Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-09-11
COMMUNICATIONS.
Interesting Correspondence.

once more upon the subject of the prnpnston which
you submitted To the last Congress, for re organizing
the militia of the U. States. We could not help m
dulIing the hope that the frank and magnanmons lei
ter which Won addressed to the Central Committee on
the 9th of June last as well as iii" explicit letter which
the President has lately communicated to The tour CT
zcns of Elizabeth CITY county, would have disspated
every doubt, which the fruitful ingenuity OF party
had conurcd upin relation TO this subject. But tn"
phrcnzy of party spirit is not yet appeased Fresh
charges made against the President OF the u 3
and say il with profound regret and mortfcatIon,
even Gen WIN. Fl. Harrison himself has condescend-
ed TO ge in the clamor OF his Infatuated partzans,
and 10 charge the President with design Of adding to
his strength ''an army Of 100000 men,. Under these
circumstances we hope We may be excused 'ri max
nr further call upon YOU Give US, II 700 n"ase,
comparative View OF your own Plan, and ot General
Harrison former Propositions. Give us also an tx.
plict comparison between your own proposition, and
The provisions Of the present Laws. You have every
thing in the archives of the Government, which Is cal
crlaed TO shed light upon these Pons.-Present the
comparative Views III parallel columns, or IN any other
fnrLl which your taste may prompt you to adopt;
and let the world see, how far you have conormed to
the srsiing amS, and how far you have ta'ien short
Or rome beyond the prop0Sed inHordfi0RS, of Gen. ar
rson, that may Ju re OF the accuracy and dignity
Of the criticism, winch has arraycd before the public
your alleged proposition of an ''any OF 100000 men
We would stop here Sir, bat our attention has been
arrested by another charge, which has been made
arainSl The President of the United States Citizen
of VIRGINIA who has abandoned the Republican Party
aud thrown himself into the of thu Opposition
CWm e. Rives,) has produced letter from Samuel :
Phelps a Senator from the State of Vermont, for the
uurposr nf impuyning the credbility Of Mr. Van Bn
rem MIR Phc states, that sverv early in the present.
Nhe la session Of Congress bill in form, emanaing
from the Secretary of War, laid before the Com
mittce of the Senate on the Militia OF which he
lhrlps( was member that 'that bill (he supposed,
accompanied the annual communication OF the Secre
,arv Of War Ia Congress-: "Idcntical with the
plan communicated By the Secretary 10 the Committee
of the House of prcsrnatives under date OF the
Goth March last and the inference which IS drawn
from this statement is, that your plan in its details
was prepared al or about the time with your an
nual Rpport-that it must have been communicated to
the President; and that h. is therefore guilty OF dupllc
ty in DENYING all knowledge of the details of your
plan This allegation has been pressed with IL the
fury and injustice of party spirit to Justify tins 'bera
charge Of dupicity upon Mr.. Van Buren,. We ask yoG
Sir frankly for an OF this bill, alluded to oy
Samuel :. Phelps, and triunphantly quoted by VIM
c. Rves:-We ask you, man of honor whether
Mr. Van Buren, saw this Bll;-and whether there Is
any statement in his Elizabeth City Letter. whrch your
own rccocct0ns do not perfectly confirm You know,
Sir wra, has passed between the President and your
S,r-and vii! you ngenuously tell us, whether there
be thing in his Message to Congress, which clash
in any degree with the statements OF his Elizaheth
CITY LETTER. hope you will Us, for tbs call,
when Won rccocc the and outrageous charges
which have been made recently upon the reracty ana
honor Of the President of the United StateS.-f on
know, SIR, what are the points Of your Plan, which ,
ha ve been mostly objected to-Will you be good enough
To say whether the developments, which you made vi
that Plan afterwards, TO Congress- were laid before the
President, al the he prepared his Annual Message:
We hope, SIR, you viii find some excuse Tor our again
troubling you upon this SUBJECT IN the i"versh and
outrageous mialignr:y Of Wing party feeling. We see
what desperate effort is still making TO manufacture
some pol,tical capital ont of this cxtravagan uihng
Of a Standing Army. We have heard with an nd'g.
nation which, we should in vain attempt to express,
Representative Of The People charging the President IN
the coarsrs, terms with want q" veracity ana ni ho.
nor w. have seen the Wing Press charging the first
officer in the Republic, not only with " Prrvaricatng
and cquvocatinr IN most d'srePntabi" m1unrr, hni
descending much lower than thatiO me 6ciibcrHtc m-
icruacc nj The mast sh0mc'eSS tniSth0Od We have
seen that organ of the Wing Party, to which they
most willing 10 assign the palm of decency and even
dignity gravry arguing upon this note of 5 5 Phelps,
and attempting fix upon the President not only the
charge OF ys,iiicat;nn but Of subtcriuge and pre-
varcatiou We enclose you this extract from the very
decorous anI dcccat Columns of the y nellrgcncer-
rou will condcscend To read and to notice suc! an ILL.,
beral rroduc,on We ought perhaps to apologize to
you SIR for calling your attention 10 such an attack,
or indeed for troubling you again upon the subject
We also beg leave to forward you, the copy Of Ad
dress and Introduction, which have been evidently pre-
pared with little care-with no little hope OF manu-
featuring capital from its bold assertions and elaborate
snphistrvs We think il our duty to lay it before you,
as it mirh not otherwise reach your that you might
soc what statements aloat, and Judge for Yourself
Such attacks enlanatc from the very hot bed Of Federal
pntcs and are scarcely calculated 10 shake the conf
dcnce Of the good People Of Virginia, in the Admins
tratiOn Bu rs we unwilling to neg lect any honor
bic means which may possibly promote good cause,
Or 10 overlook a single humbug, which may affect the
op:nions of one honest voter, in the nation, place
Tie pamphlet your possession ana submit It's contents
10 your silence y"ur criticism
Very respt ciully yours.
THOMAS RITCHIE, 1
S,crsiary Of tie Ce"tr0t Committee IF rirSi"t"
From The Why fauQncr Committee
WAsuISGToS September 9Th, 1870
Dear Sir-I have the honor to acknowledge the re-
c.p of the letter ynu have been pleased 10 address me-
on the part nf the Democratic Central Cnpmlttec OF
Virginia. calling upon me for comparative view OF
nv plan for the reorganization of the militia with that
of General Harrison, and explicit comparison be-
tween nv propositions and the provisions OF the exist
ing laws, to br presented IN manner best adapted !"
show how far have c"nformed 10 those laws, and how
far have fallen short or gone beyond the proposed IN
noyations of General Harrison, IN order that you may
he enabled TO Judge of the accuracy aud dignity OF th
criticism which has arrayed before The public my al
Icred proposition for Standing Army OF 2nO0OO men
/ lose no time in complying with yonr request, and
herewith transmit statements, winch exhibit al one
view the contemplated provisions OF my plan, those OF
the existing laws, and the propositions OF General Har-
rson, as contained in the Bills submitted by hun TO
Congress in ISl7 aud 1913. These statements will
enable YOU to Judge how far my plan falls Short or goes
beyond General IIarrisons. Both projects have the
same objects in view, viz to organize and discipline
the militia obviae the necessity OF maintaining
Standing Army in time of peace-and wh'Ie the "uiH
of our fellow citizens are relieved from onerous expen-
sive and useless parade duties, 70 provide competent
force of yc!ltained militia TO repel INVASION ahd sup
press instruction.
By reference 10 the accompanying comparative
statement it will be perceived that General HARRISON
plan and mine agree in the following partIcnars-
Both retain the first section of the ACT OF i9Z whcn
obliges every enrolled citizen TO provide himself WIN
arms and accoutrements al his own expense BON a.
vide the militia into classes and both subject ihat por
ton of it engaged in training TO the rules ana arcie
of war when called into the field for that purpose ana
both retain most Of the provisions of the existing laws
applicable 10 the usual details Of service
COMPARATIVE VIEW.
All sections married. thus ri acH be found IN the bMs
for rc.organi=ing The Militia, presented TO Congress
by Gcn. Harrison, IN lel7.
Projeet Of lac prepared The Laes no'e IN t"rre:
90, cnu. ,i-