Of the world for models of its
financial policy!
This is Secretary Ponseu's own dtjcncc-Let us
now what he SAYS 0indicaton of the President.
We had supposed that Hls was to be the main OBJ
ject OF his letter, and that, consequently, it would
occupy the forcg ound and be the Pr ointment fea-
tue in his pictnre. But his defence OF the President
is but IA pennyworh Of bread to buu OF sack"-a
needle in aystack--a gram Of wheat in IA bushel
OF chat. which, Gas Gratiano says after be found
is not worth the trouble Of the search. Behold the
lime and impotent conclusion He says:
"'Fhe President concuued with in opinion
with regard 10 The importance OF recognizing the
militia at this time but had agency in preparing
The plan reported 10 Congress and previous
hnowIedge Of details 1t was prepared, as has al
ready been stated, at the request oil Committee CT
the House Of Representatives expressed at the close
Of last session, aud reported 10 this Congress upon
call of the House. made directly upon the Secre-
tary of War, and, is usual 10 all such cases,
to that body without being previously submitted to
the President. With 1 its details he, therefore,
had nothing 10 do"
1.-THE President had agency IN preparing he
plan rcp1rted 10 Congress-" Who has accused
hun of II But did he not eirc his sanction 10 the
j I.