Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-12-14

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CURES strong and decisive expression OF thu
VIII oil The people TO have he same thing done
IN inns safe. That they have not done so be.
iore-'hat hey have 80 long submitted to thi.
,ooiisn' 'yranicsl, aud Oppressive system is in
oeed Surprising. II Is perhaps, however, only
! singular on account OF he magnitude Of the
| esii' - there are many other expressions TO
which the great body Of the people are subject
and 10 which they have only Of late becom sen.
sioie, and are preparing to free themselves
from.
But none Of the burdens Of which they Justly
complain is equal, in poin, Of partially and in.
Iua'lce, to this. II has, It is true, one advan
tage over the other numerous systrms by whic h
the rich are benef,,ed at the expense Of The
poor, namely, that il originated from men
whom II were almost inDious TO suspec, Of
having other design, than the good Of our
country In view when they formed j.. But in
their eagerness 10 avoid evil, they ran in 10
another. Having a natural republican abhor.
renee 10 sanding armies, they conceived it me-
cessary 10 devise some other system Of defence,
and the militia system naturally presented il.
self. II deserved fair trial, and fair trial il
has had. II has been weighed in the balance,
and found wanting There is no necessity Of
going into general recaptulalion of the evils
practice Of having few military parades in the
course of The year only has a tendency TO
unh' men entirely for soldiers, by causing
them to acquire habits Of in.ubordina,ion,
carelessness, and contempt for those who
are, for The time being ranked as their
suPeriors-if we were TO say that mill
TIA officers are generally ignorant Of the sim
plrst principles Of military science, and that
many ride horses as officers. who by their met.
tai and military capacities are much better quail.
Ned 10 lead them as gyooms-tha, no militia
regiment under the presen, system, ever was,
OF ever will be "armed and equipped as the law
directs" and thai trainings are ruinous, by be-
log the scenes of yiot. fgh'ing and drunken.
less, we should only assert, what almost every
person is perfectly aware Of. and willing to ad.
nit.
but taking it merely on the ground Of III.
inequality OF the TAX, and ample and sufficien,
cause why il il should b. totally abolished will
BE- seen at once. The fact is, hat Individuals
u The middling and poorish classes pay for the |
support Of me militia system, a lax proper.
ion4bly from Ten o ten thousand lines a. great
10 ;he wealthy classes man worth nothing,
,nd having hing to lose in the even, Of a |
ar, mus, pay just as much for the defence Of
he vast possessions of rich man, as the rich
~" e'SS hi"Sch. ~ pooi Wdu viii FANNY,
nay be compelled to attend a militia parade
md leave his family at home Starving for the
Hant of the necessaries Of life. which the la
'orS Of h't day would produce And ye, he
$ forced TO go II he refuses, he contracts a
ieb' IT the state,to the payment Of which, unlike
III other debts, he cannot interpose the defence
y his poverty, 1d utter inability to pay
here IS no alternative, nut payment or tn.
,ar,y sys sm of d. fence mat, unless a"ohsheo,
win be, in all probability, a, some future period
he ruin or our country