Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-04-10

.,. &c ;t;,ens n which he belongs. 1t will, on the
contrary strengthen the defences OF each STATE, oy
furnishing it with well organized ana wen
force taken from the people, and making part OF Tue
neople equally interested with their ieli"wcitzehs In
the preservation of free institutions, and ready Ut an
times to guard the territory and The liberty Vi 'hesi
country Neither does IT Interfere, IN any haii'e'
with The constitutional rights OF the States TO tram
tb; nun militia according to the discipline prescribed
hr Congress because the active militia VIII be employ
ed by the President during the period they are
ing for warke service in tue garrison ana IA ''e ~
And while the States have all the advantages which
may result from we'll organized and disciplined h
-; tboy will NJ the same time, be exempt from The
losses osnenses and evils which follow, necessarily
from the assemblage of large muitituoes i'i NIX.
nominal military instruction IL IS 10 Dc eo"siau
also that portion of the militia are pro'iueu w" II
portu mites for the attainment oil the essentials VI '
t,r, Lnoredgc: and at the same time that they reeVc
the remainde from an onerous anu useless o"ia,"
they themselves will not be oppressed oy an u,uue
amount of military service being required OF mem; out
on the contrary by comparing the time wh'ch unaer
Tho nr.sent system is devoted to that object, It wall be
fonnd that there is but very little additional service
anv rconircd and for that time they VIII We suc'sht
ly co,npcnsatcd. The compensation contemplate" y
adeouatr under good administration OF the laws pro-
nosed which are to be made uniform IN uleif ap
pplic,,,on by regulations to be issued by the IRE
s;deu, So as 10 prevent any expense TO The cit|eh
who is thus called out; though 1t may n"t ris', IN
amount 10 the sum which his pursuits III social ne
m; IN, afford The total amount required 10 ltcoih
nense The militia be called out for exercise VIII DC
iranr when compared with the loss OF time expert
enccd bv our fellow citizens under the present imPer
ac land of the serious evils 10 WHICH 'hc
you,b Of the country exposed by the frequent al
tennis now made 10 mpart to thelh very lhPei"e
knowledge of the dntes of the soldier Inc suhlonea
nlan will it is believed, tend to dmlnlsh II not ehlfey
remove such evils and will also, by engineering an
.sny;t da corps throughout the militia OF the several
districts elevate in the mind Of every c',zen The cha
r,c,er Of the duties which he is required TO perform,
and thus make more certain the results which are hoped
for BY this system of military precauton and defence
In preparing the details the proposed
of the militia of the United States have been govern
ed bv an earnest desire place the country 10 an at
,itudc of defence and, at the same time, to secure II
from the necessity of maintaining al any period large
standing army 60 render the militia effective without
withdrawing too large number OF our ieliow-cu1ehs
from their occupations nj any one tme and TO di1use
throughout the community generally some knowledge
of military service without taxing the treasury 100
heavily All this appears to me, viii be erected ny
drilling during four years hundred thousand men,
for period not exceeding thirty nor less IMAM ten days
in each and every year. such times US may least M
ierfere with their ordinary occupations; ana or an
equal term, keeping that force so organized lha y may
serve us reserve ready to act IN cases OF emergency
doing in the meanwhile, ordinary militia au'y, SUCH
as is now required by law in the seVcfai s'"'cs. ne
expenses OF the system, which, II carried our, "oua
place the United States III an npTegnaoc sta'e OIL uc-
fence will not exceed 81 ,a62,U3 YEARLY u the maxi
mum number of DAYS for drill be adopted ey congress;
and as it is believed that ten days IN cach ana every
wear will prove sufficient, the annual expense VIII be
less than $500, 900.