Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1840-01-09
s.yNCsinuRG. JANUARY 0, 1sAs
Report Of the .secre,cry Of War.

|
sequence .inasmuch as the more imporan, portions
Of their contents are embraced IN the Presidents
Message. The following paragraph from the Re-
port Of The Secret airy Of War, Mr. Poinseti. Is not
however alluded TO by The President; and as we re-
gard il Of no lillie Importance We beg leave
to invite public attention TO II thus particularly
1T is proposed 10 divide the United States into
eight military districts. and TO organize The militia ~
/ each district. AZ To have body OF twelve thou
sand five hundred men IN aoiVe service; and anoih-
" Of equal number as reserve. This would give
an armed militia foice Of two hundred thousand
men, drilled and stationed. TO be ready 10 take
/ lhrlr ranks in defence OF the country, whenever
cdted upon oppose tie enemy or rrpel the inva-
der. The age OF the recruit to be from twenty 10
thiry seven. The whole tenn Of servive 10 be eight
wears ; f1nr years IN the first class and four years
I III the reserve. One lonnh pant, twenty-five thou
sand men, 10 leave tie service every year. passing,
the conclusion OF the first Term. INTO the reserve,
and exempted from ordinary militia duty aliose,h'
er al II e end OF the second. In this manner, %
900 men will be discharged from militia duty ev-
efy wear aud twenty five Thousand fresh recruits he
received ipto the service II will be sufficient Tor all
useful purposes, that The remainder OF the militia.
under certain regulations provided for their govera-
meut be enrolled aud be mustered at long and stared
intervals; for IN due process oi time nearly the whole
IL militia will pass Though the irst ana Sc
nd classes, and be eilher members OF the active
corps, of the reserve. or counted among the tx
empts. who will be- liable to he called upon only IN
| pc oJs OF INVASION imminent peril. The manner
o enrolment. the nun Der OF day o sIvce, and the
rate of compensation, ought 10 be fixed by law; but
the details had better he left subject 10 regulation
plan OF which am prepared 10 submit 10 you"
The last sentence Of Tins extract, as well as the
phraseology Of other portions Of the paragraIh. in
which The militia are described as being in ''actire
serrice," as ..rtcruits &c. show that they be
under the control as well in the pay Of the gene
raj Government Aud, as Il 10 invest that govern
ment wh sui wider range OF authority over the
military power f the country, il is asked thar the
"details" OF this grand scheme may 'be left subject
TO iegulaoD'-ty Tie President aud his War Sc
crea,y OF course. Among these - deiails.' we
take II for granted is the appointment Of officers
at least those Of The higher grades. since that is
one of the parts Of the machinery which we are
told Fought 10 be fixed by law" We do not be-
lievs that this mammoth preJet OF augmenng Ex-
eouiiye Patronage and Power, by putting he Pres-
dent the head of200 600 equally divided be-
tween eight grand military divisions, will, for the
present least, fluid much favor. even With many Of
ihose " no are nothing 10th 10 decorate the as
yet comparatively har mless SwOrd-nll with the
Public Purse. But as we should have been equally
! ncfedulous three years ago, if any man had then
told US HAT the entire Administration parry would
this Time have been in favor of placing the whole
treasury in tho Presidents hands, tor what is the
same ding, into The hands OF his officers appointed
and removable by him at willy we are not over SAN
guIue 10 the fidelity Of ouf preseniayes to the
interests Of their constituents. 10 the watch.
tulness Of HE People then selves against the adop-
ton Of measures which cannot but be detriine Ia!
to their prosperity and dangerous TO their liberties
/ With the Sub-Teasu,y in full operation. and 900
QUO militia transferred from the control Of the State
to the Federal Government, what limits can ina ina
ton Sci TO the patronage of the President, aud 10
bis abllily, by me ms # that patronage, to subdue
public sentiment TO hi. sovereign will +! Corruption
and Force will be by luins employed TO pur.has
The 'ena and TO overa"e the patti ,iic until. al
though the forms OF our free institutions may re-
main unaliered then vital spirit will be smorhered
! under mass OF CO rtuptIUn. and The efforts Of The
people 10 ilruw off the yoke will be successfully re-
sstedby bands of armed mereenaries. seduced from
their allegiance 10 the States by the gold OF modern
/ Caesar.
/ Again: However plausible this proposition Of
the President. Though his Secretary OF War, ma,
be,-ho"ever skliiully the poison may be susared
over-ilere tan be 10 doubt, with any man who will
carefully dnalyze il, thai is substance, a projet
Tor The augmentation OF the Standing .frmy, which,
afraid openly suggest, the Secretary approaches BY
ihrs cncuuous mode Large standing armies. in
time Of peace, have always been vehencnlly opposed
by the Rtpubl ran party. as contrary 10 the genius
and hazardous 10 the very existence of free govern
rnens. Yet, we confess, it will not be yerg strange
10 see his old canon Of Republcanism reversed by
the s'h-slyied Democratic Republican State Ri ehis"
Of the present day. IL was formerly an article of
the Republican creed that Tie Representative
of the people are the custoIlans of the peo-
pes mone, but now, we are told, land The late
President Jackspn's Protest is our authority \ that
ilis Is moi the true reading OF the constitutions and
that The Erccufire Is tie eonst u onal holder of the
purse-stings 1t will certainly not he more strange
Il We should now be- told that large Standing Armies
are the chef support OF the Republican edlicc, and
that The transfer OF authority over the militia OF
winch these standing Armies are to be m,osed
rom the Stale to the Federal Executive is the su
rest guarantee for The preservation and defence of
Stale Rights
Even II there were no other objection TO this
IN hsuons scheme, We beg leave to ask, il this a
time TO think Of augmentins the expendi,u,es
oil the government, by keeping 200 600 m,Iui,
III pay Is this a sample ofthal new born zeal for
economy abou, which the President talks 8,
"'eh and So Loudly, but Of hich lie furnishes The
country WITH no practical illustrations When ~.
are 'o'd NAT The expenditures Of The government.
In.