Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-06-19
No. l2.--yOLuME NXxyu.
fore the first Monday Of February annually

y lore the nrSt MONDAY oil fCDTi!ary annually.
The second section OF the act declares: Chat
crcry cifi-ra dHi ,Hroiicd in thu iia, Sh0uii be can
$taaty Pygridcd miM 0rRS, GccoutrcmStS and aR1g-
ai;on, a.rccqLyioHc direction II tie saiG The
otMay : 1872, before recedI iom and after he shall
he duly notified Of rs enrolment, &c.
Here was arecnactmcnt othr injunction upon every
citizen between the ages Of eighteen and oTty-tiyr
years with very few exceptions keep himself
slnI!y armed and equipped, at his crpeRSe accord
ING 10 the provisions of the act o.! ~ from and after
The day ne might receive notice OF his enrolment.
How lar the acquisitions OF these several have
been complied with by officers or men, or how far they
nave advanced the discipline OF the militia through
out the Union, or produced regularity and uniformity
~ The returns annually required, the experience
and observation OF The Senate will enable them 10
Judge. SO far, however, as your committee are
enabled 10 speak, they believe, if not wholly incf-
ccmt they have at least fallen very short of the results
contemplated rs evidence of the correctness of THIS
view OF the subject, find the reorganization and
better government and discipline Of the militia have
been, s;ncc, Of the standing themes OF almost
every Executive message, of many reports from TIN,
Department Of War, and of very frequent discussion,
~ Congress. II was subjec. Of almost constant sO
citudc with Mr.. Madison throughout his admnisra-
ton In his message of December ), 1910, he submit
ted It 10 the attention OF Congress in the following
terms:
! "Ihcsc preparations for armng the militia having
mus ial provided Tor Of the objects contemplated
ny Tue power vested 10 Congress with respect that
great b"!wa.; of tie pu.!c aify ii Is for their con-i-
dcra"n whether further Provisions are not requisite
for the other conto aplacd objects of organisation and
d,$cPnc 10 gave 10 THIS great mass Of physical and
moral force the efficiency which merits aud IS capl
bic of receiving, it is Indispensable that hcy should bo
instructed anal practScd IN the rules by which they
are to be governed. Toward IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of
this important WORK, | recommend for the considcra-
ton OF Congress the cxpcdrncv Of nstitufnr a svs
TEN winch shall. in Tie first instance, cnU igf0 tie ffid
Gtihc n"1ic olpcaSc, and IL: gwen time cortan por-
tons "i The commissioned and non commissioned Off.
| GERS.
After )c Than two years confluence of the late war
with Great Britain, strengthened IN his former mons
by experience rs he no doubt was, Mr MADISON in his
messng" oi September ~, l-li, again brought the sub
cct before Congress III tc following emphatic manner.
Il earnestly renew at t!;s time recommendation Of
such changes IN the system q" the militia, as by ca5SBG
and discpG"jng, tor the AMOS: promp. and active service
The portions mot Capable of II, viii give that great
Resource for th" public safety all the requisite energy
aud efficiency
After the close oEtIc war; in his message of Deem
Der ), lrl5, Mr. Madison referred The experience Of
that cvcnttul period and agar urged upon Congress
"such cia$Si fcGhoa and 0rg"iatioH of the militia
would clirctnalIy render safeguard of free
State. lndicailng his convictions that the existing
law required alteration and amendment he pressed
''the Importance of that skill in the Of arms, and
that familiarity with tho essential rules Of discipline,
which lr stately 'cannct be expected from the rcgu,
latons in force And, in his last annual mes.
SAGE o.! December >, ISIS, when Just about retire
th"t spirit Of patriotism which had distinguished his
long and cvcn.!ul public lie, he made fna! and any
ous appeal To the assembled representatives of the
ton, in which he warmly recommended s'rc.organI-
Hatiom i;hc militia in the following language:
'As subject of the highest importance 80 the nation
al welfare must again earnestly recommend to the
rIous consideration nt Congress Of he
mditd piaa hich lr iOrm jniD classes Gcrord-
i"g 10 IKE p,r9Gs Of 'c, or itSS Gd1pied 10 mdi-
| Mry serricsS. An efficient militia is authorized and
contemplated hy the Constitution, and required by the
spirit and safely OF free Government. The present
organization Of militia is universally regarded az
less efficient than It ought TO be made; and orgau
cation can BE- better calculated TO give due force than
classification which will assign the foremost in the
defence Of the country 10 that portion Of is citizens,
| 10 lis standard
Daring the same session, the subject of the rc-or-
ganzaon aad discipline Of the militia agatcd III
Congress- and on The IlI Of January, l-l7, elaho
rate report thereon made By Gen. Harrison Uhen
member Of tie House of Representatives from Oh")
as chairman of the committee TO whom 4 had been re-
icrsed. The most striking alteration lie proposed IN
his report "a system OF military instruction winci
die said) "should be enrrallcd and form part OF
the ordinary education Of youth. His views upon
that subject be understood by the following extracts
from his report:
CAS- the important advantages Of the military part Of
the education Of the youth Will accrue TO the commu
nifty, and not TO the individuals VIII" acquire H. IT -
proper that the whole expense OF the establishment
shoudbe borne By the public Treasury
That TO comport with the equality winch IS the ba-
SIS of our Constitution the organization OF the cslab-
lishment should be- such 10 extend without cxccp-
| ton, 10 every individual Of The proper age.
That TO secure this the contc mplacd military M
sructon should not bc given IN distant schools rSta-
lshcd for that purpose, but that should i"Fih hahcH
Of education IN every school within the United States
sThat corps Of military institutions should be form
cd to attend 10 the gyuuasc and elementary part "t
education in every schoo! m the > whsle The more
scientific part Of the art ii shall be communicated
/ hoo gigllt slIplt "a N
cr srninaricS.
Preparatory 10 the execution of this projct It's author
concluded his report by Offering for adoption rcsou-
ton, in the following words
"icsotrcd That the Secretary Of War be required 20
prepare and lay before this House, at the next session
Of Congress, :. plan for the military instruction Of all
the youth OF the United States, in the way which IS
best calculated for the purpose, with as little injury as
possible to the ordinary Of education.
1 What would have been the expense OF thus cduca-
ting all the youth in the United States, proposed,
no estimate 20 have been attempted or called tor
any thing sad IN the report 10 indicate The pro-
vision OF the Constitution whence the power IS De
ducrd But, If the number of youth amounted TO one
hundred thousand only, al an average expense Of TWEEN
~ dollars each per annum-which, including the 'ele-
mcntary schools and ..highcr Scmlnarcs, wond have
been very rcaSOuabichr expenditure Tor tins branch
OF military instruction alone wond have amounted 70
two millions Of dollars annually.
There is, however appended 10 the report estimatcs
Of the expenses of training the officers and srrgcans
Of The militia If The United States Tues" estimates
are made in the irst paccl On supposed number OF
one hundred thousand men, divided equally, a. nearly
rs nny be- into twcntv.iivc brgadcs. The committee
cstimitcd the expense Of training ciccrS for
month at Ill pay, OF trcpyErc bng0dcS or one hun
dred thousand men" at Sl1@,-5O And estimating
the wp!e ncd States miitta, then the total eXpcns'
Of tra!.inr tac officers alpnc Of the whole militia,
would b. sorc hundred Thousand dollars less than two
millions This is about 81 ,9Oo,oJo for training t"'m
one month IN the year.