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plause, and conferred on him the endearing title of Father of the Army. This gave new energy to his ambition. He began to conclude, that although nothing could be more opposite in their natures, than the Father of the Army, and the Father of the Country, he could reconcile contradictions, and become the latter without ceasing to be the former. Forthwith, he resolved to be the immediate successor of Mr. Monroe. His liberality towards the gentlemen of the north begau to subside, It appear ed to him very clearly, that the claims of the South, were not at this time to be overlooked. Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, were to be taken into the account. The Southern states, properly speaking, had never given a President to the Union, although they had been always willing to do so. While this was the case, it seemed preposterous to select a President, from the north and not only from the same state, but from the same family, that had already given us one. A coldness took place between Mr. Calhoun and Mr. Adams, followed by jealousy and rivalship. Mr. Calhoun had calculated upon receiving the votes of Pennsylvania, because his father was born there as he alledges; which most flattering circumstance, had intoxicated some of the sober citizens of that great state. But the caucus at Harrisburg last spring put a stop to his dreams of immediate power; and then his liberality towards the gentlemen of the north, began again to rise. Confidence between these rivals was restored; and it is said a coalition has been formed between them, mutually, beneficial, and satisfactory to the parties and their immediate friends. On the other hand, however, it is alledged, that Mr. Calhoun denies this coalition, and that speaking of the several candidates he declared positively, that each man sailed his own ship; which, probably gave rise to this vastly pretty paragraph respecting him, which lately appeared in the Franklin Gazette, Like a gallant vessel on a troubled ocean, he proudly stems the opposing current; and with calm and steady dignity, glides towards the destined harbour, his course only accellerated by the agitation of the element on which he moves." Notwithstanding all this, it is believed that Mr. Calhoun does not sail upon his own

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bottom, but that he expects to be towed into harbour by the Adams

What is Mr. Calhoun, or what has he done, that entitles him to the unbounded praises bestowed upon him by the officers of the army and his corps of Editors?

Mr. Calhoun was a distinguished orator in the House of Representative, for five or six years. But among those who were in the House with him, there were several of his superiors. Mr. Lowndes and Mr. Cheves from his own state were decidedly so, as were also, Mr. Clay, Mr. Pinckney, Mr. Stockton and Mr. Webster; Mr. Grundy, Mr. Oakley, Mr. Forsyth, Mr. Grosvernor, and Mr. Gaston, were generally considered as his equals. To be ranked however, with these gentlemen, implies a high degree of excellence in the art of oratory, which Mr. Calhoun certainly possesses. He has also the merit of having joined a very large majority in both houses of Congress, in asserting the honor of our country, and in supporting the administration in all the measures necessary for bringing the late war to a fortunate conclusion.

Thus far we are bound to applaud his character and conduct; and had he remained in Congress, his appropriate theatre, it is probable he would have continued to render important services to his country, which as Secretary of War it is believed, he never has done.

Mr. Calhoun was distinguished as an orator, but never as a writer. In his communications to congress, although some of them are much laboured, there is no approach to elegance or even neatness of style. He frequently aims at brevity, but in this, he crouds without condensing his materials; for which reason his sentences are sometimes obscure and perplexed. It is indeed remarkable, that a gentleman of his acknowledged talents, and ciassical education, should not, in his long and continued practice of writing, have acquired a better style.

As to his ideas of business, they are altogether too magnificent for the affairs of this country, during the present age. His aim has been to surround himself with subordinate heads of departments, who are to perform the duties formerly appertaining to his office, by which he is to escape the responsibily, and the care and labour of

the details of business. In fact to assimilate his departs ment to many important establishments in Great Britain, where the Head enjoys the emoluments and patronage of office, while the duties and responsibilities rest upon subordinate agents,

Of his expanded views of business as well as economy, we may form a tolerable estimate, by examining his plan of reducing the army from ten to six thousand men, made in obedience to a resolution of the House of Representatives of the 11th of May, 1820 In this he propo ses to retain a general staff, sufficient in many respects, for an army of twenty thousand men-viz:

"2 Major Generals,

4 Aids de Camp-subalterns of the line:

4 Brigadier Generals.

4 Aid de Camp-subalterns of the line.~

1 Judge Advocate.'

6 Topographica Engineers...

1 Adjutant and Inspector General.

2 Adjutants General,

4 Assistants Ad utants General, These to be officers of the

2 Inspector's General,

4 Assistant Inspectors General,

1 Quarter Master General.

2 Deputies Quarter Master General.

line as vacancies occur.

16 Assistant Deputy Quarter Masters General.

19 Pay Masters.

1 Commissary Ceneral for the Purchasing Department.

1 Assistant Commissary General.

2 Storekeepers.

1 Commissary General for the Subsistence Department, and with as many Assistant Commissaries as the service may require,

all subalterns of the line.

1 Surgeon General.

2 Assistant Surgeons General.

1 Apothecary General

2 Assistant Apothecarics.

25 Surgeons

44 Assistant Surgeons."

It is truly surprising that a Republican Secretary should submit such a plan to a Republican Congress. It smacks of the army as strongly as if General Brown himself, had drawn it up. The friends of the Secretary

shrunk from the exhibition. Had such a plan been proposed by a secretary of War, in the time of Mr. Adams, what a rout would have been made about it, by the Kadicals of that day, then cailed democrats and disorganizers? All the terrors of the sedition law could not have kept them quiet.

This, however, was nearly the General Staff, in 1818, for an army of ten thousand men, with which the Secretary then appeared to be satisfied.

On the 11th of December of that year, he made a report, in obedience to a resolution of the House of Representatives, asking information, whether any reduction could be made in the peace establishment of the United States, with safety to the public service, and whether any alteration ought to be made in the ration established by law, &c. In this report he says, "It is believed that the organization of the War Department, as well as the general staff of the army, is not susceptible of much improvement." "Every department of the army, charged with disbursements, has now a proper head, who under the laws and regulations, is responsible for its adminis tration. The Head of the Department is thus freed from detail, and has leisure to inspect and control the whole of the disbursements."

The Head of the Department thus freed from detail, has also leisure to attend to the business of the Cabinent consider treaties regulate appointments and a variety of other matters, for which his talents are more peculiarly suited, than for the laborious detail of the proper business of the War Department.

As a further support of the Department, the Major General is now stationed at the seat of government, where the services properly appertaining to his office cannot be wanted, (where there is no army, and where, it is hoped, there will be none, while our country remains at peace,) for the avowed purpose of aiding the Secretary of War, in the performance of those duties, which require a knowledge of the minutia and details of the army.*

*NOTE. On the 15th Apsil, 1822, Mr. Sterling of N. York, the confidential friend of Mr. Calhoun, in a speech in favor of retaining a major general in our peace establishment, declared that it was impossible for the Secre tary of War to be familiar with the minutia and details of the army. By this.

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Mr. Calhoun is freed from details, which imposed upon former Secretaries much labor and responsibility; the consequence is, that he pays but little attention to these details, and probably knows less of them, than any former Secretary, and trusts more than any of them have done, to clerks and other subordinate agentsAnd Congress have to trust them too, instead of relying upon the responsibility of the Secretary, of which the above report affords a notable instance. *.

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The part of the resolution respecting the ration, was referred to the Surgeon General, who writes to the Secretary, a loug letter of nine octavo pages. informing him, among other important matters, "that man was not origi nally carnivorous,"And that "the horse may be taught to live upon meat," and this, the Secretary communicates to the House of Representatives for the information of the members, most of whom were eminently carnivorous, and not one of whom ever thought of dining upon cornblades, or feeding his horse upon bacon, nor ever heard of any such thing, before this report, unless we except the case of the man who in pure kindness to his horse, buttered his hay."

Mr. Calhoun controls general results without attend, ing to the details of business. The pernicious consequences of this system are severely felt by the public. He wishes to divide the duties as well as responsibility of his office. Business is perplexed by too much division, and we have abundant experience to teach us, that as we di vide, we weaken responsibility.

Mr. Calhoun in his congressional career, was not remarkable for investigating his subjects with close application or regular system. One of his great eulogists, Lauthor of ketches of some of the prominent characters of the United States] admits that "Mr. Calhoun wants consistency and perseverence of mind, and seems incapable of long, continued, and patient investigation" and after speaking in the most exalted terms of his eloquence, he adds- Mr. Calhoun is one of those whom you can

officer he can be aided in the most effectual and useful manner, and freed from an intolerable burthen, which is inconvenient, if not incompatible with the discharge of his other numerous and pressing duties." See National In. telligencer of 23 April, 1822.