Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1840-03-12
THURSDAY MORNING., MARCH IL, 1870.

shsr-, have differed from the administrator on bur
q single question.
Let US now enquire whether the President has
changed his poles or practice on any OF these high
" important questions, on which We have differed
with him. Some Of his noisy psrtisans have claim.
ed for him great credit for the Ia sish professions Of
economy he makes 10 his late message to Congress.
But what has been the practice, which we are
much more interested in knowing than tho empty
preespis Of his administration According to his
own statement, the public expenditure during the
year 1887, the 6rst Of his Presidency, amounted 10
the sum Of thirty three millions OF dollars, '--du-
ring the year 1888. he Gays thi. amount g wss
somewhat reduced, and for the year 1889. he
thinks that the public expenditure viii not, Ia al
probability, have exceeded twcnty-six millions OF
dollars.' Blu, ihis sum Of see, 900, 600 happens to be
just the double Of The public expenditure under the
administration Of MIR. JoHs q. AnASs, which most
ofus though, was 80 enormous and IN ustifsbls ~ 10
merit the dispieasulc and rebukc OF the people
What. however, are ~e to think Of the President's
promise OF continued reduction Of tho public On
pense, when we find on tho very same page OF his
message, the most earncst recommendation BY him
to the favorable consideration Of Congress. Of q
plan Of the Secretary Of War for recruiting a mill
tia arnsy of faro kHnired thoasand ,aes; one half
to be in :" active service = the other halfro fern q
a. reserve - the term of service TO be eight years;
the troops to be armed, equipped, and paid by the
United States, "according to a rats of compensa-
ton 10 be- fixed by law" but, in other respects. TO
be under tho " regulation OF the War Department.
The annual cost Of such a force, according TO any
conception | can form OF the Secteiary's plan. I'M
der the outlines be has given oft, could not fail to
add many millions to the public burlhens. | now
speak only Of the question OF expense; but, in other
aspects, this most extraord mary prcjcct, emphati-
cally endorsed as ii is by tho President, for, in his
message TO Congress, he says, II cannot recon-
mend it too strongly to your consideration de-
ssrvss the mos, senous reflection Of every friend Of
the public liberty.
Is not this mifitis force. as the Secretary chooses
to call it, OF the ons-half of IL, at least, which is
TO be Sin active service, 49, recruited for eight
Years 49, stationed" wherever the Secretary Of
War shall diiect-~ armed and paid" by the Uni
ted States,-to all intenss and purposes, a Standing
army. and denominated a militia force. only to
avoid the instructive jealousies which the name Of
a standing army calls up in the mind Of every free
mani Can such q force be called militia in the
sense of the Virgins Bill of rights, which declares
that "a vol regulated militia, composed of TIE
5oay Of The people, trained 10 arms, Is the proper,
natural, and safe defence Of u free State" or, 10
the sense of The Constitution Of the United States,
which authorizes Congress . to provide for calling
forth the militia TO execute fhe iaps ofMe Union.
sbPEft CO.. tta ~ -
there, a, this moment. insurreciion, inv sion, OF re-
sis,snce TO The laws Of the Union, w..ch would JUS
tify calling forth the militia into "sctual service, "
or, if there were, would il justify embodying them
us "recruiis" for eight years term OF sefvicei No
such constitutional ~exigency exists or Is alleged;
and | can view the Secretary's plan in no ether
light than as proposition for raising a large stand
ing army, without encountering the weli-tounded
Republican jealousies, which its name excites; or.
- - =
the influence of the Federal Executive, by setting
apart from the mass Of the people two hundred
Thousand rot,ng, not fighting men. receiving pay
from the United Sts,es a. militia in actual ser
vice. ard looking up to the President rs their
commander-in-chicf," rs the Constitution, In thai
case, provides and directs. ] know OF but one pre-.
cedent for so profound a contrivancr; and that was
in The days Of the " English Commonwealth" so
called, when that willy statesman, OLIVER CRoN-
WELL, divided the Kingdom into twelve military
iurisdiclions,' Just as the Secretary nov proposes
to divide the United Stntes into "eight military
districts;" and, under cover of organizing the mill
tia, caused them TO be F" enlisted, :" or recruited.
under proper officers, and Irregular pay to be dis.
tributed among them = which, the historian says,
the Lord Protector found to be a most ~eheetual
Z" resource" for depressing bis political enemies.
but which oil reasonable men consider as throw
ing aside the mask Of liberty" md ''parcelling
oul the people into so many subdivisions Of slave
n.y." | have no disposition TO question the originals
~ OF the Secretary, by insinuating that he may have
derived tho hint Of his plan from so celebrated sn
authority.
But to return I'd the interesting question OF the
financial condition and prospects of the country,
we have just had a most impressive sdnonition Of
the precarious and uncertain character OF tue exc
cutiye professions aud assurances on this subject.
You doubtless recollect that, in his message at the
commencement Of tho session Of Congress, the Free
sident exhibited a highly flattenng picture oil the
condition of the Treasury, and Of the very success
full manner in which its operations bad been con-
Quoted. He told the Representatives Of Tho pso-
pie, there Ia every reason to believe, II Congress
shall keep the appropriations within Tho estimates
furnished by the Executive, that tho outstanding
Treasury notes will be redeemed, and the public
expense be betrayed" by the existing and current
means OF the Treasury. without imposing upon
the people any additional burthen, either OF loans
or increased taxes = and then proceeded to descant
on tho great evils of a public debt 10 time oil
peace" This message was delivered on the gath
Of December, 1889. But
Noscia mems hominum fsti scstisque FUTURE,
Ii servare MEDIUM, rebus sublata secundIs-
On the 4th day of February following, in less Than
six weeks after these fattering assurances, and DO
fore any appropriation had been made By Congress,
except for their own pay, another message Is sent,
communicating an apprehended "dgscssDey IN
the revenue, and urgently calling on Congress 70
% make early provision OF certain and adequsie"
additional " means to quad The public credit, and
to meet promptly and faithfully any defcfeneies ~
The rerenne from .hatevcr cause they may arise;
or, in other words, by another issue Of Treasury
notes, or d loan in some other form. TO Incur that
very creation of public debt" with the denuncia-
ton Of which he had embeliis!,.d his discourse at
the opening Of the session of Congress.
Let Us look a little farther into the Presidents
late annual message To Congress, 10 see II It iui-
nishes to the Conservatives any ground TO expect a
change either Of policy or doctrine on my OF the
questions on which they have differed With hun
Does he renounce any Of those dangerous and anti
Repubhcss claims of Erteatice pouer. which we
have seen, have been heretofore advanced by him
G.a-A S-L-l-. !. H. Las In liz