Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1838-04-14
To the Voters Of the FIRST D.vis-
ion of the M,ssiss ippi Militia.


ate for the command OF the First Division,
regret that the time in ervcning between
r this and the election, is So short. as TO pre-.
vent me in great measure from present
! ing myself personally before you. This
would have saved me in some degree from
the embarrassment Of speaking OF myself
= The necessary result of addressing yol
+, through the medium Of u Circular.
In all well constituted governments,
whether free or deSpotic, the ply steal pow
er must bc concentrated under some eth,
cient organization, alike to guarantee its
integrily-and 10 project lis citizens from
foreign aggression. Under the arbitrary
governments Of the old world, Standing ar
mes are lesored to, moi Only to effect their
legitimate ends-but, also, Tor the purpose
OF extending their dominion over neigh
boring and powerless cohImunities-and
for suppresslng the tendency in the popu-
lar spirit to rebel against those unnatural
and Fictitious divisions Of society, which
originating in fraud, are to be sustained bur
by force. But the wise founders Of these
con cdcruted Republics, with their enarg-
cd sagncity, enlightened experience and
Slcep.esS PATRIOTISM, were apprchenslvc
there would DC more OF danger than pro-
lection in standing army and wisely
concluded that the Drd,est defenders o,
peoples home were the clllZ.nS who knew
lis treasures. Time verstled their wis
dom at the ever memorable contests OF
New Observation-Disclosures aud the Thames.
Indeed scarcely battle field ol the last
war but attest, how gilant,y the citizen
bore himself amidst It's tragic but trlum.
plant scenes.
The peculiar nature Of our domestic in
situations, OF all others, requires we'll or
ganzed and well disciplined militia. I'M
der all circumstances, aud at all times
this Is lndlspenSably necessary; how eta
iy important is it then, at this suspicious
period when the cantlng philanthropy
OF the age is striving To convert the slaves
ut our household into the enemies OF our
peace. Common prudence requires us to
guard ourselves against the inccndiary
purposes OF oeludeJ ianalicism, TO place
our militia III such an "arInor and attitude"
AS will not oniy suppress even the COLI
temptation of Instruction, but eileciually
plo.ecl ourselves from the ulerior views
of Northern abolitionsls,- -be they what
they may. And in so doing we prepare
the American citizen for his most exalted
duty his country's defence; and We make
The appeIation Of citizen soldier not an
empty sound-but the appropriate desig-
nation Of the highest and hottest obliga-
,ions Of a ireeman's lie.
You are soon, Fellow.Citizens, TO exer
else one Of the most important duties of
the citizen soldier-the selection of your
officers. Permit me then, for brief mo
ncnt to name my humble prctensions to
the Major GeneralShp Of the First Divis-
ion.
Alta very early period Of my life. was
animated with un enthusiastic admiration
of the profession of arms. My late ven
Grated Father had been engaged during
the Revolutionary War, in the SER
vice of South Carolina, .hc most dsin-
guished AMI snnguinary arena of that new
or to he forgotten struggle; and It was
from his details Of that memorable and
glorious coniesi-that ! first learned to
love a soldiers duties. Som after my re-
turn from College, in 1894, entered the
Militia of this State, aud was appointed
to the command Of the Wilkinson Light
lnantry;-that had the distinguished hon
or, at the several different Reviews, OF e.
Letting by their accurate discipline, and
gallant appearance, public expression
of appreciation by the Reviewing Officer.
| remained in com nand Of that corps for
four years, when ! was appointed Brigade
Inspector, the duties OF which ofi,e ! ex-
ercised, until the partiaIiiy Of my Fellow.
Citizens promoted me to the command oil
the First Brigade. have been twice ell
ecled Brigadier Generals once by the of
ficers of the Brigade-and once by the SOW
ereign people themselves
have been engaged actively and zeal
ously in the Militia Of the State for IL
years-and ii an accurate knowledge oil
the discipline aud science OF the profession
of arms give me any claim OH your
support, | can advance my pretens' ons
with some degree Of confdence---as il IS
known to my FeIlow-Citizens OF this sec.
ton, that my pursuits in The rugged and
acclivous paths Of science have been d.
rectcd, almost exclusively, to the art and
strategy of warfare. For have long an
icipated that the period was not far dis
tant when the chivalry Of the land would
be called TO the field To defend the dearest
rights of frecmen.
trust that my long and indofatigab!e
excrtions in tho military service Of the
!, State, will be u sufficient surety to my Eel