Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-12-17
Much loss and Inconvenience have been

Much loss and Inconvenience have beef
experienced 10 consequence Of the failure
OF the bill containing the ordinary appro
priasions for the Notifications, which pas
scd one branch Of the National Legisla
turc at The last session. but was lost in The
other. This failure was the more regrett.
ed. not only because it necessarily inter
rupted and delayed the progress Of a sys
tenn Of national defence, projected imme
dlately after the last war, and since stead
lily pursued, but also because IL contained
a contingent appropriation inserted 10 &C
cordance with The views OF the Executive
IN aid Of this important object. and other
branches Of the national defence, some
portions Of which might have been most
nsefully applied during the past season.
| invite your early attention TO that part
Of the report Of the Secretary OF War
which relates 10 this subject. and recon-
mend an appropriation sufficiently liberal
to accelerate the armament Of the forth
cations. agreeably TO the proposition sub
mitied by him. and 10 place ia whole
Atlantic seaboard in a complete state oil
defence. A just regard TO the permanent
interests Of the country evidcnily requires
this measure, but there are also other rea
sons which, at the present jnnctare, give
il peculiar force, and made il my duty TO
call to the subject your special coasidera
ton.
The present system Of Military Educa
ton has been in operation sufficiently long
enough to test its usefulness, and it has
given TO the army a valuable body of Off
GERS. 1t is not alone in the Improvements,
discipline, and operations Of the troops,
that these officers are employed. They
are also extensively engaged in the admin
|istrative and fiscal concerns OF the various
matters conided TO the War Department
10 the execution oil The staff duties. usual
ly appertaining TO military organization,
in the removal of the Indians, and In the
disbursement of the various expenditures
growing out Of our lndian relations: IN
the formation Of roads, and in The i'm
provement of harbors and rivers; 10 the
construction of Notifications !; in the fab
rication of much of the materiel required
Tor the public defence /; and in tfe preser
%vation, distribution. and accountability oil
the whole ; and IN other miscellaneous du.
ties, not admitting o! classification.
These diversified functions embrace We
nv heavy expenditures Of public money
and require fidelity, science, and business
habits in their execution ; md a system
which shall secure these qualifications =
demanded By the public interest. That thi'
object has been obtained, in q great meas
ure, by the Military Academy, is shown bJ
the state or the service, add by the pfomp'
accountability which has generally follow
ed the necessary advances. Like all 9th
err political systems, the present mode oI
military education. no doubt, has ITS I'm
perfections, both Of principle and practice
but | trust these can be improved by
rigid inspections. and by legislative scru
tiny, without destroying she institution 1t
self.
Occurrences, TO whica we as well as al
other nations are liable, both in our inter
nal and external Relations, point 10 then ne
cessi'y of an efficient organization oil The
Militia. | am again induced. by the i'm
por,arce of the subj2ct,,o bring II TO YOU
attention. To supptsss domestic violence
and TO repel foreign Invasion, should these
calamities overtake Us, we must rely, "
the first instance, upon the great body o.
the community, whose will has instituted
and whose power must support, the TO
vernment. A large standing military force
is not c~onsonant TO The spirit OF our iasli
buttons, nor to the feelings Of our country
men /; and the lessons Of former days. and
H. onr kk.rn finaa shay the dan
ger, as well as the enormou expense, o.
these permanent and extensive military
organizations. That just medium which
avoids an inadequate preparatlon-on one
hand, aud the danger and expense OF q
large force on the other, is what our con
stitnen,s have a right to expect from their
Government. This object can be attained
only By the maintenance OF a small nlill-
.tary force, and by such an Organization OF
the physical strength Of the country as
NAV bring this power into operatiGn, when
ever lis services are required. A ciassih-
cation Of the population offers the most
obvious means Of efiectlng this organ'za-
ton. Such a division may be made as
will be Just 10 all by transferring each, at
a proper period Of life, from one class TO
another, and by calii.g fest for the SER
vices Of that class, whether for instruction
or action, which, from age. is qualified for
the duty. and may be called TO perform ii
with least injury to themselves or 10 the
public. Should the danger ever become
SO imminent as to require additional force,
the other classes in succession would be
ready for the call. And if, in addition to
this organization, voluntary associations
were encouraged, and inducements held
out for their iormaiian, our militia would
be in a state Of efficient service. Now,
when we are at peace, is the proper time
TO digest aud establish a practical system
The object is certainly worth the expert
ment, and wutth the expense. No one
approaching the blessings Of a republican
government can object TO his share OF the
burden which such a plan may impose
Indeed, a moderate portion otihe nationa.
funds could scarcely be better applied