The Arkansas banner., 1846-05-19
THE MILITARY STRENGTH OF TIE
 UNITED STATES.

It has been often, said we have no soldiers, that many, even our own people, who are timid ia their feelings, superficial in their observations, have almost come to believe it. To stranger to the peculiar genius of our institutions, and the true character of our people, who looks, alone, to our lite nucleus of an Army, and our unorganizad Militia, il may, very naturally, seem that we have no military power-ssao soldieIs.i
 Indeed, in time of peace, which it is the policy, the pride, and the happiness of our country 10 pre- serve, we hdce no soldiers-and what is far better
 we aeed none. Way shoald we' Except when some aspiring, infatuated, foreign nation respas- ses upon rights abroad, or inVades cur soil at home, what need have we of 8 large Army-what need of more than little nucleus oi a few thousand men' In other governments, indeed. where power is held by the few, by force at the expense of the
 man', claw and order''-that is the law and order of tyranny and oppresson-are, necessarily main
 taiaed by the strong of military Iotce-of paid soldiery. The peope-the great masses made "hewers of wood and drawers of water," and heayi-
 y taxed, by the lordly and usurping few, be re- strained from the exercise of their rights, only by the splendid pageantry'' of standing Army, which claims the privilege of robbng therpocllets, for the pains of rYetting their letters But in this country how different! Here, all power resting with and exercised at will, by the peopie themselves there 3 nothing to fear from popular resistance to the Laws, or the legitimate authority-not of rulers, for We have none, but of agents, who employed by the people, are responsible to them, and may be dismiss ed from their service whenever they do wrong Here, then the right and the remedy both being in the hands of the people, they, at one and the same time, serve and defend themselves It is not at home, then, nol in time peace, that we need any more protecion orang better safe guard, than that which is afforded by the Laws we, ourselves have made. But let ucr erect her ahhorred crest in menace of our rights abroad, or our sacred soil at hone-and how changed the scene, from one ofcan, quiet, and the repose of peace In moment, the blow is forsal1en for the rifle, the spade Tor the spear, the sickle for the sword! And where, yesterday there were, indeed "no soldiers" to-day there are hun. dreds, thousands-nay millions of men--clear head- ed, strong armed brave hearted men, who love their country as their mothers or their wifes and, rush ing to her defence, ready fl need be, to queneh the fire ef the enemy with the last drop ofher eager blood ''No soldiers!' No! In the .spipns times of peace' We have no soldiers; for We need none
 But in war, 1ge gre oil soldiers. And though. like Cincinnatus, every man may prefer the blow; yet. still ike tie old Roman, when his country calls him. he is ready to exchange ii for the stefncr implements of the camp. Let not foreign nations, then, deceive themselves, as they appear to have been doing of late, to our real stiengh by looking alone 10 our seeming preparation. Let them not suppose that our only military force consists 6 litt.e Army of eigAi tAoasaad men, or dozag@of of armed ves- sels. Let them. rather ascertain how may VOTERS there are in the United Sates--whch we assume ta he Tieo millions 9f aeR, and then tae whole number oi ships, Bngs, Sioops, SchoeHsfs, sl Steamers of every size and character. to De .afad in our eon- merci'il as well as military m4rine-togeiher with their fal' nd effective armament. When they have done this, they may know, but not befafe, m what consists our military and naval powef-tae true ex-