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

experienced, and skiltul officers; aud our soil
might be polluted by the foot Of the invader, our
cities taken and sacked and our forts occupied,
before our armed citizens could be taught the
elements OF tactics or the simple use Of the Are
lock. And, secondly, it will prove fatal error
To suppose that an officer can be formed BY be-
ing drilled as private. The habit Of command,
the prompt eye, the firm tone, the self-posses-
sion IN moments Of difficulty and danger,
which inspire men with confidence and courage,
and are SO essential to secure their ready ODE
dience, are the result of practice. The officers
and prlvates who are To act together in the field
must be drilled together, and pTactsed, the one
to the duties OF obedience and the other TO those
Of command
Satisfied that nm efficient force cannot be
created by drilling the officers alone, as well rs
OF the impracticability Of rendering the whole
mass OF the militia available at the same time
for the defence Of the country !; and con-
WINGED, from the experience OF our past wars,
that i IS necessary to organize and discipline
select body Of citizen soldiers, who in mo-
ment OF danger, will know their stations and
their duties when assembled there, and who,
although separated from the mass for short
time, will return and impar TO il the military
knowledge and experience they have acquired
during their period Of service, have prepared
the plan, the details Of which are herewith sub-
II is believed that, examining them, il will be
apparent that the scheme is not liable TO any one
OF the objections that are urged against large
standing armies but, on the contrary that il
will form select body of well-disciplined mill
tia, ready themselves to defend their country in
the hour of danger against any sudden attack,
and furnish corps, around which the less-in-
structed mass may rally possessing, in some
degree, the military knowledge and skill of
regular soldiers, they will be able alike to pro-
tect their country from foreign foe, and to
guard its liberties from any danger that may
threaten them.
1t appears TO me that the organization now
proposed will prevent the necessity Of main
tanning large standing armies, even in time of
war. The militia, properly drilled and instruct
ed, will be thereby rendered perfectly efficient
and capable of defending the forts along our
maratime frontier which, in the absence of such
an organization, would require a regular army
of fifty thousand men. At present, the militia
cannot be rendered Immediately available against
a surprise; whereas, under the proposed organi-
zation they would repair to their stations at the
first alarm, and would be efficient soldiers when
there. In case of war, those stations would be-
come permanent and arrangements might easily
be made SO as 10 render the service as little bur-
densome as possible to the artisan and me
chanic. gtk
Every precauton has been taken to avoid all
interference with the rights of the States, or to
lessen their means of defence. The militia will
be called out in the manner at present provided
for by law, and no change is contemplated in the
mode of differing the several corps of which
the active class will be composed
II will not abstract single man from the de-
fence of the State where he resides, nor sepa-
rate him from the class of citizens 70 which he
belongs II will, on the contrary, strengthen the
defences of each State, by furnishing il with
well-organized and well disciplined force, taken
from the People, and making part Of the People
equally interested with their fellow-citizens in
the preservation of free institutions, and ready
at all times to guard the territory and the liberty
OF their country. Neither does IL interfere, in
any manner, with the constitutional rights OF the
States TO train their own militia according to
the discipline prescribed by Congress, because
the active militia will be employed by the Pre-
sident during the period they are preparing for
warlike service in garrison and in field. And
while the States have all the advantages
which may result from a well-organized and dis
ciplined militia, they will, at the same time be
exempt from the losses, expenses, and evils
which follow, necessarily, from the assemblage
of large multitudes for merely nominal militia
ny instruction. It is to be considered, Also that
a portion of the militia are provided with oppor-
tnnites for the attainment of the essentials of
military knowledge; and, at the same time, that
they relieve the remainder from an onerous and
useless burden, they themselves will not be OPP
pressed by an undue amount of military service
being required of them but, on the contrary, by
comparing the time which, under the present
system, is devoted to that object, it will be found
that there is but very little additional service, if
any, required, and for that time they will be suf
ticiently compensated. The compensation con-
al IL oJaouota ,,pIar a rood cd n;
ton of the laws proposed which are to be made
uniform in their application, by regulations to
be issued by the President, SO as TO prevent any
expense to the citizen who is thus called out !;
though il may not rise, in amount, to the sum
which his pursuits in social life might Afford
The total amount required to recompense the
militia to be called out for exercise will be tri-
fling, when compared with the loss of time ex-
perienced by our feow-citizens under the pre-
sent imperfect organization, and Of the serious
evils to which the youth of the country are ex-
posed by the frequent attempts now made to inn
part to them very imperfect knowledge Of the
duties of the soldier. The subjoined plan will
il is believed tend to diminish, if not entirely
remove, such evils, and will also, by engender-
ing an esprit du corps throughout the militia Of
the several districts, elevate in the mind Of ev-
cry citizen the character of the duties which he
is required to perform, and thus make more GER
tain the results which are hoped for by this sys-
TEN of military precaution and defence. In pre-
pairing the details of the proposed reorganization
Of the militia of the United States, have been
governed by an earnest desire to place the coun-
try in an attitude of defence, and, at the same
time, to secure il from the necessity of main
tanning at any period large standing army; TO
render the militia effective, without Withdrawing
too large number Of our fellow citizens from
their occupations at any one time; and to dhuse
throughout the community generally some know
ledge of military service, without taxing the
Treasury too heavily. All this, it appears to
me, will be effected by drilling, during four years,
one hundred thousand men, for period not ex
ceeding thirty nor less than ten days in each and
every year, a, such time as may least interfere