Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-03-19

large and expensive standing army be dangerous to IL
berry, it is on that account the more indispensable that
the people themselves be prepared to defend their
liberties and independence. "a free people, observes
Gen. Washington, the most judicious temperate and
practical Of men, sought not only to be armed, but dis
ciplined, which end uniform and wedigested plan
is requisite. We add very appropriate to the coca
sion the following short extract from Hume where he
speaks of the famous battle of Dunbar "1n this bat
tie was easily observed that nothing, in military
lions can supply the place Of discipline and experience,
and that the presence of real DANGER where men arc
not accustomed to it, the fumes of enthusiasm present
" dissipate, and lose their influence The Scots,
though double in number to the English, were soon
put to flight and pursued with great slaughter. But
as this discussion is rather dry, We shall terminate
our number of to-day with something which partakes
of the humorous and amusing. 1t is supplied by a
report on the organization of the militia by that H.
lustrous captain and profound Federal statesman, &C.
neral Harrison 1t is obviously the production OF
vain weak, garrulous man; and instead OF treating
this emncntly practical subject in grave and busi-
| ness-ke manner, it is replete with commonplace,
school-boy defamation, about the Greeks the Romans
and the Spartnns-Saguntum, Carthage, Numantla,
Marathon Platea, Cynocephee and Pydna-the Heiots,
the Campus Martius, the Gymnasia, DC, &c.He
beats all hollow Mr. Legare, who, IN hrs famous SUB.
treasury speech, had SO much 70 say apont ana
Lycurgus, and Darian polty, and black broth, and
iron money, and Pauus Elnus, and ST. Bernardo and
Cluni, and Citeaux, &c, &c-What fine thing II IS
to have learnng-but little common sense is more
useful The only portions OF TINS report ~nich are en-
titled TO commentator, those which coincide
with the views of the present Secretary of War
AS an example, we select the following passage
" The advantages of system that will bring into
the same corps, for the duties of the field, men OF
the same age and vigor and throw the burden OF
military duty upon that class Of citizens who would
be enabled to perform it with fewer personal sa-
crifices were the motives to its adoption The plan
of General Harrison is 10 pay and give superior train
ing to the officers alone-a allacious idea which has
not even the merit of novelty for, you cannot thus
give to officers the eye, the tone, the quickness and
precision of command, and trained officers without
trained men would be as inefficient as head without a
body. He estimates that the expense of training the
officers alone, according to his plan, computing the MI
ta of the country at million of men, would amount
at full pay some hundred thousand dollars less than
two millions" and at half pay to more than "million
and half of dollars per month"; that being the portion
of the year which infer he designs for actual service
or training
But this is by no means the most absurd extrava
CANT part Of Harrsons famous project. His own Ian
guage will best convey his IDEAS
GAS the important advantages of the military part
the education of youth will accrue to the community
and not to the individuals who acquire it it is proper