Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1840-09-03
i NEWS 4 ", poIIrIcs. Sc !
From the Ncw York Courier and Enquirer.
THE STANDING ARMY.

/ REGARD 10 the standing amy scheme OF Mi, refs-
sgrr. The successor 81 Gen, JAcKsos, 60 far from
following the footsteps Of his " ilussrous predc.
cessor' and assuming az responsibilities, attenipts
to shrink from the responsibility OF measure pro-
posed 10 Congress by atnember Of bis own cabinet,
and strongly commended to their attention in hls
own annual message. Suppose that Gen, Jaekson
had attempted thus 10 avoid the responsibility Of
having removed the deposses.s Suppose that BY
any Of such miserable subterfuges he had put OF
from lis own shoulders the weight Of his great usur
pafions and abuses--he would have added mean
ness 10 guilt and bis career would have lost all the
character which il now derives from TIE reckless
audscily Of his vioien, and prosiiga,e measures.
4 Bat Mr.. Van Buren, manages his schemes by
proxy He uses the cats paw 10 pull the ehesnuis
on, Of The FIRE. lie never burns his own fingers
Mr.. Ponset Is turned up as the trump card OF this
MILITARY game; the whole business IL has thunder.
Mr. Van Buren Is IA innocent oi H. as the babe
bora Not only does he know nothing about Mr.
Poinsett's scheme ba, he pesds general ignorance
of military affairs do away with all suspicious OF
his having inte,.neddisd 10 this unfortunate ba-i.
ness Ia repI, TO the four CITIZENS Of Virgins, Who
| asked him few qnestuns and one in particular.
touching this scheme OF Air. Poinacti, he says -
:. Ny knorledg 81 military edgirsss eery limited"
I This We have aiesy suspected 70 he the esse snd
our surprise is that il fas been the aim VI Mr.
Van Buren, as Commander in Chief Of the Army
OF the Uaifed States, 10 ecqusint himself. ~ some
degree with The duties appefaining to that impnr-
tans brench Of the public service II had turned
his attention sonleN hat 10 the my and Navy. We
might haye been spared not htaie national disas-
| ter and disgrace he Florida War might have
been prosceutsd under crcua,stauces less dishono
rable the republic; with ,norc spirit and success,
| Ii with less piuader and peculation II he had bet
ter understood the spgit and Character OF the Ar
my we Should never have Witnessed the d,sgraeeiul
exhibition oi the Court Martial at Baltimore, that
was .ummoned to ny honorable and high-nnded
officers. for purchasing provisions ard supplies 81
s.nio traders. II be bad better understood the
spirit Of the Navy, should not have seen the OF
fetal organ Of the Administration sssaing our gal.
liant oisccrs as a gang OF i" Ceb5iers and IiRkers
| We should not have seen Commoio,e ELLIOTT,
repeatediymAiciing double The aamdsr 81 iashes al
| loieed b. the iam, ON American seamcn under his
command, and receiving as a reDard for ms con-
duet, f6sr gear pacetsoa, seHh fri pay for The
aoh0ie fssm. we cannos bui regret. therefore. that
| Mr. Van buren, is compelled 10 ct,nfess to such
g. very limited knowledge OF iniIitsry affairs, which
we cannot deny Whether 10 regard to the naval OF
land srrsice, but which is very much to be lament
ed, and which is EXTERN ~ disc editebe, when we
consider his position Comma ador Of the army
and navy.
| Giving him therefore, the full benefit OF an igno-
rance whca Is extremely discred,table, do not
by What process ha is escaPe from the charge
ofa specific recommendation Of seheme which h.
now pretenAs be saw. fhe never saw IL he
should never have recommended H. But after rs.
wing feconsne nds,i IL. the idea escaping from its
fe*pensbilif, on the plea that be never saw h. A.
quite prepestcrons. Besides, IL MASTERS little
whelher on not the President knew any ihing Of the
odnns scheme which he i compelled 10 fepu
dia.; gNoUeH FOR US rHAr HI ELkvATEp
TO OFFICE, AND THAT He RETAINS TX oFficEA MI
MISTER, WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF MOST DARING.
AND pRoYLieArK PRoJEcr, FOR EssLssiks THE
PEOPLE
how Car we may credit the rtrudiation by Nj
Vnn Buron of the project of Nh. PoinSelt, may be
inferred by sesding in connection the following ex
tracts from the las, annual message of tho Prcsi
dent aud the last annual report of the Secretary Of
War:
From Mr.. Van Buren's Annual Message, dated
December 9, 1889.
l. The present condition Of the dcfnces OF our
principal seaporis and navy yards, as represented
by the accompanying report Of the Secretary OF
War calls for the early and serious attention OF
Congress; and connecting itself intimately With
this subject, cannot recommend too strongly 10
your consideration, the plan submitted by hst eli.
for the organization of the militia OF the United
States"
9. I" The reports from the War. Navy, and Post
Office Departments will accompany this commune
carton, ard one from the Treasury Department viii
be presented 10 Congress in q few days"
From Mr. Ponse,,'s Reporl from The War Depart
| men,, dated November 80 1889.
| 3. " II Is proposed TO divide tbs United States
into eight military districts ard organize the MI
/ ta in each district 10 have body OF twelve
thousand FIVE bundled mon in active service and
another Of equal number a reserve. This would
| give an armed militia forco Of two hundred thou
sand men, drilled and stationed, as to be ready
to take their places in the ranks Ia defence Of the
| country, whenever called upon to oppose the enc
my OF repel the invader. The age Of the recruit TO
4 -. Al tt.rt. fafs
Of service 10 be eight years. four years in the frat
cluss and four 10 the reserve. Oar fourth part,
twenty-five thousand men. to leave the service ove-
~ wear passing, The conclIson of the fret term,
into the reserve, and exempted from ordinary mill
| iary duly altogether, at the second. In this man
! ner twenty-five thousand mon will be discharged
from military duty every year, and twenty five thou
sand flesh recruits be received into the service. II
will be sufficient for all useful purposes that the re-
| mainder Of the militia under certain regulations,
provided for their government, be enrolled and be
mustered at long and stated intervalsi for in due
process Of time, nearly the whole of the mill
tia will pass through the frat and second classes,
and be either members of the active corps or re-
serve, or counted among the exemp,s who will be
liable to be called upon only 10 periods Of invasion
\ or imminent peril, The manner of enrolment the
number of days Of service, and the rate OF conpen-
sation ought 10 be fixed by aw hut the details had
better be left subject regulation; plan OF which
am prepared % .nbmit 70 you
CASE OF LIEUT.. HooE - President Van Buren, 10
said 10 be more annoyed" at the bunder he COM
Matted in Hooe's case, than any circumstance OF
| the times But was il Jiander merelyf Did
not the private feelings Of the individual man speak
out in that case Was the sentence, { can
fad nothing in the proceedings Of The case OF Lieu
tenant liooe. Which requires my interference, q
betrayal Of The secret sympathy and nnavo~ed teet
ings Of the Pfesident2 Did i no, spring from the
same Abolition tendencies which induced Martin
Van Buren, 10 for free negroe suffrage in the
New York Convention. and which made him lea
ding advocate of the Missouri Restrictions Rick
Wing.
THE LOG CABIN BoYs In 1882 John w. Da-
Wis Q,, F. received majority OF nearly fourteen