The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-07-07

US that viii be time enough adopt this scheme so
warmly recommended by the President after sufficient
security has been given to the free people of the
Uhled States that neither the present or any future
PRESIDENT Is possessed Of sufficient military talent
ambition TO make il dangerous TO place within his
grasp the means of obtaining power commensurate
with his will
We should be recreant to the cause Of human IL
perty II we blindy shut eyes to passing events.
by the Constitution the President is clothed with
powers which many of patriot sages of the Reyo-
uton thought too great to be trusted TO any
ms civil powers tie hundreds of thousands to him
artisans, who dependent him for office he is
,ne commanderin-chief of the army and navy of the
United States; the whole treasure Of the General Go
,ernment is, in fact, within his keeping and under
ms control and now, for the Representatives Of the
people and Of the respective States voluntarily give
hm the supreme command Of an army of 100000
armed men, would be surrendering the strongest il
not the last bulwark of the independence of the seyc
raj States and freedom Of the people
we are aware ofthe necessity oftrdtning militia,
put the authority Of doing this is reserved the States
respectively, by the constitutions and win heartily
JON IN any recommendation or legislation which may
be deemed necessary induce the several States TO
perform this duty. And while we this branch
oil The subject do not know any stronger authority
or more conclusive argument than is TO be found in
the report made by William Henry Harrison in the
year 1877 the ID session Of the 18th Congress as
Chairman of the Committee on the Militia when the
subject Of the reorganization of the militia was sub
united TO them: from which report make the fol
lowing extract
1T is impossible that any American can recur to
many OF the events and particularly TO the concluding
scenes Of the late war; without feeling that elevation
Of mind which recollection of his countrys glory is
calculated to produce There are however, others
and not few, that are emnently calculated to show
that immense sacrifice Of blood and treas ure can be
distinctly traced to the want of discipline in the mill
tia. The glorious result Of uncommon yalor or Of
yalor united with the advantage Of position suited to
their peculiar character. The greater part Of the
American militia accustomed from their early youth
to the OF fire arms are doubtless, formidable
than any other troops in the world in the defence of
line rampant. Victories in the field gained by
other qualities by those disciplined evolulions which
give harmony and concert TO numerous bodies of men,
and enable whole armies to with the activity and
address OF single combatants. Let militia be in
structed, and America would be equal to the rest Of
the world united, in contest. The improvements
which have been made in the art of war since the
commencement of the French revolution gave greater
advantages to invading and disciplined armies acting
against those of contrary character, than they pos
sessed before This arises from their increased ac-
tvity, produced by the great multiplication of their
light troops, the CELEBRITY of movement given to the
tiory, and, above all, to the improvements in the
staff placing the subsistence of large armies upon
footing of security beyond what was formerly sup
posed 10 be possible An improvement in tactics,
which gives advantages to the protested soldier who
fights for conquest, over the citizen who bears
only in defence of his country is, perhaps 10 be
grctted and alternative is left 10 the latter but to
perfect himself in the arts and discipline Ii is
believed that there is no instance record, of re
public, whose citizens had been trained to the use of
arms, having been conquered by nation possessing
different form of government. Small republics have
been overthrown by those which were more powerful
Saguntum, destroyed by Carthage and Numantia
by Rome. But it has been observed of those Go
vernments that their walls and towers became their
funeral piles leaving nothing to their conquerors but
their ashes
THE committee cannot conceive that any aspect
however pacific it may be- which the Governments of
Europe may for the present have assumed towards this
country, should be used argument TO procrast-
nate, even for day, any measure calculated to render
their future hostility abortve II cannot be believed
that any real friendship exist in the breasts Of the
sovereigns of that continent, for Government which
has been founded upon principles opposite theirs
and which, by the happiness it difuses, affords an
eternal satire and reproach upon their conduct What
eyer security there may be derived from their policy
certainly be expected from their forbearancc
whenever, from change OF circumstances, they may
think it proper to change their policy The liberties Of
America must then be preserved, they were won
by the arms the discipline and the valor Of her free
born sons. But the defence of country against a
foreign enemy does not constitute the only perhaps
not the chief motive of military improvements to the |
extent contemplated by the proposition are consi-
dering. The safety of republic depends much
upon the equality in the use Of among its citi
zens as upon the equality of rights. Nothing can be
more dangerous in such government than 10 have a
knowledge of the military art confined to part OF the
people; for sooner or later that part will govern
And again In General Harrson's report made in
the year 1919 at the I'd session of the 18th Congress
chairman Of the same committee, he says
The great difficulty to be encountered is the appli
cation of system of discipline military instruction
to great population, scattered over immense ter
ritory.'
The accomplishment of this object at once is evil
not within he nf tho To
instruct the present militia of the country any use
full extent would require larger portion Of their time
than they possibly spare from the duty of providing
for their families, unless they are literally paid to pay
them would absorb all the of the nation
The alternative appears to be- TO direct the efforts of
the Government to instruct such portion Of the mill
tia their means will allow and which would pro-
tlucc the most beneficial result upon the whole mass
leaving to the effects of another system the gradual
introduction of those military requirements which in
republican government, it is essential for every
citizen to possess.
These opinions, cmanaiing from man who is as |
well acquainted with the militia of the United States
as any other now alive, we look upon as entitled to
great weight and should receive the deepest consdcra
ton from those to whom by the Constitution, the
thorty of training the militia is reserved,
The undersigned believe the expense TO the Federal
Government Of the plan proposed by the Secretary Of
War would of ITSELF he insuperablc obj lection to
carrying il into execution they entertain the opinion
tHai, WHEN ihto pihe'tt, ~ WIZ NC iouhu
the Of 81 1872 093 the which the Secretary of
War calculates it will not exceed yearly if the maxi
number of days for drill be adopted by Congress-
will not defray than the expenses which
will ultimately fall on the Government
Ii these militlamen only paid eight dollars a
month each for one month in service, 900 men
will cost SS00000; the pay of the officers, with their
rations, forage, Sc and pay for their
and horses, will the balance Of is532 093 the
rations camp cquipage pay for the men gong to and
tha plo Off tlpyya 9th
incidental expenses which all men, practically acquaint
ed with the details of the expenses of army, know
to be great and ever increasing will more than doublc
the amount estimated by the Secretary of War and