, 1840-09-05
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
WAsHrNeroN, July 81, 1910.


In conclusion you ast, me, I" whether | ap-
prove Of Mr.. Poinsett's scheme for the or.
ganiz.,ion Of the militia2"
Nv knowledge of military affIirs is very
limited: but | will nevertheless give YOU
such views as | hive been able to t,ke of
the subject of your inquiry.
The Constitution of the Uni'ed States au-
thorises Congress tn provide lar organizing,
armiag. anil discipli.ing the militia and inr
gorerniqg them when in the service of The
United States; re<"rvin. t. the ST ties The
app,intmant of oGcsrs, AMI this authority To-
raiq the militiI according To the node of
discipline prescribed by congress. In exc.
cutinn nf this grant OF power. Congress, dur
inc the nd n; .is,rlti,n of General Washing
tim. AMI unmn his reco II mend itinn, pissed
a Inv for the org ,niz llion of The militia oi
the United States. By this act It is piovi.
ded.
1T. That every free white citizen of the
United States. resident therein. between the
ages of fifteen and iorrv-five. with some emu,
merat-d exc npIi"us,) are 1" he enrolled and
divide nv tIp ."vrril States Ini.' co npinleS.
blttalipnS. re I'm, n!S, hriLides. and divisions.
up,n principles therein established, and IN
like manner o%ii:-red by then. according Ia
the rules prescribe | hy congress for defer.
mi-Iing their numher add respective rink.
2nJ. Thrt. the n'rr,a thus enrolled shall
b. ar i"t n their oyn expense.
81. That they shlil be disciplined accor.
DIM 10 the rules approved af,d established
BY congress. on the % h Of March. 1873; and
4th. That The rules of the government
of the militia when called into the service
of the United STATES. fthe manner and occa,
sinns of dong which being pointed out by
law,l shall be the SANE rules and articles al
war. as are provided for the, government OF
the Troops rf the United States.
The provision of the act OF 1892, which
obliges every ci,iz"n duly enrolled, I" be
"c,nstantly provided with arms. accnutre
men,s, and an.nunitionS.' was re-enacted
during the Administrator of Mr.. Jefferson;
and so much of that act as established the
d~ecipline and regulations Of Baron Steuben
was subsequently replaced, and the system
of decipline and exercises OF the Reguli n
Army was adopted for the militia. These
additional provisions, with occasional acts
respecting the appointment of the officers by
the States, and changing the regulations con.
corning the pay and subsistence ct the mill
tin when in the actual service of the United
States; and the preparation and distribution
of a system of tactics. constitute every ma.
teriaI part of the legislation of Congress upon
the subject of the militia, since the estibIish-
menr of the Government.
The organization of the militia thus estab.
lished. has been in force nearly fifty years.
Il varies in MANY essential particulars from
that recommended by Gen. Washington, and
L.. .~- o,orJoJ ayar cpoa tic aIoptipp
as defective in an eminent degree. as well BY
the successive Presidents of the United
States, as by all other persons whose habits
Of life and opportunities of personal observa.
ton have fitted them In form sound opinions
upon the subject. Its improvement was,
therefore, an INFECT "f unce'sing and anxious
solitude on the part of Gen. w ishington.
and almost every successive President com.
menced his career by calling the attention Of
Congress to the subjects. and closed it with
expressions Of regret that these recommends.
tons hid proved unavaling. Gen. Cass
when Secretary of War. stated. in an ofi.
e. cial Report, that this subject had been pre-.
sented Cor consideration no less than til rty
one times, in official Executive communica.
tons. commencing with the inaugural address
of President Was ingtnn.
The principal objections to the present
system. appear to rise from the great and un'
necessary extent Of the enrolment of the mi
litia held TO actual service, who are required
to muster and do duty a certain number oi
days in the year. and from a want of adequate
means or inducements to secure a proper in.
structinn; by reason Of which. this heavy
tax is pot only rendered in a great degree
useless, but is also unreasonably burden.
some.
By the Federal Constitution, Congress has