Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1846-04-25

MILITIA OF TIE UNITED STATES
The London Times received by the schr
Rotner, in estimating the military and nava
power Of the United States, sets down the
number Of the militia at 1900, O00-this esli-
mate is under the ruth by udwards of one
million. The Bulletin of this morning men.
tons a report from the committee on the mill
tia. lately made To the hou o Of representa-.
lives, which estimates the number OF citizens
liable TO bear arms in the United States, al
nearly three millions. Some time ago, VIC
saw d report from a committee of congress,
which made the number of militia actually en-.
rolled about 100000. The number OF men
liable and able to bear arms, is considerably
greater.
That same London journal asserted that The
government Of the United States, in no emer-
gency that could arise, would be able to raise
an army ot regular troops of moro than 10000
men. Here this English editor has made a.
mother gross mistake. Thirty years ago, du.
ring the last wal with England, the regular
troops of tho United States amounted to no.
000 men, without including volunteers and
drafted militia in the service. The number
Of men regularly enlis'e ed for FIVE years or du
ring the war, wis 10000, and if hpstIlittes
had continued one year longer, that number
would have been do Jhted, or increased to any
extent that may have been deemed requisite.
When the news of the conclusion Of the trea-
" Of Client arrived ir~this country in The win
ter OF 1878, the American people were lust
beginning TO get into the spirit of the war
The campaign of 1914 had been eninently
successful by land aud water.
The British army had been r~epulsod from
Baltinore-the invasion of the northern part
Of the state of New York had totally failed.
Sir George Provost, with a greatly superior
force, comprising many regiments that had
served in Spain under Wellington, had beeen
routed At Plattsburg by a handful of regulars
and militia, at the same time That tho whole
British feet on Lake Champlain was captur.
ed, after a most sangihfary engagement.
These events occurred towards the close of
the year 1914.
The year 1915 opened with the glorious
victories of Gen. Jackson. If the war had
continued another campaign, not a victigc of
British domination would have been LETT in
North America. The American armies were
improved in discipline to such a degree as TO
equal any troops in the world. Success in
many a hard fight had given them confidence;
ttle war was usCohithB popular even IN New
England; aud another campaign would have
brought out the whole strength Of the country.
The British cabinet were well aware of the
existence of this state Of things in the United
States. In the historical article OF the Edln-
Annual Register for 1915, of which
Waiter Scott was the au, hor, there is an
intimation that the British Government saw
the great improvement that had taken place in
the American armies, aud knew that their
and efficiency were constantly in
creasing. Itis limited, also, pretty distinctly,
that the desire to prevent them from becoming
still more formidable; constituted a strong
reason with England for putting an end to the
war.
A wa with Great Britain at this moment,
be sustained with cheerfulness by the
people of the United Slatea. We see
n the last accounts of the proceedings of
Congress, that even john Quincy Adams
made a speech in favor Of the American claim
o nifty flour forty.
If four friend John Bull really believes that
he ability ofthis country to raise@a regular
force for offensive operations is limi-
ed to only thirty thousand men, he may wake
Up some summer morning, and, rubbing his
yes, find ont the grand mistake he has com
nitted.-From The Courier, 2.