Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1840-03-12
Fncu. ire Natio-il fsrH,re.os-.
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON IN CONGRESS
No. n

~ "'Ne %en mt the hrst movement OF Cci.C-al \
iiafrs"n aier taking hs Congress. WIS e.
fort TO dsinrye the debt of gratitude vet rcmiining
uae 70 the INDECENT survivors, Of the Reyout mar
War
The object which appeirs 3, have land next nearest
- nus hear was To give eillcency ihe MIiIrIA Oi
the United States. THIS was a Subject ,vac,. hal nj
racird his aiien on. ami upon which hc had written
With ability. hetDre the OF 1912 It's ex perience
IN thai war had considerably extended has eld Of oh
serNaiion. and enabled hm perceive plainly
as lac hal felt mrs, keenly, ,he defects of the present
system. An opportunity afforded him io
bring forward ms plas Tor the Improvement of The
'sung system in manner do justice his con-
cepihHn' though nc fsiicd. every boJy else had
aiied before him. aEl m his in the lc;t dcg-u
since succeeded IN the eli prevail upon Congress
80 ray to tbs subject much attention as to prolle
+ an definite action upon l.
Ia his Annual Noes &C. Ia Congr, at the opening
of the Scssut nj whi,h Cen. Harrison first took hs
scat in Congress. President Madison invited The aen-
ton o. both lolscs TO the NIliiia :, the co..
4 lowing terms
=" As a subject OF the highest Importance to the M
iional welfare. must again earnestly recommend 20
the consideration Of Congress n reorganization Of The
militia plan which GILL form into classes. actor
ding 10 the periods OF hic and lees adapted Ia
military services. An efficient militia authorized
and contemplated 10y the Constitution. and required by
the s:ir'' and safety office government The presen,
oEsanizl''on at our militia is universally regarded
less efficient haR il ought he made and orgnni-
zaiion can be better caculacd 10 give u It's due
force Than classification which Will assign the iore
most place .heGefsnce OF the coun;ry that
of ~ riftzcns whose activity and animation best
"a. hem TO rally It's standard Besides the cons:de-
ration that time of peace is the time when lhe
eh1nge can he m d. with most convenience ahd
quy. II will nav be aided BY the experience of re-
cent war. in which lho militia bore interesting
part"
One would almost suppose that in pcnrnng This par
agraPh-for ia that day II the usage for the Prss-
dent Oft United Staies write his OVAL messages;
practice wIch ts,t least hrs recrrr mendaiioI that
he kne. what in ihem-Mr Madison Ind ia view
the tact that the late Commanper uf The Northwestern
Arny land former Governor % the Northwestern Ter
rioryl had become ;. member ofthe Congress he was
addressing Cerian :; is, that when IN the Eo0se OF
Representatives select committee appointed NJ
on his subject Gen. Harrison was, with general AZ
obaiion' add by common consent. placed The head
loft
On the 18th ofJanuary. 1917. Gen Harrison rs the
Chairman of that comm tee. mIJe a report accompa-
med by bill. with all the dsras of which shall
not now trouble the reader, but the leading provisions
, Of which were ns follows
The bill directs the enrolment Of every free. a5,e
boiled white male citizen between the ages Of eish
ten and "r'' IS years; requires each such tzen to
provide t.mSe!f with arms. Announcements and uai
IKE that OF the Army Of the United States ex
em?s public Officers. mailcarriers &C., ard all per
sons exempted by Stare Laws from the operation q.
his act provides the mode OF eating ont the Militia
ard how they shall be governed when in service. DC
The peculiar features q tis bi however appear Il
be the following
Section provides that all the Militia Of the Uncc
aes iab, 10 % duiy under the prccc Sing provisions
Ia b. c!a Cd by rlc prop,r IhDriiies az the seye
al Safe. and Territories yshn one wear after the ms
sns OF The cct ia the wing manner. viz rhn>e
'etwcen eighteen and twcnty-oGc years OF age shat
b called the minor class those between the ng o
Iweny-one aud Ih'riy years shaG be called the
ri f4r ala ~ e.
I'VE years OF age shall be called the senior class OF Mi
a.
Sections 10 and II provide that once in every We II
all the ciir,r at tire respective hrgades anI all IN,
>ergean t.! the respective regmenisSall assemble al
such time aud place may b. provided by tho Icgis
al re- OF each STATE. for the paTIosc Of training and
discipline aud shall be Kept together and encampct
Tor the period Of - aud duriEg III lime shall b,
regularly ARD ss.duo,sly trained. Be- and ;hai Iurina
the term ofserycy Of ,ao above Officers 81" they 81.
receive hail 'he ply OF tut service and one ration pc
Jay, and 40 other ,lument
Tnis was the plan which resulted from The dcIber
hions Of The committee. IL Is the report which ao,
e Enpan:ed that BILL however. To- which VIC desire Ia
nSuc iiic attention oi cur readers witch, a. We
Mistake moi. .hey will fnJ convincing proofs of The
love ~ country the devotion olibCry. the attachment
. equal nghs the NcncraIiun Tor paruic Sarriiic ;
I'D sulE rings, which are interviewer through IN,
whole web OF G. u. HarrisOns lic.
The report % which allude lom'ing few par
graphs at The beginning descriptive. merely Of tie
{ .ilD as Gloas:
The cur.mi'ter have no hesitaion IN acknowledging
that the plan embraced b., the hill j. mere cv,e
.ni choice OF difficulties system Whch. alIou IN
will place The militia much better iooriHg rhlu
hey have before .tn d, vet II Is likely produce
that grcai dcsidcrai m. that Indispensable requisite IT,
-"Vcrnmcri .iu' 81 tc oarS-ihe diffusion If a
n'liu'ryspIrrt ard military information throughout the
-reat ust-. Of Ire people.
The pau e he subject which remains tn be dscns-
d, viii be best understood by dividing il into two
Instinct propositions:
isi l. b desirable ths the whole male popu'a,' on
1t he Jniied States. Of the proper age, sholld b.
raincd To iis Of arms s1persede under any
circumstance. the necessity ol u standing army!
2d. is 1t pra ucable ?
The solioR ie which has heen nanifcred by The
great m"n VINO have sscccssiyry flled the Office Of
Chief Magistrate of The United States for tu adoption
Of system ofm llary discipline for rhc militia which
would produce the effect Contemplated b. Inc frs.
proposition. sufficiently manfcSis their sense of IT'S I'M
rorarcc. The subject was often and warmly fcco!i.
mendrd by the Father Of his country and a, an early
perod Of his administration plan for the purpose as
proOsed Ivy the Secretary Of War and being corrected
acreeaby o. his suggestions submitted 10 the Ma.
uonal Lcgisatu u - believed that objection 20 th,
expense aud sup used difficulty of executing this plan
and net 10 object. the OF Us being rofec-
ted. j. the opinion. which prevailed al that pcrind
hat an energetic naDnal militia was Io regsrcd
~ tle capital security Of free Republic les apparent
nj the present. Has any thing since occurred either
~ the history Of own or Of any other country r.
show that standing army. forming distinct class in
the comm nifty Is he ropcr defence af Govern
mcnt constituted ko oDrsi Do The events Of the sic
war show that discipline necessary Cor the n,
iia Or does the present aspect ~ the political world
III ~ % much security - 20 justify the Indifference
~hIrh prevails ~ providing cffectua national de-
fercc
i u - impossible iha, any Auenoan can rccur "a M
ny Of the events md particularly 10 the concndit g
scenes Of the late war. without feeling that elsvi o.
81 mud which recollection II his cJurtr,'s glory D.
calculated 10 produce. There are. however others
md not few, hat are emincniy calculated TO shay,
hat an immense sacrifice u blood aud treasure can b.
distinctly traced o. the az discipline boz TIE mill
ga. The glorous success which. in several ins,anrss
rrowEed their cflurs WIS the result Of uuco-rrnn a.,