Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-06-16

s,o,aj r,vn been offered, and some have been
acted urc !, while the most OF the"' nave i"e'' "''
quiet oblivion ,.o,
"A >, con,rnss and the country and the numerous sug-
,o,s NJ novel and untried experiments, made, 700,
nv very excellent and experienced men, II IS 'hp"sSi
Ma "a withhold natural CONCLUSION that lhcrc y great
and rene.al ndispositlon to couhteahce any measure
which assumes, in prospect, any attributes u le""
i , crca N time of peace. This patriotic sentiment
sbould he forever nurtured It argues hVey ehthu-
sas in personal liberty and proves thal ct'zeh sol,
d;r ora as confident III their knowledge OF the use OF
arms rs they are determined 10 u'st az,
ion ,ha, undertakes their ability TO d" military any
l, H. nccp sity such service IS required Inc DIS
,nction between standing army, and Tue orgah'lat"h
nc the militia which seems to admit difference, IS ho'
50 we'll defined to quiet the honest crcaa wh'cn
,,a;ncI AGAINST any special force constituted from
Ia ,lo nv law If the militia in peace are invested
,I ,be Qualities of a regular army, will they not be-
y effect The evil to be avoided and pregnant with the
cow. mischief. which is our duty to avert:
III President of The United States well says, IN his
~ .hat al. cannot recommend too strongly the
nb;cc1 "a oar consideration In tins he has followed
hc cxoycs of his predecessors, by all Of whom it has
| h, r,.,,rIed as second 10 none in Importance
In war the whole nation IS standing army whether
,oo;,y constituted not, and citizens vii! lack their
nsu, triosm they refuse to act until they know
under what regulations they are to meet the enemy
In nence however, the maxim of 'ceddnt arm"fosG
| should he remembered and practlsed. Our national
|
shirt and letter, opposed to the concentration OF h-
tprv newer and in effect, aims at preserving IN each
State of the Confederacy sovereignty that alone cias
The riu of training troops, until called mo service
under the contingencies therein dehned iHus, an en-
roInent seems the extent of organization; tue dstri-
hutton NJ arms in quotas the States, and system oi
discpljnc adopted by Congress- IN the enforcement oil
which the training specially reserved 10 Inc states,
the extent OF the authority ndisputahly conceded
IN the Constitution the General Government while,
| limo he | s
State in the Union Republican form OF Government,
and cannot impair the right of the people to keep and
hear arms nor exercise power to call form the M
tia unless TO execute the laws OF lhe nio suppress
| insnrrection, and rcpel inrasons.
From the very incomplete return OF the AdJutanis-
General under the of 1872 and l-O3 IT IS esti-
mated that the militia do not fall lar short OF one mn
lion five hundred thousand men, and that the number
Of stand of arms is about two hundred thousands and
Of ED pieces six hundred and seventy-one, of differ.
cnt cabrcs, distributed 10 the States mere is also,
by the act of lS0S annual appropriation OF Sz"ooo"
TO provide arms for the militia. The various systems
of tactics, from those OF Steubcn, which, until lS2o,
were enacted be used, down TO the latest compilation
of General Scott, translation from the French, have
been extensively circulated; TO what advantage how
ever, il is Impossible TO state.
The inadc0uacy of the arms, to supply the whole
number of persons enrolled is here APPARENT and while
i, might require from the Treasury more than Slo,GtO
600 10 complete the distribution, 1t cannot be C"uhtcd
that there are the possession Of The pco
ple and belonging to them, than could be required
needed under any emergency Every one admits that
the great arm of defence is the peopleye the question
or"What is organization and discipline: is one IN
which there are many differences OF opinion.
We look upon our Government as founded upon the
philosophical truth, that all men are equal, and which
of itself bcspcaks conconltan ability on the part OF
the people sustain The mass winch defends
The country also makes the laws and controls the
vice of those who, selected from among themselves,
administer the Government
Our Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe Jackson and Van Buren,, were selected from
the mass as commandments chei mostly Tor their civil
Qualifications and Of whom received any military
| instruction The present Vice Presidcn, far
mer and also of the mass who, ~ defence OF ms
fields and freside, voluntarily met the British mercr
naries and ruthless Indians and acquired cnvable DIS
tnction in offering his best blood IN the glorious cause
The Secretary of War, whose cl;vurv is every where
acknowledged, was also from the mass and yet what
prouder Illustration be desired of patriotism and
bravery than that he evnced as our minister in Next
CO. when, without any other protection from an ntu
rated populace than his confidence IN the emblem Of
his country, he earesSly unued the stripes and stars
10 their gaze and stood uudaunted under their magic
influence and protection Does not this evidence of
attachment the first principles OF our Government
beokcn sincere faith in the competency Of every CT
zen 10 assume his share Of responsibility IN main
tanning those principles without any necessity what
ever for distinct military education Has not the
experience of the past taught us to look upon the
militia aggregation OF cill2enS VINO nave as
semblcd without coercion, 10 effect whatever may
be required their hands in defending their consti-
tutiona and individual rights Have they not been
considered voluntary assemblagc, whose person.
nj interests required them To unite and oppose nva-
sion lei from what quarter s"ever: 1t cannot
be- denied that the people entertain aversion 10 any
kind Of CONSUMPTION for military purposes, unless an
cxigencv requires it. Even then they anticipate lis
action and perform their duties with increased arGnr
from proper estimate of what they to themselves
,ln,r In tpr
been held and acknowledged; and wherever the STATES
have sent their soldiers although by the rules oil dis.
cpne of the regular army OF the t. States they are the
last in ''prgccdcnce they have never been last IN
valor Nor have they lost their identity by being
merged in the regular army but the contrary they
have always been looked upon as citizens and desSnat-
ed bv the OF the States from whence they came.
The appeal The troops New Orleans, upon ever
memorable OCCASION fully establishes the fact that this
principle was recognized the address Of Gen Jackson
to them before the battle:
"Tcnncssecans Missssippans, kentuckians and
Louisianiaus!" said he 'bchold the enemy! You
| know what to do, and will perform it, The eyes OF
your States rest upon YOU. Your wives and children
offer their prayers for your success, and invoke your
efforts this day 10 promote the honor and glory of our
common country This doctrine also recognized
by Mr. Smith, Of the Committee the Militia who,
on the 9th of March, 1870 communicated 10 the Senate
ssthat if the States anxious for effective militia,
them belongs the power, and to thcn too belong the
means of rendering the militia truly our buiwark IN war
and our safeguard in peace and as they were unwilling
70 derive any powers 10 Congress not expressly given
hy the Constitution, nor necessarily incident 10 the
powers delegated, they begged to be discharged from
the further consideration of the subject In this prac-
teal detail Of popular feeling that clings 10 the rights OF
The States though the laws treat Of masses hav
ing local attachments, believe there is safety,
union, and strength 1t is protection from mill
tary dcspotsm; which all popular governments have
a natural tendency; and, while ii makes every man
soldier, teaches him that patriotism is the best
motive, and valor the best discipline.
The constant pursuit of military glory too apt 10
inspire fondness for usurpa;!on or conquest, while
those who are thus employed endeavor 10 improve it
INTO profession or follow it trade. In proportion,
therefore, as men invested with such duties no,
required hy any immediate sudden danger, they b"
come regardless Of the higher obligations Of good cit.
zcns and forget their rights in maintaining the suprc
macy of their corps promoting the elevation Of their
ambitious leader. Thus the Roman republic sunk into
notsm ,he love Of connty and the preservation Of