The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-05-14

BY Congress.n The power Of training the mi
litia, Is by this article, reserved TO the states
and, therefore prohibited TO the Federal Go
vernment; and the only causes for which the
militia can be employed in the service Of the |
United States, are those which have enume-
rated--to execute the idWs Of the Union, sup |
press insurrecfions, and repeI inrasi0ns. Can
the Secretary of War find in either Of these
clauses Of the Constitution, any warrant for
this most extraordinary recommendation P
Most certainly he cannot. Let US analyze IL,
and the detormty of its features will be most
prominently exposed In the first place, the
twenty six States Of this confederation are TO
be divided into eigh, military districts SO that
an average Of more than three States will be
embraced in military district. Between these
districts there is to be recruited" q use the
Secretary's own form Of expression,) 100000
men, for eight years, one-half in the constant
"active' service Of the United States, and in It's
pay, and subject to its authority For what OBJ
ject2 avowedly TO be trained. And thus the
militia may be carried from one State 10 ano
ther within its military district, 10 do that by
federal authority, trained" which the Con-
stitution expressly prohibits. Am mistaken in
this? In addition to the plain language, and
palpable purpose of the report, turn tothe 18th
section Of the detailed report of the Secretary
Of War, Of the goth March, ls4O- II provides:
That the President of the United States be au-
force Of the militia, such places within their
respective DISTRICTS and at such times not exceeding
twice, nor - days in the year, he may deem
necessary; and during such period, including the time
when going to- and returning from, the place of
devious they shall be deemed in The serrice Of The IT,
States and be subject to such regulations PRE
sIpENT may think proper adopt for their instruction
discipline, and improvement in military diseipiine"
Now, fellow-citzens take up the Constitu-
tion reflect upon It's provislons-the caution with
which power over the militia was impaired TO the
Federal Government, and the strong restrictions
placed upon that power, and ask yourselves what
part of the Constitution justifies this provision.
This scheme proposes an inequality in the time
of service-the aiming, equipping and training
the militia-which, Independent Of its unconsti-
nationality and danger, should stamp it with utter
Reproduction. These men are TO serve but eight
years, the ordinary militia on an average twenty
FIVE These men are to have the advantages of
strict discipline, the ordinary militia its present
disorgansed and chaotic state. These men are
to be paid for the time they are engaged in per-
forming military duty, the ordinary militia to be
unpaid. These men are to be kept constantly
armed and equipped, the ordinary militia, | sup
pose, to have cornstaiks and sticks in their hands,
to learn the use of the frelock, / am sure the
great body Of the militia will never submit to
these gross inequalities. The value of the mi
litia system and the safety of the people demand
that the whole militia force should be upon an
equality-uniform in its discipline, arms, equip
ment, and service.
This ELITE" militia force, when organized,
is to be placed under the command of the Pres |
dent to be in the pay of the Government Of the |
United States, and subjected to the temptations |
which honor, emoument and military pride, will
throw in their way for eight years Is there no
danger in this, fellow-ctizens Ifthere is none,
what would constitute danger; for these two
hundred thousand men, under the command Of
the President, and in the pay of the Federal Go
vernment, would be just as much regular force |
as if it had the name and as liable to be seduced
to the purposes Of ambition. The more see Of
the progress of this Government and its tendency |
to monarchy the more admire and approve Of
that jealousy of standing armies which our re-
publican fathers SO strongly manifested at the |
formation Of the Constitution. Any mass of or
ganized men, with arms in their hands, in the |
pay, and subject to the authority of an aspiring |
ambitious chieftain, with the whole revenues of
the nation in his hands, will be dangerous to Ii |
berty, and should be looked upon with the great
est apprehension.
From the most accurate estimate which can |
make, this system would not add less than |
S4,00O,0OO to the annual expenditures of the
Government; which, taking into consideration
the present heavy annual burden upon the people |
is no inconsderable objection to this wild, dam |
gerous, and unnecessary system
There other exceptions, fellow-citizens,
which take to the principles and policy OF this |
Administration, which would, in themselves, be |
fruitful themes of commentary-such as the re-
commentator of an authority to invest surpluses
of the revenue in the buying and selling Of State
stocks regarded by all our Republican Presi- |
dents prolific sources of corruption. The gra-
duaton Of the prices of the public lands which |
would, in effect surrender the public lands to the
new States-a scheme to which Mr.. Van Buren,,
while member Of the Senate, was decidedly OPP
posed, and the extraordinary pretension the Pre-
sident that the Executive is a component part of
the Legislature, on which might enlarge, but
| forbear; those which have specifically enume-
rated are in themselves sufficient for my purpose.
For true picture of the extraordinary powers
which the schemes which | have enumerated |
would confer on the Executive department,
their influence upon the destiny of our country,
and dangerous effects upon our free institutions
| quote from Mr.. Benton's and Mr.. Van Buren's
report of 1926, TO which have before referred
The concluding paragraph of that admirable
document says
"The committee must then take ,hnps as they are
Not being able to lay the the root of the tree
they must 60 pruning among the limbs and branches
Not being able to reform the constitution the cleo
ton of President, they must 60 to work upon his
powers and trim down these by statutory enactments
wherever it can be done by law, and with just re-
gard to the proper efficiency of the Government For
this purpose, they have reported the six bills which
have been enumerated. They do not pretend 10 hare
exhausted the subject, but only to have seized feic
of its prominent points. They have only touched in
four places, the ras and perradng system Of Federal
Executive patronage-THE PRESS, THE POsT Orricg,
THE ARMED FORCE, and the APPOINTING POWER. They
are few, compared to the whole number of points
which the system presents; but they points VITAL
10 the liberties of the country The Press is put fore
most, because il is the moring porer Of human action
the Post Office is the handmade of the press the
armed force ITS EXECUTOR: and the appointing power
the directress Of the whole II the appointing pocr