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


COMMITTEE or FAuourER, 10 he People o
that County, on the Army Bin.
AS, from the nature and present condition Of
the human race, no nation can enjoy uninter-
rupted peace, a military force, of some descrip-
ton, Is indispensable; and the wisdom of pa
triots and statesmen has been taxed to devise
one which will be sufficient for defence, and
without danger TO liberty. The wise and patri
otie trainers OF our State and Federal Constitu-
tons have hit upon the happy medium, which,
u, II be not departed from, viii, as long as we
are united people, with our peculiarly favor
able geographical position, secure to us and our
latest posterity the blessings of liberty and peace
This happy medium gives 10 the General Go
yernment moderate permanent force, sufficient
10 garrison our forts, and form nucleus for an
army adequate TO the emergencies Of war, and
places The chief reliance for the enforcement of
the laws, the preservation Of order, and resist
ance TO the first burst of war, upon the militia,
and gives that militia to the States. Its officers
are TO be appointed by the States-it is TO be
trained under the authority of the States-and
neither the President, nor Congress, nor any Off
Ger of the General Government, has an iota Of
power over IT, save only in time Of actual inra-
sion, rebellion, or resistance 10 the laws. For
the sake of uniformity, Congress prescribes the
discipline in which they are to be instructed
The militia are not TO be used as the means Of
conquest, but defence only NOT TO invade others,
but drive the invader from our own borders.
Instead of being composed of the idle and
dissolute, men upon whom society has no ties,
the ranks are filed by substantial citizens; in
stead Of being reduced to that abject obedience
which is the chief merit Of mere soldier, the
men are subject TO no more restraint than is
sufficient for moderate degree of instruction ;
war is not their trade after brief parade suffi
cient TO keep alive military spirit and give some
notion of the first rudiments of tactics they re-
turn 10 their ordinary employment and the Boz
som Of their families. Those who have hither-
TO turned their attention TO this subject differ im
the degree of instruction and discipline which
il is necessaryto impart to the militia Military
men (as might be expected) have favored a
high standard, but none, save Mr.. Van Buren,
have ever dreamed of changing the essential
character of the militia No one but he has
proposed TO leave the great body of our citizens
an unorganlZed, uninstructed, and unarmed,
mass, and substitute body Of rolunteers which
must and will be drawn from the dregs of the
People. He alone has dared to propose TO take
the militia from the States and transfer them to
the United States, in other words, TO himself ;
and by thoroughly drilling them" by his off,
GERS, teach them the duty of obedience" as
that duty is understood by military men, So
long as the system, so wisely framed by our an
cestors shall be left untouched so long as our
reliance shall be on the citizen soldier, and that
citizen soldier shall belong TO the States, and the
power Of the General Government and the cleo
tive monarch at its head, shall be limited 10 such
a regular force as we have described the Presi-
dent may seize the public treasure, with il he
may corrupt the nation, but if there be wisdom
and honesty enough left to withhold from him a
strong military force he never can conquer our
liberties. Let US return to MIR. Van Buren, and
see how far his plans for militia force" quad
rates with the genius of our institutions, the
Constitution of the United States, and the safety
and preservation OF our liberties.
Mr.. Van Buren, first met the Congress of the
United States at the special session of 1887.
That session was called for the single purpose
of passing the sub-Treasury bill. His message
is, therefore, principally occupied with that and
kindred subjects. During that session, however,
the Senate, on motion of MIR. Linn, adopted a
resolution calling on the Secretary of Udr
(not the PresdenD for information to be given
to the Senate, early at the next session. in regard
to the defence and protection of the ,eestern
frontier &c &c. On the 30th December follow
ing, the Secretary responded to this call, not by
report to the Senate never communicated 10
the President as he says in his letter to Mr..
Richie was the practice in all such cases; for
we learn from the message of the President that
he had, as in duty bound, superintended the Sc
cretary when he was preparing his reply to the
call Of the Senate. In that message, which pre-
ceded the Secretary's report by twenty five days,
he speaks of the report as one which "anH De"
submitted, and recommends the plan for defend
ing the western frontier as one which may be
advantageously adopted as general arrange
ment of the whole militia of the United States"
In that report the Secretary (aft,r stating, in
detail the military works and regular troops ne
cessary for the defence of the arestern from
tier) says: 6 would recommend, as an inn
portant auxiliary to this system of defence, the
organization of a sufficient volunteer force, to
be raised in each of the frontier States; the men
to be mustered into service for certain term of
time, the officers to be appointed according to
their State laws and to be instructed certain
number of days in each year by the regular Of
fcers of the United States army, at the posts
within the States. and to receive pay during that
period In this manner a sufficient corps of Off
GERS may be created, and body of volunteers
be at hand to march to the succor of the Dor
der settlers, and repel the invaders, whenever
they are called upon BY the proper authority"
This plan of the Secretary's was bona tide
scheme for the defence of the western frontier.
He proposed forts and garrlsons, and kind OF
minute men 10 be raised nthe frontier States as
an auxiliary force The only difference between
them and the troops IN garrison was the mode OF
appointing the officers, andthe period of service
one being on constant duty, whilst the others,
although '.mustered into service" We're only put
on acutual duty occasionally, as the exigencies
OF the couniry might require. They were sol
diers, as contradistinguishe from militia, and,
Ii any doubt remained OF Mr. Van Burcns views
this point II would be removed by his late letter to
MIR. Cary and others In hat letter he says Nor Is
believed that they would IN general be properly IN
Srltcted and disco tined unless they called on;
whether this be done without violating the Con-
sution, he thinks doubtful. IL is (says he) but
lately that my attention has been particularly drawn
to this subject and there doubt that the great
men to whom | have alluded Jefferson and Jackson,
Nc conempatel an orGanizl alton Of the mlhno, and