, 1840-09-05

militia to execute the laws of the Union,
suppress insurrectlon, and repel INVASION
Inc militia force provided for these purposes.
oy existing laws. and which, to tender it eff.
tectlve, IS compelled TO be at all times pro-
vIded with arms, ac~coutrements, and amuni-
ton, and to be mustered and drilled at sta.
ted periods, and kept always ready for serv-
ice, comprises, with limited and enumerated
exemptions, the whole of the able bodied
male white population Of the United States.
between the ages of eighteen and forty five.
when 1t is Considered that the number OF
these. according To Official returns, exceed a
million dnt d half Of naen, and probably at
this period amounts to two nillionAthe i'm
mense, and consequently oppressive, excess
of The existing preparatory enrolment, be-
yond The possible wants of the country, must
be apparent 10 all. How far the existing
organization and laws passed by the States
IN pursuance thereof, have proved successful
in accomplishing the great object in view.
VIZ: the instruction and Improvement of citi-
zen soldiers IN military tactics, you are able
To Judge for yourselves. The results. were
a short time since summed up by the officer
before alluded except that the whole adult
pnpula!lon OF the country can. or will. !ur.
nl>h themselves with the articles required
10y law; or that their collection. for any nun.
her of days they can afford to devote To this
object, and IN Ter the usual circumstanc, of
such assembiages. can pro luce any bcnefi-
cIil effects to themselves ar their county,
Already, IN 4 nu nber of the States. the svs-
TEN has sunk under the weight of public opin.
I'm. ani Inc practical question now is, wheth-
er We shall remain, in fact, defenseIess. or
resort to a large standing military force in
time OF peace-Ihai just dread Of all free gov
ernments-or adopt an efficient plan, which
will prepare for the public defence the reai-
est f,rce at the least cost, and without dan.
ger"
To remedy the evils Of the present system, it
hls b-en repeatedly proposed TO reorganize
The militia in such mlnner as Ia red,ce the
number of men, who shall he fitted and al
ways ready To perfnrn the service cnntem-
plated hy Tho Constitution. say from the nun-
her of two millions to two hundred thnu~ nj.
and Ia paw the liter Il reasonable compen-
>arion nu' Of the National Treasury. IN o"ier
to re'nuneraie them for the increased hurlhen
thus imposed upon them. Several plans. to
elect this pnrpnSe, have. from time 10 time.
been submitted To congress. by sue ,esSive
Secretaries of War. commencing with Gen.
Knox in 1899, and with ,hat Of Mr.. Poin-
sets in 1910. That Mr.. Poinsrtt's is. in
several respects, preferable TO those which
preceded il, and is calculated d to effect a more
equitable disposition of the whole military
i"rce of The country. than any heretofore
presented. appears To- have been the opinion
Of the Committees of both Houses of con-
ureSs. The grounds of this preference are
iuily set forth IN the able Reports made by
their respective chairman, at the last session,
which have been published and extensively
circulated. and are stated as follows:
1st. 1t extends The paw, for the period
occupied in training, TO priuaies as well as 10
commissioned and non-commissioned officers, to
whom it was limited in the plans of others.
Cd. 1t introduces the principle of rotation,
by which the period during which the citi-
zens are engaged in training is diminished. and
the instruction they received more directly
impaired to the mass, and the burthens us
well as benefits more equally distributed
among the people.
81. In extending from enro|lmen, all be-
tween Is and 90 years of aye, being the
period of life in which young men are en-
pIoyed IN finishing their education, learning
IA trade. or studying the profession by which
they hope to obtain a livelihood. In these
preferences, | concur. In all other respects
the different plans are understood TO be sub
stantialIy the same. They are so with re-
gard 10 the authority of the officers over the
p~rivates, and the rules for the government of
all when called out for drill. They all pro-
pose that the rules should be those establish
ed for the government Of the army. The
existing law applies those rules to the militia,
when called into the service of the United
States. and has done So for many years past.
Mr.. Poinsert's plan does not add a single
penalty or new provision. There certainly
exists, to SOME extent, II pre- udIre IN The pub
lie mind against the application of the same ri.
cor in the discipline al citizen soldiers. who
are only called out for short periods OF serv-
ire. as that which is applied by all nations
to those who make arms Il profession. II
will be for congress to decide, aided by the
opinions of experienced military men, wheth.
er the discipline Of the militia, when called
into service of the United States, will admit