Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-09-29

nestle manufactures. They must form low estimate
indeed Of the understanding OF the people, who suppose
ItLcv can be induced to believe that Mr.. Van Buren,
would be puiltv of the wickedncss and folly of imposing
direct taxes upon them and thus commit political SUI
eide But shall not dwell upon the subject, as IN
tend to explain the militia humbug little more al
length.
From every Wing orator in the land, we have hcarc
il over and over again reiterated that Mr. Van Burer
has attempted establish standing army of 2O0,COl
men. On what does this ridiculous charge rest' Or
plan or bill reported TO Congress at the last session, IL
bedence TO the request of committee OF the House
Representatives by Mr. Ponsett the Secretary of War
Now the first striking fact connected with the subec
is that MIR. Van Buren, not only did not approve th:
plan, but ignorant of its existence In the emphatic
language of the Secretary himself, "wth it its de
tails he (Mr. Van Buren) had nothing to do" As j:
the usage in such cases ii sent to Congress- "wt
out being previously submitted TO the President. II
is, therefore, emphatically and exclusively the plan
II Mr. Poinse,t, and not of MIR. Van Buren,
But what is this plan: There are at least one mil
lion five hundred thousand men in the United States
subject to militia duty, and probably not much If any
less than two millions From this mass it pro-
posed by MIR Poinsett 10 take hundred thousand
men, between twenty and thirtyseven years Of age by
draft or by volunteering or one man III every fifteen
which should constitute what the Secretary calls the
active or movable force This force 10 be organ
lied into companies and battaons; and one-iourth OF
the whole number, say % 600 men, to be determined
BY lot, pass out ofthe active force into what is
consist ofl00,O00 Under the system in complete
operation, twenty-fv thousand men would pass each
year. by draft volunteering, from the of the mill
tia into the active force the number OF men would
pass, each year, from the active INTO the scdenary
force and the like number would return each from
the sedentary force into the OF The militia from
which they had been originally drawn Each of the
militia thus drafted TO serve four years IN The
active force and was to constitute part OF the seden
tarv force during four years longer IL a de-
Inv phi IN Hir,sp pT ms
standing armyhat of sedentary corps-but never was
name better applied. This division of the grand army
are literally to sit STILL having perfected their military
accomplishments during their first four years service
in the active force They not 10 be called out even
in defence of the country until the active force shall
have been exhausted. AT one fell swoop, then, one
half of this grand army Of two hundred thousand men
are annihateds
Then as it regards the remaining 100000 men ofthe
active force, what duties had they 10 performs, The
t. States was TO be divided into convenient districts;
and the President authorized To assemble such
numbers Of them as he mig think proper within their
respective districts, during period cj nat tsS$ han
Ten, mar Man thirty days, d"riag which Mey rere
pay far me purpose ct instruction, discipline,
and improvement in mdtary kHOwisdgc. This pledge
myself 10 YOU, is substantially the plan, the whole
plan, and nothing but The plan OF MIR Poinset, far
as it proposed 10 make any chang. IN the existing
law This is the standing army, mol "i 2luDOn, but
oi 100000 mon, scattered ii !acrS over the
United States, for the purpose :" improving them.
selves III the m'ry AT and thai Tor prri"d mol
exceeding thirty days, III each year, and this the
| Wings proclaim Ia be portentous 10 liberty. We
have been told that these raise mp against
their own fathers and the fathers against their own
children; and were 10 destroy their liberties; he
cause they were be assembled from ten thirty day
in each year for the purpose Of learning how TO defend
their country. And II is ont Of this miserable material
that the Wings would manufacture panic, and induce
the people /" believe that til" President desires to e..
tablish standing army of 2nnnnl in"n Ia u-urp The.
liberties OF the country What renders tins umbur
s,ll more arcicai and ridiculous # possible is, that
! General Harrison himself! whilst member of Con.
gress advocated and strongly urged the adoption Of
similar plan 10 classify and tram the militia. Nay,
more Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and
Jackson, have, during the last hall century, all recon-
micndrd similar plans Congress and tits subject has
been urged upon Congress: NiFonr ttmr$ by different
departments of the Executive Government, since The
adoption Of the Federal Constitution.
4 The principal reasons upon which these great and
good men, ever since the origin of our Government,
have advocated similar plan for rr-orranizing the
lila, are, that whilst the present militia system
! heavy burden and expense both 81 time and money 10
the people, they acquired but little useful instruction
the art of defending their country 1t was, therefore,
deemed by them to he wiser 10 classify and instruct
small portion OF the younger of the great mass,
and relieve the remainder altogether from the burden of
militia duty. Their recommendations, however have
never found favor with Conn. Reports wore
unanimously made against Nlr. / sgsrt. plan 10y Tn"
Committee on the Militia both The Senate and IN
the House: and if there single Democratic
Der of Congress IN favor of its adoption, know the
man. For my part, | was always opposed to it,
believing that the true defence of the country consists
in the brave hearts and strong Of the of the
people. Whenever danger is impending from Il foreign
foe hundreds OF thousands of such men will volunteer
to defend their country; and under the impulse of pa
triotIsm they will then acquire more knowledge OF The
military art in shorter period than they could do
in these camps of instruction, during time of profound
peace Besides believed that feature Of the plan
conficcd with tho Constitution. But this plan is
dead and buried, and its ghost is conured up by the
Wings merely for the purpose OF arlghting the timd,
and inducing them TO oppose u President who never
approved it, and of supporting candidate who has been
of the chief advocates OF Il similar measure.
! But am not yet quite done with General Harrison
and the militia General Harrison willis, n member of
the House Of Representatives and Chairman Of the
Committee the Militia, made report the 18th
January l-l7, which he reiterated at subsequent
SON. strongly urging the necessity of appointing mr.
ltary teachers, under the authority Of the FEEDER raj
| Government, TO instruct every male scholar Of the
proper aye every primary school throughout the
! United States III military discipline; whilst the more
scientific part of the art Of war should be commun'-
Gated by professors tactics 10 be established in all the
hi CHER seminaries Nonan except himself has ever,
10 my knowledge, suggested such mons,rcus pro-
position. inst consider il fora moment What vast
patronage and power would il confer upon the Presi-
sidcnt, To enable hun 10 appoint and pay military IN
S. Besides, the expenses of the people would be
nous. Such system ofeducation would soon convert
this country into military despotism. lie was wise
man who said, Let direct the sports and pursuits
If the children, and | will mould the character OF
the INTO any form please. Let all the male scho-
lars Of the country receive military instruction from
public master, instead of the games and plays to which
they accustomed let them be marched and counter
marched, with tiny muskes upon their shouldcrs-let
their youthful magnalIons be thus fired with visions OF
military glory and when they become men they will be
untitled for the peaceful and laborious pursuits of civil
life They would then he the fit and the willing IN
s,umens in establishing splendid military despotlsnl,
such as that Of the great Emperor Of France. Then
place able and ambitious General in the lreslden
tia chair and furnish him the very best materials
with winch 10 sibvcrt the liberties of his country In
addition thus, create splendid Bank Of the l. 3,
with a capital oi&eyeuty millions of dollars such a. The
Wings PROPOSE and 70" mry ~ :" -" '.' do,
when the power Of the purse and The sword, in the
hands of the President, will not be, now, an empty
name The Wings, in talking about MIR. Poinsct 5
standing army say nothing Of this vast project Of Gen
Harrison for converting us into military nation. 1t
would be absolutely startling 10 the Imagination, II IT
were not for Is absurdity and folly.