The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-03

his most pronounced opponent. Mr. Gal
latin said at the CONCLUSION of his ar
Sument: His speech is unanswerable.'
And no one tried to answer 1t. Among
the other burning questions before this
Congress was the suppression OF the
slave trade from United States ports. the
repeal of the unfortunate sedition law,
the relations with France. and the ques-
ton of large, permanent naval and mill
tary establishments to which this letter
of Marshall especially refers.
a HOT ARGUMENT.
Under the, fear of the French inva sion
Congress had. by the act Of June &c. 11aS
ordered the increase of the army By
twelve regiments. These had been re-
crlltted in large part, and were now in
training camps; but after the exposure of
the Directory's avarice and especially
after the accession OF Napoleon, this fear
had been relieved somewhat, with the
result THAT q. resolution was offered IN
the House for Il repeal of the law author
iziug the increase of the army. At this
juncture. that is on the 1+tIl OF January,
1850, james NIGEIenry, the Secretary OF
Wal. a, good but incompetent man. had
sent a report to Congress prepared by
Hamilton, Mr. Adams great political
enemy. earnestly advocating the estab-
lishment OF Il military academy and a
large standing, army. This is the report
referred to in the letter.
This was an impolitic movement on Nc
Henry's partial this time, as Marshall in
Inmates, and gave John Randolph and the
Republicans the opportunity they wanted
to denounce the military in unneasured
terms. "A standing AMY was useless,
positively dangerous and unconstitutional
Men who mean to- live free men must
ever be ready to take up arms and meet
the danger in person; they cannot trust
their rights to mercenary armies. Free
men could not trust in q, handful OF raSa-
mullins; They well knew when danger
comes they themselves must face it, and
it angercd ttlem 10 see q body OF lolnSeTS
wing CT the public. They wolld not have
great Sums vi money forced from Their
pockets to pay hirelinSs under q vain
pretcXt of am invasion of the French
So argued the bitter young Randolph
This speech led 10 Randolph,s trouble with
the army officers his appeal to the pre-
sident against them and Il decided rebuke
from the House. The law for the increase
of the al my was not repealed, but an act
was passed. as Marshall foresaw when he
wrote this letter, suspenlins further en-
listments Cor the i additional regiments
until such time as the president might
see occasion to confirm them.
After declaring in his passionate and
taciess way. upon the. return OF Marshall
and his colleagues. that he would never
send any other plenpotentiarieS' TO Francs
until the Government assured him OF its
purpose to receive them properly, Adams
had astonished and disguised the country
by appointing MIR. Murray, the minister
to Holland, to represent the country at
Paris. He was compelled to withdraw
Murray's name, but later sent a Commits
sion to France consisting of Chief Justice
Ellsworth, Patrick Henry and Murray
and they had been received and were
trying to patch things up.
STRONG STAND.
Readers OF the above are now prepared
to fully appreciate the force OF the letter
1t reads as follows:
'.Jany 20th $780,
MY dear Sir:
I enclose you a report lately made by
our secretary of war. 1t contains much
matter which in some better state OF our
finances viii better deserve the attention of
the government. At present it is perfectly
unsuited to our situation. Our revenues
fall short OF the expenses actually incurd
& q loan becomes absolutely unavoidable.
This is much to. be regretted but we have
really no option. We must endeavor to
provide for the future but for the present
there (seems) to be no choice. We ought
not therefore even for useful institutions
TO incur expense. Yet attention must De
paid to our defences. The whole world
Is in arms & no rights are respected but
those that maintained by force. In such
a state of things we dare not be totally
,nnindful of ourselves or totally neglect
full OF that military position to which IN
spite of the prudence & pacific disposition
of our government we may 'oe driven for
the preservation of our liberty & national
independence. Attic we ought never to
make a loan if it be- ayOidable yet when
forced to it much real consolation is to
be derived from the future resources of
AMERICA These resources, If We do not
throw them away tbyo tlissolvins the
unions, are invaluable
1t is not to be doubted that in twenty
years from this time the United States
would be less bur,hend by revenue of
twenty millions than now by revenue
of ten 1t is the plan & certain conse-
quence of our increasing population &
our increasing wealth. The fund afforded
too by our back lands will in that time
have a powerful operation. do not men-
ZION these things as inducements to ex-
pense but as facts which brighten our
prospects & afford consola tion under ex-
pensa which Is unavoidable