Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1841-12-09
For tic .Adrcrtiser.

cOutu CcrDilDa; tue ouly OOstdcic W ito
accomplishment is. what shall be the de-
tuils Of such au act tha, shall prescribe The
trhoie Lac on the subject. make the Milf
TIA nn efficient police IN peace, and an m
prcsnablc defence in war, aud secure the
stabil;Iy OF The system. The embarFass-
uicuts in its execution arc notio DC COM
pared with the difficulties encountered aud
over come on the Organization: our nn-
ces,ors had To create a code; sc have mere.
ly 10 reform it; they had TO invenl; We
have 10 improve III they had nclther lights
from The ahcicnis, nor models from the
modcrns; we have NIL the advantages Of
their reflection and experience, added TO
the experiments that have been made in
our time. Once, this subjccr involved al
most innnmerabl- questions. from The con.
sruction of constitutions. down 10 mere pin
points of policy; the prescribing Of the re-
speciiye duties Of the officers from The high
cs, To the lowest. or that each might know
his proper powers, exercise his privileges.
anl al the same time be suhjec, 10 suitable
restraints ard responsibilities, presented
lIerculeuu task in the FIRST organization O!
our Miliia; and when nil circumstances
are considered, We must more admire The
cxrrllencics, than VIC can criticise and
condemn the defects Of tina. Act which es'
iablishcd au important rra in our Mill
iary history.
In such Republic as ours. i, was n work
of great dcicacy aud difficulty to draw a
line of ,lennrkalion between the safety
and security Of the private citizen and
their strength and firmness that ought TO
be pnsscsscd. and fenriess!y and faithfully
exercised by The Militia officer; il was i'm
mense labor to analyZe the details OF such
subject, aud scarcely less eiI1rt 10 gen.
eraIizc them into system, the combined
powers OF the microscope md telescope
were 10 be cxer,ed, so that The nearest aud
least object might not eiude attention, uor
,.l.o-s saasl distant aud The greatest might
OE' 'UGyUHd sfasp: s5s:rTs-srg1r- 1r-g<-rSsSsaSSsss
must, almost Of necessity, be the growth of
lime: they must be made aud moulded TO
suit the pcculiarities Of our position. md
Inc models Of Europe would no moro sui,
us than their monarchies; il could not be
expected thai Militia system should
spring Minerva.like fully ma'ured from a
first and single act Of legislation; hut GER
lanly half a century is sufficient for ex-
periments. and experience can now fur
nlsh us with abundant materials for the es.
lablishmcnl Of permanent system for the
future, until this country shall undergo
some great revolution in its institutions or
inhabitants.
The condensation of all the Militia laws
into one Act has, by some, hcen supposed
task 100 arduuus Tor the Legislature 10
accomplish in so short space as inter
vcncs between the consri uional time Of
assembling and Christmas. beyond which
session has never bccn (nor probably ever
will bc) pro,racted. A long bill is almost
always sure 10 he rejected, as il requires
no ordinary stock Of patience TO sil in "sad
civiIily," aud ar,en1veIy listen to all that
muy be said, as we'll as read, IN addition
10 the research aud reflection that ought to
be bestowed upon il. Much time and Ia
Dor may be saved by having bill! proper
Iy prepared, so asto exhibit. either by be-
ins printed par, in italics aud The other in
plain prri. as that the former may contain
what is new and proposed for adoption,
aud the latter such acts or paris ef acts as
are now Of force. whether substantially or
verbatim, (as it is sclf-rvident the phrase
oogy in many clauses ought 10 DC amen
dcd.)
This object may bc effected by the mode
Of marginal references In the different acts
from which the proposed bill may be ex
tracted.) or to The sections that il proposes
TO alter, amend or repeal; with This faeil
iiy Of fiuding The existing law, each mem.
ber can make the reference for himself.
aud can ,"ou receive The necessary infor-
nation that will qualify him to vote un-
dcrstandincly upon the subject.
|, is not TO be expected that any Que,
from mere memory, without memoranda,
indexes, or references. would be able to
eiyc all the explanations. and make the
prompt aud accurate reference to all the
Acls connected with the Militia. which the
dispatch Of Legislative business requires.
Others raise n more general objection. that
code Of Militia Laws will take many
years befure correct construction eau he
given by Judicial decisions as to The inien-
linn of the Legislature; and that therefore
it will only tend to make confusion
worse confounded." II this obstacle be
rermilted to overcome our efforts il will
soon become barrier TO all legislation. ms
il has for ages been standing stumbling
block to The revision Of Statute and Com
mon Law. bu, it is far from being as solid
rs i, is specious.
/, will be admitted that there is no Com
mon Law. strictly so called, contained in
the Militia Laws. they are all statutory.
and whatever prrjudices may DC enter.
,aincd against codifcarion in general. they
ought certainly not 10 induce the Legisla
lure tn surrender the subject in despair. as
impracIicabls or impossible TO be reduced