Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1812-12-28
THR MILITLfMo |

IHt foregoing petition was signed oy al
the officers attached to the End Brigade ano
l2th Division and presented by Geo, Brad
osry, Esq. atthe last session (Nov.) OF the
mon. Legislature. II was committed N
Doth houses to military committees, who
"lil probably be ready to give in their re-
ports at the ensuing session. II ~ under
stood that similar petitions have been presen.
tea from other Brigsdes, and most OF the
brIgAdes throughout the Common wealth
Will tall into similar mode Of asking tor
redress Of grievances" provided something
| rs not done this winter TO relieve the bur-
thens complained of
We propose in three or four short ESSAYS
to examine with fairness and csndor the
subject matter of this memorial; and from
fhence TO draw our conclusion, /" whether
the soldier who is compelled by law to per-
form military duty at his own expense, stands
| on equal grounds with those who are ex-
| empted by law"--It is question which
| involves the honor of the Commonwealth
| and IS vitality interesting to a very numerous
! and deserving class Of our fellow citizens.
In the couose of our remarks, we shall treat
OF tile utility of the militia--the present or
ganizasion thereof and Of the equitable
| rights of those who perform military duty.
The regrets expressed by the petitioners,
at the present und;sciplined statea Of the
| soldiery and their deficiency in uniformi.
ty of arms equipments and dress are such as
every ambitious officer must feel who has a.
ny pride in belonging to a we'll appointed
and well disciplined corps other than that
OF displaying his own person in gSudy dress
at The head ofs ragged" company who in
| ppearance however good the raw msteri-
ats seem fl only to compose a part of tho
regiment of The RedOabtd6Le 81 John Fsllstah.
That this humlisting state Of the militia is
owing TO the Causes sci forth in the petition
no one will pretend TO deny. il is generally
easier 20 find an evil than to provide a remedy.
But in this case the remedy can be admins
tered in Two ways. The first is patronage
from the government equivalent to the servi-
ces of The soldter-The second, and in every
lespect preferable TO the exis ing state of the
militia is q GisbGndment Of theUhoIe. The at
ter, however desirable il would be to those
| who are doomed TO bear arms, cannot be
done without an amendment of the Consti-
| tuition Of the United States, the former is
within the reach and contloul Of the state
sovereignty and admits Of an application
without injury or injustice to any, while The
latter is without the pale of existing laws
! and would require the concurrent voice Of
two thirds OF the States 10 accomplish it.
Here then is Z difficulty, without dissenting
! on the utility of militia, almost iusurmoun
| table. The annual expenditure of the pri
vate soldier is sta.ed by the petitioners at
: ten dollars exclusive of the first cost Of his
| arms and equipments" this altho' mon
stFous lax for those who bear it we
| believe to be much less than the actual cost.
| Including time in preparation & time on du.
~ and monies expended, we Spprehend that
| ttleen dollars could moi remuneTate them.
The ingenuity of man cannot invent any oth-
er mode II taxing, imperceptbly taxing so
much monev exclusively on one class of our
Citizens, as has he etolore been practised by
this gilded imposition. Il is done 10 be sure
IN the most acceptable manner Amuse
ment is IN degree combined with the re.
qulrGments of the law. But the conse
quences on this account are not The less fl
tai 10 the individual and 10 has family I'm
pose yearly direct tax of ten dollars on the
man who is not worth S 100 in the world and
whose net income may not De s 50, aud he
would rebel At once. And yet the soldlery
II thIs commonwealth do e1pend yearly no.
less than ore nIiIli0n Of dollars Of tLeir ozgn
hard earnings, without murmer. This is
strange our 1t IS notwithstanding true and
when they better understand their rights
they will know how 10 exercise their con-
stllutional remedy. We mean no reflection
on the government, on the Contrary il is be-
lleVed lhat the remedy al hand and that it
will De freely applied. Custom has been in
fault. n Dad law-an unequal and oppres.
sIve law has long been endured because it
received tie sanction of custom before Us
pernIc:ous consequences were discovered
and understood.
TO BE- continued.