The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-09-15
WHOLE NO. $50.

the House, through their Chairman, requested
the Secretary 10 go TO work on plan for organ
lzing the militia. Impatient OF the delay which
had already taken place, and strong IN the Ger
tainty Of the passage of the Sub Treasury bill
which would give him the command of the
purse OF the nation, holder line OF tactics was
adopted, and, instead Of commencing with enroll
ing twenty thousand men on the frontiers, and
gradually extending the system to the entire
militia of the United States" the whole plan is
brought out at once, and Congress is asked, by
the President, to authorize the raising of two
hundred thousand "recruits," 1--WE use the Ian
guage of the Report and TO 6 fr by Ian" the
"manner Of enrolment, the number Of days of
service, and the rate Of compensation and leave
the details to regulation that is to be fixedn
by the President!!! This demand is referred
TO the appropriate Committees and, after lapse
of three months, plan Of the details which
the President proposed TO reserve for himself, is
called for and communicated to the House.
These details carry out the very plan suggested
by the President as far back as December, 1897,
and the nation is told by his supporters that he is
not responsible for them !!
II there be any remaining doubt Of the iden-
tity OF the plan first recommended by the Presi-
dent, in 1887, again pressed upon Congress, in
1888, with that the heads Of which are set forth
in the Report Of the Secretary Of War, of both
December, 1889, and a third time strongly re-
commended by the President on oath December
OF that year, an article which appeared in the
Globe of the End January, 1910, must remove
that doubt That familiar of the palace, and
organ of the President, recognised his old ac-
quaintance at the first glance. The faithful ed
tors had, as in duty bound, given the weight of
their endorsement to the Presidents recommend
atoms of 1887 and 1888; and speaking of the
plan set forth in the Secretary's Report of No
vember 1889, then recently sent TO Congress,
with the Presidents strong" recommendation,
they say: " This document does the author
much credit. 1t recommends a new organization
Of the militia, and adopts the plan of classified
ton a0hich tre long since urged upon Congress-
II was nep, indeed, to our militia system, but an
old acquaintance and friend of the Globe.
We proceed to redeem the remaining portion
of our pledge, TO wit: .That the scheme indi-
Gated by the heads, contained in the Secretary's
report TO the President, dated 30th November,
1889, and communicated by the latter to Con-
gress, on the goth December following, endorsed
by his strong recommendation, in every essen
ia particular in which it varies from the de-
tails communicated by the Secretary to the
Speaker Of the House of Representatives is
lcorse than those details" Those portentous
heads are exhibited in the following extrac, from
the SecretarY's report:
g 1t is proposed to divide the United States
into eight military districts, and to organize the
militia in each district, so as TO have body of
twelve thousand FIVE hundred men in actire
service, and another of equal number as re-
serve. This would give an armed militia force
OF two hundred thousand men, so drilled and
stationed, as TO be ready TO take their place in
the ranks in defence Of the country, whenever
called upon to oppose the enemy or repel the
ha IF fha 10 h,
twenty to thirty seven; 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 serrice every
year, passing, at the conclusion of the first term
into the reserve, and exempted from ordinary
military duty altogether at the end of the second
term. In this manner twenty five thousand men
will be discharged from militia duty every year,
and twenty-five thousand fresh recruits be re-
ceiyed into the service. It will be sufficient for
all useful purposes, that the remainder of the
militia, under certain regulations provided for
their government, be enrolled and mustered at
long and stated intervals; for, in due process of
time, nearly the whole mass of the militia will
pass the first and second classes, and be either
members OF the active corps or OF the reserve,
or counted among the exempts, who will be
liable to be called upon only in periods of inva-
sion or imminent peril. The manner OF enrol
ment, the number of days of service, and the rate
of compensation, ought to be fixed by law but
the details had better be subject to regulation
a plan Of which am prepared to submit to you.n
We will first note the points in which they
agree.
The heads propose a force of two hundred
thousand men so do the details: the heads pro-
pose that it shall be divided into distinct corps,
one "active," the other PRESERVE" so do the
details the heads propose that the age of the
I" recruit" shall be from twenty to thirty seven;
so do the details: the heads propose that the
whole term of service shall be eight years, four
in the first class, and four in the reserve; so do
the details: the heads propose that one-fourth,
twenty five thousand men, leave the service
every year, first passing into the reserve, and at
the end of the second term to be exempt from
ordinary militia duty; so do the details: the
heads propose that the remainder of the militia
shall be mustered at long intervals; so do the
details. According 10 the heads this army is TO
be in the pay of the United States; 50 say the
details also. We objected to the details because
the militia was to be called into the service Of
the United States for drill and placed under
the command of the President. If the heads
do not propose this they do worse. They pro-
pose body of twelve thousand five hundred men
from each district sin actire serrice y that the
term Of serrice be four years in the first class,
and four in the reserve p fourth part to leave
the g service !" and "twenty FIVE thousand fresh
recruits to be received into service" Into whose
serrice we demand Into the service of the
United States, without all doubt. Once in the
service of the United States, and they are, by
the Constitution and present laws, under the
command of the Pre- iden, and -uch othce,s Of
tho regular army a. h may s.loct, OF .nnlor
grade TO the militia officers on duly az any place
at which tn militia may be station d." In
thu service Of the United States for what =
Either a, regular troops, or militia for " drill"
Il as the former the Constitution i, not violated,
but il is a standing army in name a. wcll as
effect RI as militia for drill then the Con -titu
ton is violated, because It authorizes the militia
to be called into the servica OF the United States
only ito execute the laws Of the Union, repel
;nvasion and cnpnraes insurrprtinp y TaEc