The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-07-09

any price, to secure our shores against in
vasion?
My second objection to the present sys-
tenn is, that, granting real danger, it af-
lords very inadequate security; and all
the security that it does afford might be
derived from it, were it so modified that it
should be sustained at incomparably less
expense.
That militia, trained or unframed, are
competent to contend with regular and dis
eiplined troops, during a whole campaign,
no one pretends or, if any one believes
that they are, let him inquire of any militia
ry man, and he will change his opinion
They are efficient only in sudden ext
gency, or when acting in small parties, fall
ling upon an enemy by surprise, or hanging
upon his rear as sharp shooters, and taking
off his numbers in detail. And this, main
tain, is species of service for which the
inhabitants of New England, unless their
right hand has strangely forgotten its cum
ming since the retreat of their enemy from
Concord, and their own defeat at Bunker
Eilll,-are as competent without the disci-
pine of training days, and without red coats
and plumes, as with them.
! There is still another ground of skepti-
clsm as to the wisdom of the militia system.
IN its present form and operations.-It is
not equitable; and need not labor to prove,
that where there is no equity there is no
wisdom 1t is not equitable for, while it
| purports to protect the whole, it throws the
burden OF all the protection that it does
give upon part of the community ;-upon
small part upon a part not the most
able to bear it, even, if it were righteous
that they should bear it.
A late venerable chief magistrate of
Massachusetts, when, in one of his general
orders, he is magnifying the Importance of
the militia to the state, says" The militia
system was established FOR the protection of
the property of the wealthy Then, say,
let the '0ealthypay for that protection. Do they
pay for it? Look at the operation of the law
A wealthy justice ofthe peace, in the country,
hires half dozen men to work upon his farm
tor six months, from the first of May to the last
of October the whole seasons for military
operations. They are acarned to do militia
ry duty, "for the protection ofthe property of
the wealthy" If they go, their wages, for
the time employed in going, staying, and
returning, he diligently deducts in the day
when he " reckoneth with them" If they
do not go, he is the magistrate before whom
you, as clerk of the company, bring your
suits against them for their fines. You
come into his presence with the delinquents ::
He wonders to what end you have assembled
Such troops of citizens to come TO him,
His grace not being warned thereof before
but he pronounces upon them the sentence
OF the law, pays his own fine out of his own
fees, deducts the court day" from their
calendar, and, if they cannot pay the a
mount OF judgment, for fines, and fees, and
costs OF suit, the poor debtors prison will
secure them, for six days, at least, from any
further OF their country's claims upon their
services IN protecting the property of the
wealthy"
ask the question:" What if the militia
were paid for every days labor 2" l answer.
In the first place, justice would then be done
to the militia, which now is not: and, in
the second place, 1 answer, that if they
acere paid, and if ga tax were laid equally
upon every part of the community for the
purpose of paying them," will consent to
do militia duty again myself, if "every part
OF the community" were not stirring the in
curry, very soon, whether that enormous tax
were ecessary-whether the circumstan-
ces OF the country and of the times, were so
traught with danger, as to justify such sac
rlfices for security against that danger
The question would come up, wheth-
er any thing more were called for, by a wise
reference to the Circumstance of the times,
than that arms should be provided at the
public charge for public defence,-that they
should be deposited in places where they
might be kept in order in time of security,
and seized on in an hour in time of alarm :
and if this we're no,0 thought to be enough,
and if some measure like this were now
adopted, for one, doubt not that the good
old Commonwealth of Massachusetts. when
ever she sees that The CGmpbeus are COM
dn," indeed, will soon muster a man to a
musket,--a man, too, who, though he has
never handled it on parade, will show his
enemy that he knows what his musket was
made for.
But we are told, once more, that in dis
charging his military duties, soldier, and
especially an officer, cultivates his sense of
selt-respect; he feels his Importance to So
clety, and acquires habit Of acting with a
regard to his character. "Every man." it
is said who wears an epaulette, feels, in a
greater or less degree, the pride of his
station
Ay," the pride of his station'-the pride
OF office. And are we certain that it is we'll
that he should feel this pride of Office, even
as he does well for the community, or for
the man himself who wears the epaulette !?
Have You never seen the industrious
young farmer, the respectable and thriving
young mechanic, soon after he had put on
his epaulette, pushed on by his pride out Of
sight prudence stimulated by that badge
OF his country's trust, to displays of hospi-
tally, to the gentlemen officers and fellow
soldiers" Of his corps, to which his means
were not equal taking counsel of his pride,
rather than of his purse, for his own cos
tune, and for the