Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-02-12

the mind of General Scott, ana rendered him
if not crazy, mcnomaniac upon the defence
Of the capital
We have been informed that the General has
his mail escorted to and from the Post office
bv lie Of soldiers, that an escort to protect
him is always in readiness and his route TO ard
from evening parties. in which, nc still delights,
is carefully marked out, and an orderly notified
to see that no extraordinary number Of persons
are permitted along the line. Pretended drunk
en- soldiers is the ruse adopted by the Genera!s
soldiers TO clear the streets Of crowds.
That our readers may STE upon what hlnSE
pretexts Washington city has been made a lor-
titled stronghold Of Federal troops, we publish
an interesting correspondence between Major
General Weightman and Mayor Bcrret:
THE MILITARY OCCUPATION or TUE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA.
WASnISGroS, Feb. {, 1861.
The following important correspondence has
just taken place between Mayor Bcrrct and
Major General Weightman, commanding tho
militia Of the District, the latter having been
induced to make the inquiries at the instance Of
General Scott 1t shows up the fa!lacy OF TIC
scheme, which the Black Republicans started
some time ago, Of the contemplated seizure
Of the city by people Of Maryland and r.
ginia:-
LETTER or GENERAL wEiGnTEAN ~ THE
MAYOR.
FEsgvAEY /, 1861.
Dear Sir: Be pleased to send Inc, at yo'il
earliest convenience. u list OF the names ane
residences Of your police force for daE anu lo'
night service. If the assistance oil Inc ponce
should be required, it is important 10 nave lh'
means of reaching them as early as prac!!lcaoie
Very respectfully, yours,
L. {. WElGHTMAS, MaJ0r uchefai.
10 His Honor JAS. u. Bcrrrt, Mayor OF WASH
ington.
THE MAYORS REPLY.
M,YoE's OrrlcE, CITY OF WASHINGTON,
Feb. :, 1861.
DEAR SIR-l have the hoHor TO acknowlcdg
the receipt of your letter OF the Ist instant, re
ouestinc me to send you, at my earliest COVE
niience, a list Of the names and residences OF INT
noI:c. force of this city for day and night ser
vice. The reason assigned by you TOR maxim!
This request is, that If the assistance ol ths
police should be required it is important Il
| have the means OF reaching them rs early u
practicable" When, by whom, or upon tn
occurrence Of what contingency the Service 0
the police force may be required you 20 no
state, but am left 10 infer that sorle cNtraordl
nary emergency is, in your Judgment, likely L
arise, when it will DO incumbent upon me L
| diyest myself Of my official functions as che
magistrate of the city, and 70 transfer 10 you
as Major General OF the District militia, tn
control Of the police force placed by The law
| exclusively under luy direction. In other words
| am gravely requested by you, in the abscnc
of anV reason whatever therefor, virtually L
relinouish one of the InoSt important preroga
tiyes of the Mayors uilice, and in doing SC
subordinate the civil authority of the city q
Washington to the military power OF the DIS
trict of Columbia The police OF the city hi
been constituted and organized for the sole pun
nose of maintaining the public peace, or e.
forcing the laws, and Of atiording adequate Sc
curity and protection to the persons anu pre-
nrty of our citizens. 10 this end its contTc
has been assigned exclusively to the Mayor
and know Of no ACT Of Congress or OF
dinance Of the Corporation winch clothes bin
with discretion to place the police !Orce, Il
any emergency, unuer the orders OF any Oil
Ger or person, civil or military, other thai
those to whose charge it is expressly contide
by law. Still less am sensible OF the exist
encc OF any legal provision which empowers
military officer, however high in rank. even i
the presence OF the most imminent danSer, I
assume command OF the police, or to make
reouisiton upon the Mayor Tor its service. "
the contrary, have understood it 70 be unrel
sally conceded that the military is eXpcc
ed and required, except only when martial la'
, is proclaimed, to be held in strict Subordins
ton to the civil authority. and it is only IN c.
ses where the latter is inadequate to maintai
the public peace, or to enforce the laws, ina
the aid of the former can be lawfully invoked
With such views Of the relations beween tn
civil and military establishments, and OF IN
own mowers and duties, You will readily di'
cover the impossibilty OF compliance on IN
part with your request, without violation
what hold to be paramount official obllsa
ton. even had you furnished ne with probabl
evidence Of a contemplated violation OF ID
laws or an intended invasion OF the peace
the city by combinations of lawlcss men, or D.
orpanized bodies under color or pretenct c
lawful authority. At the same tinicl feel that
should be wanting in candor, and render nySe
iustiy liable to the inputation OF disingenuouS
ness were |, in this connection, to affect extrem
IGNORANCE of the causes which have probably III
nellcd YOU to look To the services .! the polio
force Of the city upon tine occasion o! the cor
rincency to which presume your letter refers
| am not ignorant Of the reports which nav
been extensively circulated, and are still ri
throprhout the land, to the effect that secre
organizations have been set on foot, and ar
now in existence, in this city and IN the no
Joining States OF Maryland and Virginia 10
the purpose OF seizing upon the District OF oc
lumbia BIZ force of arms, With view Oh Pre-
venting the inauguration oil the Preslaesi
alect on the 18th OF March next and CT eiiec'
;np a revolution in the Federal Government
Nor ara | wholly insensibe to the fact that Il
certain high quarters no small measure Of Gre
dence seems to have been accorded to these re
ports. and that to oppose and thwart the SUP
posed conspiratorS in the execution Of their I'LL
holy designs, orders have been issued, and ar
in process of execution, for enrolling the mill
tia of the District while, for the same purpose
unusual numbers Of Federal troops are beln
concentrated at this point, and quartercd II
various sections OF the city. As its chic
MAGISTRATE, charged with the maintainanc
of the public peace. it becomes my solem
du.v. in the presence Of all these surround
incs to employ every means Of which | wa
possessed to ascertain upon what foundation
fact the reports in question may nave rested
and If satisfied Of their truth, to exert tn
whole power Of my Office to lcrCett out and eX
nose the individuals engaged in the nefarlou
nnlot to prevent the preparation OF their WICK
Cd desirns, and to subject them to the just pun
isbment awarded by the law to so henous
crime. In the performance OF this duty n,
avenue to information has been lett une1piored
no individual at ell likely to be possessed o
knowledge on the subject mas remained un
questioned. Every agency al my command
whether secret or open, has been put into re r.!
QUESTION, and men in high places, equally in
tsrested with myself in exposing the al!cset
conspiracy, have been invoked to furnish ,d .n
with such proof as might be IN tneir posses
s;on lin TO this moment every effort to obtail
information has proved vain and abortive anc
not one title OF evidence of the stupendou
and wicked plot has been e:icitsd, or can h'