quotas towards paying those who may offer their services, or who may be enlisted, if enlistment be necessary, which it rarely will be.

My sixth proposition is, "that the classification system prevailed during the revolution."

All that is necessary to prove this, is to refer the reader to the following extracts from the laws of Pensylvania, which were similar in substance to those enacted in the other states.

"And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the commission→ ers of the city and several counties of this state respectively, or any two of them shall direct the assessors of the several townships, wards, and districts, in the said city and counties respectively, to meet on or before the first day of February next, at the usual place of holding courts in the said city and counties respectively, or at such other place or places where the said commissioners shall think most convenient, and shall then and there, in conjunction with the said assessors, proceed to class the taxable persons and property within the said city and coun ties respectively, in such manner that the said property, together with a proportionable sum on all taxable single freemen, shall be divided into as many equal parts as the quota of men, which the said city and counties respectively are by this act required to enlist, shall consist of, paying due regard to the ease and convenience of the inhabitanta, by including those who reside near each other within the same class; and shal! transmit to the several classes, by persons by them to be appointed for that service, an order in writing, under the hands of the said commissioners, or any two of them, with a duplicate annexed, containing the names of each and every person composing the same,requiring each of the said clasges TO ENLIST DURING THE WAR AND DELIVER TO THE PROPER OFFICER, ONE ABLE BODIED RECRUIT WITHIN FIFTEEN DAYS THEREAFTER."*

"And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the commissioners of the city and several counties of this state, respectively or any two of them, shall forthwith transmit to the several classes, classed by virtue of an act of the assembly of this state, entitled. "An act to complete the quota of the federal army assigned to this state," passed the twenty third day of December, one thousand seven hundred and eighty, by persons to be by them appointed for that service, an order in writing under their hands, with a duplicate annexed, containing the names of each and every person composing such class, requiring each of the said classes to enlist for the term of eighteen months, as aforesaid, and DELIVER TO THE PROPER OFFICER, ONE ABLE BODIED RECRUIT WITHIN FIFTEEN DAYS.

"And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any class or classes shall neglect or refuse to enlist one able bodied recruit as aforesaid, within the time limited and directed, or to make return thereof to the assessors of the proper township, ward, or district, it shall and may be lawful for the said commissioners, township. ward, or district assessors, or any of them, and they are hereby authorized and required to enlist for the term aforesaid, and deliver to the proper officer one able bodied recruit in behalf of such class or classes, respectively; and that it shall and may be lawful for the said commissioners, township, ward, or district assessors, or either of them, where such neglect or refusal shall happen, to proceed and levy, in the manner directed by the laws now in force for levying and collecting other public taxes, on the class or classes so neglecting or refusing, the sum agreed to be paid by the said commissioners, township, ward, or district as

* Laws of Pennsylvania, 1780, chap. cxci. page 428.

sessors, or any of them, to the said recruit, and the reasonable expenses accruing thereupon, in proper proportions, according to the last public tax levied therein which they are hereby enjoined and directed to do within two days after such recruit shall be enlisted.

"Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the commissioners of the several counties, respectively, shall provide and keep a book, into which they shall enter in numerical order the several delinqnent classes, as they shall be returned to them, and shall enlist recruits for the said delinquent classes, according to their respective numbers, and in like manner levy and collect the sums imposed on them respectively by this act."+

By these laws, each class was obliged to furnish an able bod ied recruit-either one of their own number, or a person to be enlisted by them, and at their joint expense-which is precisely the idea of the secretary of state and Mr. Giles.

This is, I presume, conclusive. This relieves the system of classification from the odium attached to it as a discovery of the prolific brain of Bonaparte. His inventive powers have had more credit in this respect than they deserve. He has taken the plan at second hand from the sages and heroes of the revolution.

My seventh point is, "that the classification or conscription system, most elaborately matured by General Knox, and stamped with the seal of General Washington's approbation, was more strict in its provisions than any of the recent plans.'

General Knox addressed his system to President Washington. It bears date, Jannary 18, 1790-and the letter which prefaces it, has the following introduction :

"Having submitted to your consideration, a plan for the arrangement of the militia of the United States, which I had presented to the late congress of the United States, and you having approved the general principles thereof, with certain exceptions, I now respectfully lay the same before you, modified according to the alterations you were pleased to suggest"

From this plan, approved, as we see, and submitted to congress by General Washington, I submit an extract, amply adequate to prove, that it bore the essential features which belong to the system of defence which has been hunted down by the folly and madness of party. In fact, it was much more strict and severe in its details, than either of those digested by the seeretary at war or Mr. Giles-that enacted in New-York-or the one rejected by the sapient legislature of Pennsylvania.None of the recent plans contemplated service beyond 45 years -whereas, General Knox carried his views to a third class, to be composed of citizens between 46 and 60 years. His plan likewise contemplated compulsory service of the mariners, who, as we shall see, were to be subject to conscription.

Idem, page 501.

<

Extract from General Knox's plan for the general arrangement of the Militia of the United States, submitted to Congress by General Washington, January 1790, and published by order. of the House of Represent atives of the United States.

"An energetic national militia is to be regarded as the capital security of a free republic, and not a standing army, forming a distinct class in the community.

The period of life in which military service shall be required of the citizens of the United States, to commence at 18, and terminate at the age of 60 years. "The men comprehended by this description, exclusive of such exceptions as the legislatures of the respective states may think proper to make, and all actual mariners, shall be enrolled for different degrees of military duty, and divided into distinct classes.

"The 1st class shall comprehend the youth of 18, 19, and 2 years of age, to be denominated the advanced corps.

"The 2d class shall include the inen from 21 to 45 years of age, to be denominated the main corps.

"The 3d class shall comprehend inclusively the men from 46 to 60 years of age, to be denominated the reserved corps.

All the militia of the United States shall assume the form of the legion, which shall be the permanent establishment thereof.

"A legion shall consist of 153 commissioned officers, and 2880 non-commissioned officers and privates.

"The companies of all the corps shall be divided in sections of 12 each. It is proposed by this division, to establish one uniform vital principle, which in peace and war shall pervade the militia of the United States.

"All requisitions for men to form an army, either for state or federal purposes, shall be furnished by the advanced and main corps by means of the sections.

"The executive government or commander in chief of the militia of each state, will assess the numbers required on the respective legions of these corps.

"The legionary general will direct the proportions to be furnished by each part of his command. Should the demand be so great as to require one man from each section, then the operations hereby directed shall be performed by single sections. But if a less number should be required, they will be furnished by an association of sections or companies, according to the demand. In any case, it is probable that mutual convenience may dictate an agreement with an individual to perform the service required. If however no agreement can be made, one must be detached by an indiscriminate draft, and the others shall pay him a sum of money equal to the averaged sum which shall be paid in the legion for the voluntary performance of the service required

In case any section or company of a legion, after having furnished its own quota, should have more men willing to engage for the service required, other companies of the same legion shall have permission to engage them--the same rule to extend to the different legions of the state.

"The legionary general must be responsible to the commander in chief of the military of the state, that the men furnished are according to the description, and that they are equipped in the manner and marched to the rendezvous, conformable to the orders for that purpose.

"The men who may be drafted, shall not serve more than three years at one time.

"All the actual mariners or seamen in the respective states, shall be registered in districts, and divided into two classes--the first class to consist of all the seamen from the age of 16 to 30 years inclusively-the second class to consist of all those from the age of 31 to 45 inclusively.

"The first class shall be responsible to serve three years on board of some public armed vessel or ship of war, as a commissioned, warrant officer, or private ma rine, for which service they shall receive the customary wages and emoluments.

"The 2d class shall be responsible for a portion of service is those eases to which the first class shall be unequal- the number required shall be furnished by sections, in the same manner as is prescribed for the sections of the militia."

"The advanced legions, in all cases of invasion and rebellion, shall, on requisítion of the lawiul authority, be obliged to march to any place within the United States, to remain embodied for such time as shall be directed, not to exceed one year, to be computed from the time of marching from the regimental parade; during the period of their being on such service to be placed on the continental establishment of pay, subsistence, clothing, forage, tents, camp equipage, and all such other allowances as are made to ederal troops, at the same time and under the same circumstances."

"The common mode of recruiting is attended with too great destruction of morals to be tolerated, and is too uncertain to be the principal resource of a wise pation in time of danger. The public faith is frequently wounded by unworthy individuals who hold out delusive promises which can never be realized. By such means an unprincipled banditti are often collected, for the purpose of defending every thing that should be dear to freemen. The consequences are natural: such men either desert in time of danger, or are ever ready on the slightest disgust to turn their arms against their country. By the establishment of the sections, an ample and permanent source is opened, when the state in every exigency may be supplied with men whose all depends on the prosperity of their country."

I request the reader will duly weigh these extracts, and will examine the admirable plan, at large, which ought to immortalize the memory of General Knox. I hope and trust the day is not far distant, when the adoption of such a system will place a rampart around our firesides and our families, which might bid defiance to all the hosts of Europe combined, were they to attempt our subjugation. This would far exceed the famous Chinese wall built to guard against the incursions of the Tartarsor the Pictish wall of the Roman general Agricola.

I cannot pass over one incident connected with this affair, which shews in a striking point of light, the delusion which the spirit of faction excites. After the noble, efficient systems of the secretary at war and Mr. Giles fell sacrifices to the convulsive struggles in congress for power-and after, of course, the country was thus left in a manner defenceless and exposed to the inroads of a powerful enemy, the house of delegates of the state of Maryland published an address to Rufus King, Esq. lavishing compliments on him for his services in defeating these plans of defence, subjecting their houses, their wives, their children, their parents, and themselves, to the mercy of Cockburns and Gordons !!!

"Resolved, That the thanks of this house, in behalf of the freemen of Maryland, be, and they are hereby presented to the honorable Rufus King, of the senate of the United States, for the seasonable and successful interposition of his experienced wisdom and elevated influence of character. in averting the meditated opera tion of a measure, hostile to the immunities of constitutional freedom, offensive to the pure genius of independence, and fraught with consequences baleful and appalling to the social order, tranquility, and well being of this United republic.

"And this house would accompany the respectful tribute, which is thus specially offered with a general expression of the grateful sense which it also entertains of the distinguished merit of the other members of the minority, who so stedfastly and ably co-operated, at every revival of the struggle, in both branches of congress, in combating against the insidious introduction of an authoritative conscript establishment, more specious in the form of its approach, but not essentially dif ferent from that, whose intense oppression has just vanished from the continent of Europe, with its guilty author, the blood-stained usurper of France."

Gerrymanderism. Derivation of this queer name.

Political Leg

erdemain. A grand discovery how to enable a minority to rule the majority. Joint and concurrent votes. General ticket.

Ir is a painful truth, discreditable to human nature, that politicians, even those who in private life are honest and upright, display considerable laxity of principle, in cases wherein the interest, or the power, or the influence of the party to which they are attached, is in question. From this strong and pointed censure, few parties, in any age or country, have been free. It is not therefore wonderful, that both federalists and democrats have been liable to it. Their history affords many decisive illustrations of the soundness of the maxim.

The subject to which I have devoted this chapter, is an unanswerable corroboration of the accusation. It involves a gross violation of justice and political morality-and, virtually disfranchising one portion of the community, imparts to the other an undue share of political influence. This is assuredly a high crime and misdemeanour, deserving of the most pointed reprobation of good men of all parties.

It has reference to the representation in the senates of the individual states.

As this book may fall into the hands of persons unacquainted with our systems of government, it may not be improper to state, that our legislatures are generally composed of a senate and house of representatives, or delegates. To the latter branch each county in the state to which it belongs sends one or more representatives. In fourteen of the states the representation is in proportion to the population. But in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, it is regulated merely by counties, no regard being paid to the population.

The senates, in almost every case, are composed of members chosen by districts, formed by two or more counties, which

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