Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1842-10-15

it may be scouled Va novelty, or an inno-
walton upon pre"onreived and established
usages, we shall offer FIR precisely wh t it
is wor hand that IL, its consideration.
Much is detained in AMI out Of Com
gress upon the alleged abuses that are per-
petrated IN and br the army DiS'ingI s'.-
ed and experienced members oi the pre-
sent Congress, represe tIng The most en-
lghtened and p pulous sections Of the
union, have lately avowed IN their places,
that, having regard only To the rights aud
interests and opinions of their constituents,
they were rea " for an entire an. imme-
date disarmament of the whole army es-
Enlistment. Coming events cast their
shadows betore'-and il requires no seer
to predict that, unless the army as fix
ture, can he greatly modified and improved,
and rendered more acceptable 10 the
sovereign people," il IL assuredly des-
tined TO an early dissoluii n. Its officers
and soldiers, must neither be educated nor
permitted 10 entertain the sentiment, that
by any tour of service thew become IN.
fitted to earn their subsistence in another
vocation. 1t is only such as were never
fitted for the army, who are THIS untitled
in it.
In view of the dangers to which the pre-.
sent establishment is exposed, it is belev.
ed that a new organization may be de-
viseh, which, AT limited m ,xinnm in
peace, o. 5000 men, wrlId adapt il TO he
feelings and wishes of The people, and
make it every where within its sphere of
existence, IA pnpu ar adjunc, and n 'cleus
OF our whole military org ,nlzallon, State
and Federal. The scheme we propose
differs rnn every other previ ely sug.
gested, in that it contemplates II sort OF
direct copartnership with all the States IN
establishing and preserving an army eff
cient for good, AMI prwerless tor evil. FIR
the sake OF hreviiy in the illustration, and
simplifying the argument, we will sup.
pose the twenty.six Stat Of the Union
were nearly equal in size and population,
and tina, each IN itself formed separate
military district. That being the case,
S, % men equally distributed throughout
The whne, would give about 30, or
smrll battalion to each. Now suppose
each State is called on To furnish the quota
required tor duty within lis limit, OF na-
tive citizens, youthful in age, and the term
of enlistment in each district divided into
several periods,--say those OF IL To 25,
for three years--those of % to 80, for two
vears-and those over 30 for five years.
By classify ing these quotas in the order Of
their ages, aiiainments, and wishes, and
embracing with their military instruction,
Il department of common school education
I-lheir officers the teachers,) the army
might become, as it would certainly, an IN
sirument of utility, in the advancement Of
general intelligence, and the prini pIes Of
civilization amidst an humble but not m
important class of our citizens. The army
| might continue Ia receive It's 9TH erS from
the military academy, rs here,oOre-but
il might under the general plan at which
"A mere outline, on y, is here skelchcd, dis
pense with large part oi lis present staff
relaliOns--aad the whole organizaiion, in
GLIDING the academy, might he so CONSOLE
dated and brought within such limits as TO
render it more consistent with the spirit ot
our political institutions, an temperate,
frugal, and industrious, as a small but al.
ways expensive appendage to our G"-
vernment. But the idea If keeping W "a
standing army of ten, fifteen or twenty
thousand men, in IA free country, where
the people en- mdSSe r,le themselves,
me RELY in anticipation of Indian disturb
ances, or because i: may be rumored that
some foreign Slate envies our national
prosperity or because II rewards an
sustaIns certain number of worthy 9TH
GERS, who, it is alleged, arc not qualified
for the ldborious pursuits of civil llie-is
all utterly absurd and prepos'erous. As
to the savages Of the frontiers, it is only
necessary to remark, that, in the hands OF
the neighboring settlers, the pioneer hun
tiers, and the nearest militia, the pugna-
city of the red man has always been most
readily subdued and controlled. Brad
docks celebrated defeat-St. Clair's re-
pulse-and that last and most exlr iordi-
nary of all episodes in cur history, the
Florida humbug-requiio only to be con-
tras.ed with the early colonial Indian wars
nf the Eastern and Southern States, and
the more recent triumphs of Gen. jarkson,
where the militia were the exclusive de-
fence--and the demonstration is complete
and irreiragable, that the BODY Of the pen.
pie always succeed hest in g fighting their
own battles"
One of the arguments employed by the
advocates If an increase of the army, and
th,se WIN contend that the present large
establishment ought not to be reduced, is
that our exposure to attack from abroad,
| requires The exus:en:e o. such fnrce Z"
repel il, and to ensure the Tranquility OF
the country. Now such views and pre-