The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-09-15


the plan of his Secretary, which he |" strongly
recommended 10 Congress, he would have oeeh
master of The lives of these two hundred thou-
sand men. and they would have been IN state
of more abject vassalage to him than the mean
est soldier Of the British army = 70 ms niohai.h
when be speaks Of him as the KING, my "'as
teri
Ever since the expulsion of the Stuarts, VIVA,
is called the apufiny biiP' is annually passed
by Parliament. This bill regulates the govern
ment and discipline of the army, and prescrioes
the rules and articles of war. Without Il, the
army cannot be kept together an hour so that,
instead Of ennusting the king with the power
TO fix these important "details" by "regula-
tom he has only lease, from year 10 year, Tor
the army itself And, in this democracy of ours,
the President demands of Congress 10 place I'M
der his command permanent force OF two hun
bred thousand men, 10 subject the male popuia-
lion, between the ages Of twenty and thirty
seven, TO conscription TO ill the ranks, ana 70 p,o
vide, by id,r, for ''the manner of enrolment, 'he
number Of days of service, and the rate OF com
pensaiion,m and leave the rest 10 him ~! ne -
now master Of the public purse-his hitherto ir-
resistible patronage is 10 be increased oy iaige
addition 10 the already appalling list OF punhe
officers, who hold their appointments from MN,
and az his pleasure, and by the power which the
Sub Treasury law will give him over the BANKS
and, through them and the collection OF the rev
plue. over the entlTt UlOHcN tohttiho " sN 80
tion-the whole treasure of the nation IS IN the
keeping Of officers, who, according TO the doc
trine of the party, sanctioned, as they contend,
by the people are subject TO his orders, and re-
sponsible only to him-men who accept ONCE,
with the avowa that their oath of office means
that they are not 10 perform their duties accord
ing to the best Of their own skill and Judgment
and the laws of the land, but according TO the
orders of the President.
undar tho do,nip fion of the m in mower.
the country could ever again become prosperous
if our broken-down commerce should be re-
stored and the revenue once more be SUFFICIENT
to meet the extravaganza of the government and
leave surplus-if that surplus should, as under
the former administration, amount TO forty NH
lions Of dollarsif the leaders of the party should
be more successful than hitherto las they doubt
less would be- in their efforts to prevent its dis
tribution amongst the States-what spectacle
should we exhibit! Two hundred thousand men,
embodied as national guard, thoroughly drill
ed +" and commanded by the President; the num-
beI kept up BY draft; all "the Details" all the
laws for their discipline and government, and
the enforcement of the draft" subject to the
regulation of the President, who has in his
Golfers, over and above the ordinary expenses OF
the government, forty millions Of dollars-hdrd
dollars-to pay and subsist his troops" Moth
ing is wanted TO realize the picture but the enact
ment of the heads recommended by the Presi-
dent, and a return TO prosperity in our business,
which is SO confidently predicted as conse-
quence of the Sub Treasury. And this is dem
ocracy y! Gracious God! Democracy
How long fellow-cltizens, will you suffer
yourselves TO be deceived by names2 How
long will you lend your ears to the lying and
fattering tongues of demagogues, and close up
the avenues Of your understanding by prejudlce2
How long will you set allegiance to party above
allegiance to the institutions OF your country p
turn'a deaf ear to the warning Of the sober-mnd-
ed and heed only the insidious gatherings OF those
who are fattening upon your substance? !sthis
great people to add another to the long list of
nations which have forged their own chains, and
worshipped Tyranny in the garb Of Liberty
We have said that the plan of the President
for il is unjust to call it Mr.. Poinsetts-w
fill the ranks with men without property, with
no common interest with the COMMUNICATIVE
will love only the hand that feeds them, and fear
only their commander. Stupidity itself cannot
be persuaded to believe that the present voun-
teer companies will enlist into this service
They are composed of the sons of substantial
farmers, students, young professional men, mer
chants and their assistants, and the industrious
mechanics of the towns. No man can believe
that such men, however ready they may be to
peril their lives to repel the invader, will voun-
tarily place themselves, for eight years, under
the command Of the President and his officers
OF the regular army, and submit to that disci-
pine, that thorough drill by which alone ''the
duty of obedience" deemed so essential can be
taught to the degree of perfection which will
satisfy the military notions of the President and
the officers OF the regular army. No man can
believe that these men will consent, in time of
peace, to be assembled at "such places within
their respective districts as the President may
appoint" to be "taught their duties in garrison
and the field, in marching and encamping, in the
plIpa md llturv dp,Ip icfra nf
for such time as Congress may under the all
controlling influence OF the President from time
10 time, authorize. They have an example be-
fore their eyes, if history did not furnish thou
sands that, although they might begin with thlr-
ty, or even ten days, nothing is easier than the
rule of addition The Secretary himself, in
1898, proposed to begin with twenty thousand,
and he has already mounted to two hundred
thousand The rule Of addition was too slow
in its operation and he has, therefore, multiplied
by ten. However willing they may be to rally
under their countrys flag to meet the first burst
of war, no man of ordinary intelligence can for
one moment believe that they will consent to
take the whole burden upon themselves, and be
come regular troops, bound to service for eight
years.
How, then, are these volunteers" the dar-
ling object of the scheme, to be obtained? BY a
process as simple and efhcacious as the conscrp-
ton of Napoleon
Suppose all of us, between the ages of TWEEN
ty and thirty seven, to be enrolled and paraded !;
one hundred thousand are wanted for '.active
service p volunteers are called for; the drum
beats, the flag waves, and the recruiting SER
geant calls "come my brare fellows, there is
no fighting to do, we only want to teach you
how to march and shoulder your firelock, you
will be called upon only =" at such times will
least interfere with your ordinary occupations;'*
you will receive the same pay, camp equipage
and quarters the regular troops y .'your arms
will be furnished you without charge" and I'm
Gle Sam is paymaster. Some idle fellow, or
h,,nr Ln.