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

several topics involved in it, we propose
To consider, first, The Army or military re
sources-embracing The Army and Militia
under two separate heads,--the personnel,
and the material--and secondly the Navy,
under similar heads of discussion ana
statement.
In accordance, then, with the foregoing
proposition, we prreed to state that the
personnel Of the army consists, under the
existing Organizaiion, since the law OF
1888, Of 10, 80, of which number 735 ire
commissioned officers ot the line and staff
Of the army. OF this aggregate it is sell
dom that The service counts beyond ten to
eleven thousani-and the precise number
reported in the last annual return of the
Commanding General, (Srou, November
20, lS4l, was IL, 1854. This limited force,
dininutive as it may seem, comparing 1t
with the population and resources OF the
republic, is yet deemed too large for the
impov erished condition of the government,
and beyond the necessities of frugal
pence establishment. In fact, it is not the
policy'oi the federal government to keep
up any thing more than The nucleus Of an
army of hired soldierS--nor will the peo-
pie tolerate any thing more, whilst n" i'm
mlnent peril lends extraordinary pressure
to anticipated foreign aggression. No
free people with their eyes open, and in
tellects unclouded, can ever he inveIg ell
into the ruinous and hateful policy of en-
couraging the growth AMI diffusion of those
habits of indoenre, dissi patton, and vice,
which are the usual "Oncomitlnls OF the
idleness and despotism Of the camp. All
history teens with loudest admonltion 10 Us
as people, that il we desire TO mlint lin,
and are determined TO perpeluile the
mliniments Of those glorious institutions,
which we inherit from n intrepid and vir'
tuous ancestry, we, like them, must re.
solve always 10 " fight our own baitles"-
and naver tolerate for moment the impo-
cent and pusillanimous sentiment, that we
can hire any body-native lazz,r'ni. ar
foreign paupers and misrrennts- defent
for us mhut IRE can best defend and pro'eet
ourselpes. We gn tor the p ,lic> that t.
wolves u 'on, or rather, thu leaves with,
the body OF the people, the largest and
brpadesi responsibilities that are connect
ell with any and all of their inestimnble
righ,s of selt.gwcrnment. Aiming these
rights are those imperative obligations,
which demand rigid maintenance of the
public laws, ensuring the ma esty and well
fare of the body politc-and next IN i'm
portance is the privilege, which sho I'D per-
wade the public mind, with all the fixed
ness of an inherent, abiding and essential
principle, to protect and defend IN our ocn
persons, all that pertains to the liberty and
independence of our country. In efficient
lv conserving these great objects and du
ties, it well becomes US, and is indi' pensa-
BILE, that we should be always ready as oc-
casion requires, to go forth en- masse, and
with equal alacrity, whether it be to en-
force domestic security, or to repel and
drive back in discontinue, the hostile in
vader who dares 10 polute our soil with his
footsteps.
II such thing we're practicable, as Ia
induce four or five thousand native citizens
to Join the army--and this might be posi-
BILE under more Legitimate, consistent,
and complete army organization--it can
not be doubted by any one, OF liberal and
enlarged reflection, that such force would
be entirely adequate TO subserve all the
honest, straight forward, and Industrious
purposes of peace establishment. Such
force. too, so composed, instead of prov
ing band Of dcStructipes upon the public
resources and munitions of defence, would
prove itself actuated by homebred motives
Of patriotism, and it could never feel or
act Otherwise han in perfect sympathy
with the good order and welfare of the
community.
These, in brief, are some Of the reasons
with which we turn to the true, and safe,
and cheap defence Of free people-and
we do il in all the pride and exultaiion
which are inspired by the recollection, that
some Of the noblest, most bloody and sue
cessful, Of all military defensive emprises,
were achieved, b, citizen soldiars--the
national guards-tte militia--lhe com
monalty. This, in fact, is our only reli-
ance, for the obious reason, that no army
we are able To employ, upon any reasona'
bic system Of finance, would be competent
TO afford the slightest protection to our vast.
~ expanded and every where ex ,osed line
Of frontier. Already nave we experienced
during the vicissiiudes Of more than half a
century of national existence, that we may
securely rely upon our capacity TO resist
oppression, and repel invasion, success
fully; and when the naii"n rises in lis
might, and scorning the device that mean
" seeks TO avoid, or b> transfer 20 evade
the price Of freedom, goes forth, in the
nohle panoply of IA just cause, it is irresis
tibIe in power, and inexhauslioIe in re-
SnurCos