Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1840-07-23
THE TELEGRAPH.
B AT H M e.:
THURSDAY MORNING. JULY %.
A Standing Army!

port of the Secretary of War, and the message of
the President of the United States, on the subject
Of the increase of the army of the United States
at is proposed to divide the United
States into eight military districts, and to
organize the militia in each district, so as
to have body oftwelye thousand five hum
dred men into active service, and another
of equal number as reserve. This would
give an armed militia force oftwo hundred
thousand men, SO drilled and stationed as
to be ready TO take their places in The
ranks in defence of the country, whenever
called upon to oppose the enemy or repel
the invader. The age ofthe recruit to be
from 20 to 81; the whole term OF service
to be eight years-four years in the first
class. and four in the reserve: one fourth
part, twenty-five thousand men to leave the
service every year, passing, at the conciu.
sion of the first term, into the reserve, and
exempted from ordinary militia duty al:o-
gether at the end of the second. In this
manner, twenty-five thousand men will be
discharged from military duty every year
| and twenty-five thousand fresh recruits be
received into the service. II will be suffi-
cient for all useful purposes, that the re-
mainder OF the militia, under certain regu.
lations provided for their government, be en-
rolled and be mustered at long and stated in
tervals; for in due process oftime, nearly the
whole mass Of the militia will pass through
the first and second classes, and be either
members ofthe active corps, or Of the re-
serve, or counted among the exempts, who
will be liable to be called upon only in Pc
RODS of invasion or imminent peril. The
manner of enrolment, the number of days
of service, and the rate Of compensation,
ought to be fixed by law; but the details
had better be left subject to regulation--
plan of which am prepared to submit to
you"
project by Mr.. Van Buren,, in his last annual
message
"The present condition Of the defence
Of our principal seaporis and navy yards,
as represented by the accompanying report
Of the Secretary of War, calls for The early
and serious attention of Congress; and, as
connecting itself intimately with this sub
iect, | cannot recommended too strongly to
your consideration the plan submitted by
that officer for the organization Of the mil
tia of the United States"
And now, since it has been ascertaned by the
loco focos in and out of Congress, that the people
| are not yet, quite prepared to accede to such
monstrous proposition, it has been deemed advi-
| sable, that Mr. Van Buren, should get his neck out
of the scrape if possible, in order thath (or the
good of the party we suppose) may escape the
odium, which must naturally and justly attach it.
self, to the administration, which could for mo-
ment, so far forget the spirit and design of our
institutions, as to be guilty of such baseness
Let us see, then, how this feat is accomplished
We almost fear to it, lest our readers should
presume us, either testing or guilty of something
worse 1T is a fact, however, and we request our
readers to hunt up the documents and examine
for themselves-this is always the surest way to
ascertain the truth of any remark. Well then,
here we have 1.-THE Secretary of War, gives
out notice, that the President did not have any
hand in originating the project-nether was the
plan submitted him, before it was delivered to
Cssrress! Surely, did the President know moth
ing about project, of which he says in his an
nual Message, which was delivered to Congress
at the same time, with the Secretary's Report
81 cannot recommend TOO STRONGLY to your
consideration THE PLAN SUBMITTED BY THAT
OFFICER, 1.-THE secretary of War, for the organi-
cation of The militia Of the United States" And
did the PRESIDENT thus recommend a plan,
WHICH HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT?
So says the Secretary of war. Either that func-
tionary or the President is guilty of downright
falsehood Or did the President take il for grant
ed, that the Secretary of war, could not by any
possibility suggest any project, that would not be
in accordance with the strictest rules of proprie-
tv Ordoes the Secretary of War, seek to screen
his conscience trife, and Van Buren, altogether,
under the miserable reservation that Mr.. Pan
Buren, having limited to him some time precious to
his making his report, that such plan Uoufd be
Just the model, to commence ,cith, for q standing
Army. he of course understood the suggestion,
and proceeded accordingly-rhich superseded the
necessity of submitting the plan to the PRECEDENT
it being In fact has 1.-THE president o,on offspring
We cannot, of course, satisfactorily "defne the
position of these high dignitaries on this most
important question, and we strongly suspect, from
the miserable subterfuge to which they resort,
they cannot themselves decide, with any good
degree of assurance, which horn of the dilemma
to seize upon. They welcome, of course, to
their preference
We will now look at the 18th Section of the
t plan Of details of this project, endorsed by Mr.
Van Buren,, and see if il be not frought with con-
| IL g. =. To