The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-05-07
For the Voice of Freedom.
In time of Peace Prepare for War

For the voice OF freedom.
In time of Peace Prepare for War.
Nh. Editor:-Few maxims, human or
divine, have commanded such veneration
of Christian Governments as the one that
heads this article. To such an extent
have Great Britain, France, and the Uni
ted States followed the teachings of this
doubtful proverb. that their preparations
for war in time of peace, cost more than
the entire profits oftheir united commerce.
As the venerable name Of Washington is
made to father this maxim, let US refer to
him as the true cxpounder of it, during
his administration. Let US see how he
i" prepared for war in time OF peace
When that illustrious man acceded to the
Presidency, the country had just emerged
from a long, wasting war. The age was
warlike, and the moral power OF COM
merce, and of International intercourse,
facilitated by steam, had hardly come to
be felt as ligament of brotherhood be-
Tween nations. The Democratic princi-
pie had hardly been acknowledged as a
fixed fact in human government, and was
never more exposed TO be crushed out OF
existence, under the heel Of European des-
potism, than during the first years OF A
merican independence. The people were
peeled and few, and scattered over a vast
territory. They numbered scarcely four
millions, young and old, bond and free.
Powerful tribes OF disaf1ecled Indians sur
rounded the republic with a Gordon Of
dangerous foes. If military defences rem
der a nation secure from foreign invasion
or if q nation is most exposed when leas!
able or prepared to resist a foe, then at no
period of our national existence should
there have been greater preparations tor
war in time of peace, than during the adj
ministration of Washington. And we
NAV assume that none could have been
more deeply impressed with the import
ance of such preparations, than he and
his compatriots of the Revolution. MOI
can we suppose they withheld a dollar in
their expenditures for this purpose, from
any reluctance Of the people to vote ade'
quate defenccs for their country. W.
have no reason to believe that the Gov
eminent under him would have appropri
ated a larger sum to the Army and Navy
if its revenue equalled that of the prescn
time. How did he prepare for war ii
time of peace $50 precariousW During
the eight years of his administration ant
while surrounded By perils which hav'
long since ceased 10 exist, the whole a
mount appropriated 10 the Military an
Naval Establishments, was $l0,925,47O
This sum, in his view, met all the neces
sites preparing for war in the time @
peace. He asked no more to put tn
} country in an attitude Of defence, at a tim
7 when it wss most exposed to invasion,
the principle be true, that a nation is mo;
exposed when least able 10 resist.
Now let us turn 10 another chapter {
our national history and see how this max
i'm, attributed 10 Washington, has bee
!, carried out. During the eight years end
ing with l843, a period OF profound peac
in the civilized world, this Government
expended Sl63, III on the MiIitar
and Naval Establishments Takin
| the average population of the country du
RAG these eigh, years, it must have bee
-. nearly 10000, oOo-lour times the nun
. Der Of the people under W~ashinston's ad
=, miniNration. Can his example, thea, SUI
$ tain the presen, course ofthis GOvcrnmc'