The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

FROM THE PROVIDENCE GAZETTE.
To the Officers and Members of the several Independent Companies in the State of Rhode-Island.

Gentlemen—Subjoined, you will find a copy of an Act offered by Major-General William C. Gibbs to the Legislature of this State.—This act, in its operation, is calculated to deprive you of those rights and privileges which are secured to you by your charters. The first, and only time he appeared in the councils of our State as an active Legislator, he produced and advocated this measure. He was at that time, Major-General of the militia of the State. Appointed to that office solely by the influence of his riches, his first endeavour was to destroy your existence and subject you to his controul.

What were the qualifications other than wealth, that made him a more able commander than the Governor of the State, whom by charter you are bound only to obey? Had he military experience in the "tented field," or was he by practice acquainted with the military code of this State? NO. General Gibbs is a young man, and a great part of his life has been spent in foreign countries.

His acquaintance with the political and military institutions of his native State, must consequently be very limited. If to ride a handsome horse, or to wear a gilded hat, give to one prudence in council, or valour in the field, we agree, the General was eminently qualified. Such qualifications at least, did not raise our Greene and our Olney to military eminence; and woe to this State when it has no better to direct its energies in battle.

We have heard, it required promptness and decision of mind, a cool and energetic judgment, and not vanity and arrogance, to fit one for excellence in the military art. I will leave it with the military citizens of this State, to determine which of these qualities appear the most predominant in the General:

The first step he took, was an attempt to infringe on your charters. He wished to subject you to the requirements of the laws regulating the militia, and to deprive you of the honorary rank which you had purchased and earned by your own and your predecessors exertions. Why have the several Independent Companies in this State been to such great and extraordinary expence in arming and equipping themselves? Why have they spent so much time in practically perfecting themselves in military tactics? Why have their members taken themselves from the ranks of the militia, and subjected themselves to military duties much more arduous than is required of the other citizens of the State?—Why, but to fit themselves "to do the State some service" in the hour of danger; and to acquire those honorary distinctions so dear to the pride of a soldier: These distinctions he laboured to deprive you of. With an arrogance befitting a Chief of the armies of Europe; to whose despotic will, both Law and Religion are sometimes obliged to yield, he attacked your charter'd immunities, and that independence which is guaranteed to you by the laws of the land. He now offers himself to you as a candidate for the highest Military and Civil office in the State. Will you vote for this man? Are you prepared to say that Pride and Vanity are the qualities which you deem most essential in a Chief Magistrate? Are you willing to place at the head of this Commonwealth, a man whose first entrance into political existence, was marked with a total disregard of the laws and institutions of the State, and whose conduct as a legislator, has been distinguished by that vain self-conceitedness, which shows a school boy, in politics. Some of you are men advanced in life; men who have by arduous practice, and a great expenditure of time and money, acquired a stock of information, sufficient to teach this stripling of yesterday, his Alphabet in the Military art. Yet he forsooth, in his own conceit, is "wiser in his day and generation," than you are. Will you so degrade yourselves, so pamper his overweening vanity, so sacrifice that independent self-respect, which is both the pride and the ornament of a soldier, as to elect this man for your Commander in Chief? I trust not. I trust that both as citizens and as soldiers, you have too much regard for yourselves, too much regard for the honour and interest of the State, to sacrifice all that should be dear to you as Freemen, on the shrine of puerile ambition, at the command of a "Party."

A FELLOW SOLDIER.

COPY.

"Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and by the authority thereof it is enacted, That from and after the 1st day of June, 1819, each and all of the independent or chartered companies within this State shall severally be attached to the respective regiments of militia within the limits or districts in which said independent or chartered companies are organized, and said companies, when so attached, shall thereafter constitute, to all intents and purposes, a part of said regiment, and remain at all times subject to the orders and commands of the commandant of said regiment.

And be it further enacted, That on all division, brigade, regimental or battalion meetings of the militia, the said independent or chartered companies shall severally take rank in the regiment, agreeable to the date of their respective charters, conforming to the usage and practice established in the regular service of the United States.

And be it further enacted, That from and after the 1st day of June next ensuing, the brevet rank heretofore and now sustained by the officers of said independent or chartered companies, shall cease, and the officers of said companies shall thereafter be commissioned with the rank as follows, viz.: the first officer as Captain, the second as Lieutenant, and the third as Ensign--provided, nevertheless, that the said independent or chartered companies shall possess and enjoy the privilege of electing their own officers, who shall be commissioned as heretofore; and of managing the internal concerns of the company in their usual manner.

And be it further enacted, That all laws heretofore passed, exempting independent or chartered companies from the command of the proper militia officers, and giving to the officers of said companies brevet or honorary rank, be and the same are hereby repealed."

Resolved, That the foregoing bill be referred to a committee, consisting of Benjamin Hazard, Nathaniel Searle, Hopestill P. Diman, Albert C. Greene, and Thomas Noyes, Esquires; that the said bill and this resolution be published in one of the newspapers in the town of Providence, and one in the town of Newport, and that any chartered military company, having reasons to offer why said bill should not pass into a law, may communicate the same in writing to any one of said committee, and that said committee report to the next June session of the General Assembly.

House of Representatives, May 6, 1819.

Voted and passed by order :

D. RANDALL, Clerk

In Senate read the same day and concurred by order:

HENRY BOWEN, Sec'ry.

I certify, that the aforegoing is a true copy of the original bill and vote of House of Representatives now on file in my office. By record it also appears, that said bill was before the House at their June session, A. D. 1818, and from that term the consideration thereof continued until the passage of the aforegoing vote. The committee to whom the same was referred at June session, A. D. 1819, made a verbal report, accompanied with remonstrances from several of the chartered companies, the Report was received, and the bill further continued, and has not since that time been acted upon.

Attest : THOMAS RIVERS, Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Providence, April 11, 1821.