, 1840-10-24
THE ARMY"

Mr.. Buchanan recently delivered 4 very
able speech before the members of the dem
ocratic state convention of Pennsylvania, in
which he referred to the various misrepresenta-
lions which have been set afloat by the whig
party as TO the course of the present admin
istra,ion. Among these, and occupying a
prominent place, is the silly attempt TO eX-
cite prejudice against Mr.. Van Buren, for
what is jesui,ically called his standing ar
my project" This raw-head and bloody
bones, Mr.. Buchanan efIectually uses up in
the following remarks, which we beg every
impartial reader to peruse:
From every whig orator in the land, we
have heard it over and over again reiterated
that Mr.. Van Buren has attempted to estab-
lIsh a standing army of 100000 men. On
what does this ridiculous charge rest! On 4
plan or bill reported TO congress al the last
session, in obedience TO the request OF a COM
mitiee Of the House Of Representatives,, by
Mr.. Poinsetl, the secretary Of war. Now
the first striking fact connected with the sub
ject is, that Mr.. Van Buren, not only did not
approve this plan, but was ignorant Of lis
existence. In the emphatic language Of the
secretary himself. "with it or It's details he
(Mr. Van Buren, had nothing to do."As Is
the usage in such cases. il was sent 10 con-
gress awith being previously submitted to the
president" 1t is, therefore, emphatically and
exclusively the plan Of Mr.. Poinseett, and
not of Mr.. Van Buren,.
But what is this plan! There are at least
one millions five hundred thousand men in
the United States subject to militia duty, and
probably not much. If any. less than two mil
H. II Il. 49, =. ,.,. -r--aEal -.
Mr.. Poinsett to take one hundred thou
sand men, between twenty and ~thlrty-seven
years Of age, by draft or by volunteerinc.
or one man in every fifteen, which should
constitute what the secretary calls the active
or movable force. This force was TO be
organized into companies and battalions. and
one-fourth of the whole number, say $4,000
men, TO be determined by lot, was TO pass out
OF the active force into what is called the
reserve or sedentarv force, which was also
to consist OF 100000 men. Under the sys.
TEN in complete operation, twenty-five thou
sand men would pass, each year, by draft or
volunteering. from the mass OF the militia In
TO the active force; the same number OF men
would pass, each year, from the active into
the sedentary force; and the like number
would return, each year from the sedentary
force into the mass Of the militia from which
+ they had been originally drawn. Each Of the
militia men thus drafted was 10 serve four
years in the active force, and was to consti.
tu,e n part of the sedentary force during four
wears longer. IL was 4 new denomination
BY which TO call a grant, division Of the
, standing armv-that of sedentary corps-but
never was name better applied. This divis'
ion Of the grand army are literally TO sit still,
having perfected their military accomplish
ments during their first four years service
in the active force. They are not to be cal.
led out even in defence of the country, I'm
Ill the active force shall have been exhaust.
, ed. At one fell swoop, then, one-half OF this
grand army Of two hundred thousand men
are annihilated!
Then as it regards the remaining 100000
men of the active force, what duties had
they to perform? The United States was tc
[ be divided into convenient districts; and the
r president was authorized to assemble such
numbers of them as he might think proper
!, within their respective districts during, {
period of not less than ten, nor more than
=. Mirty daus, during ,rhich they uerc TO receirt
| pau for the purpose of Instruction. discipline
. and improvement in military knOrledge.-
This, | pledge myself TO you. is substantially
, the plan. the whole plan, and nothing but the
: plan. of Mr.. Poinsett, SO far as it proposed
! to make any change in the existing law
This is the standing army, not Of 100000
Y but OF 100000 men, scattered at varlou:
4 places over the United States,for the pur
t pose of improving themselves in the military
art; and that for a period not exceeding thir
r ~ DAYS, in each year. and this the wing
proclaim to be portentous to liberty. W.
$ have been told that these sons were to rise
up against their own children; and were &c
= destroy their own liberties; because they
e were to be assembled from ten to thirty
days in each year for the purpose OF learn
i ing how to defend their country. And 1t y
out of this miserable material that the whig
would manufacture a panic, and induce TIN
e people to believe that the president desire
e to establish q standing army Of 100000 mel