The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-24
CITY INTELLIGENCE,

L.
REGIMENT OF VOLUNTEERS.
The officers Of the various volunteer companies IN IA
District assembled at the Columbian Armory yesteD,
morning in fun uniform, for the purpose OF waiting 4
the President and Secretary OF War, and securing s
action on their part shall give impetus to the min
tary spirit in our midst and place our volunteer orsn
uon on a firm and enduring basis After forming tle,
into n line Col Hickey remarked that lie had preabl
his address 20 tho President with and he h
no doubt but that would faithfully represent the VIEW
of all the officers of the regiment. Tho officers Then
marched unattended by music. to the Executive man
sion, where they received by the President and o.
Secretary Of War and Col Hickey addressed the Prol
dent as follows
Tho officers of the volunteers of tho District OF Couu
bia have now the honor of sauting with their best
spects the President and Secretary Of War
They have charged me with the duty Of submitting,
their NAME for your favorable consideration Their app
ton the reorganization of tho militia and vountod
this District in accordance with the rccommendationd
the major general in chief and other senior officers Wild
has heretofore been placed before the Executive
The law for the organization and government Of The
militia in this District approved by Mr.. Jefferson On
the 81 of March, 1903 Ii gives power to the President
.'whenever increase Of the militia of the territory
other circumstance, SHALL in his opinion make II nes
sary to lay off the said militia into additional eonpsnis
batlaons regiments, or legons and brsadcs, and shall
appoint and commission during pleasure the proper Of
icers for the same
The law thus points to two canscs authorizing rO.
ganzaton. The FIRST an increase OF the militia This
cause has existed for number OF years past The preen.
organization having been authorized when the returns
lid not represent three thousand subject TO duty
while at this time there ten thousand. Tho Other
cause recognised by the law is should 'other clrcum
stances In the opinion of the President make it necs
gary't The circumstances connected with the condition
and local position Of this national metropolis may be
drawn from history and experience well as from mill
tary knowledge and prudent foresight 1t found
during the war of 1sI2'l4, that Washington ia access
ble by land and water foreign enemy and experience
has furnished amonons that sudden events unforeseen
in time of peace, may arise, disclosing the unweloomo
conviction Of dcenceess condition against maritime
attack whereas, should this reorganization DO author.
izel and the laws brought into operation active fo
sufficient TO garrison the neghborng Notifications and
an army of from five to ten thousand men, would aways
be found within sound of the bugo to obey the orders
the government, and which force. otherwise without or
ganzaton, and without direction, at present would
be unwiey and comparatively useless for such
occasion.
But has also been found by experience that foreign
invasion aggression Is not tho only evil to be guarded
against 1t has been found that in all populous cits
sudden disorders and breaches of the peace arise which
may require the strong of military power to subde
in which cases there is no orco more appropriate less
eSceptonable than the power of the citizens themselves
who, by tho organization proposed, would always
be in condition to obey call from the proper author
ties for such object moreover il would DO difficult
to conceive OF more complete arrangement, police
measure than the organization contemplated by the act
OF 1903 II divides the whole city and District by ter
rtoral lines corresponding with the military divisions
reaching down to The cilcumscrbed limits containing
company of citizens, commanded by captain and
two eutenants appointed by the President all bound
under heavy pecunary penalty TO obey the orders Of
the proper authority for the suppression of disorder and
the protection Of tho lives and property Of the people
The people themselves have such emergencies felt tho
want of organization atording such protecting power
and will always with alacrity obey such calls for sefpe
servation and public security
AS regards the volunteer organizations It has been
found by experience difficult il not imprcticfe to en-
force the strict rules Of military discipline and give them
efficiency without having the aid Of the law whchs
and has been denied because while the laws are inopen
tive upon all other persons equally subject TO their TO
quircmens aud the obligations they impose they cannot
be partially enforced against the volunteers But with
this aid, which tho Executive alone can now extend,
there is reason why volunteers may not be rs
efficient soldiers any in the country for there
better material anywhere to be found.
While regular army is disproportioned in nun
bers to the actual necessities of the service which claims
its protective and defensive presence simultaneously over
many thousands of miles of and inland
tier, it would to be matter Of stern necessity in
all parts of the country and especially in cities
cessble by water to encourage and sustain the volunteer
service ai1ordng the proper of that service octa
sona opportunities under the supervision of regular Off
GERS to occupy and practise the batteries of the ncghbo
ing national defences This policy has been approved by
our most eminent statesmen, among whom Mr.. Jeher
son, in his first inaugural address, recommended we'll
disciplined militia best reliance in peace and for
the first moments of war, eth regulars may relieve
then and in this Recommendation, AS auxiliary to
proper regular force it is understood that not all
Of our most experienced officers Of the army concur
1t s now submitted to the judgment of the President
whether the national metropolis scat of government
of this extensive republic, its large amount of public
property, with the personnel of the government inclu
ding for considerable portion of the time tho two
houses of Congress and the supreme judiciary should
be left, at present unprotected by those means which
this wise and long standing law completely affords
and which the willing hearts and strong arms OF the ci
zcns OF Columbia with the proper encouragement could
naturally and properly supply and whether all the
circumstances surrounding the are not sufficiently
strong to call for the exercise of that pacrna power
which the constitution and the laws have SO wisely placed
in the hands of the President for defensive and cnsey
tive purposes.
AS tho bringing of the militia laws into operation will
net upon every man within the District from eighteen
forty-tve yearso age, it may he asked Would 1t 10
agreeable to them TO do sol Tho trainers of those laws
and Thomas Jefferson who approved them did not stop
to ask that question: do statesmen and patriots gen
orally stop to ask such questions when engaged In
framing laws for the public deenccs Of the country The
public safety is the only object they have IN view and
such laws are framed upon the presumption that every
true American citizen viii always be willing to do hb
duty in the public Defence and in qualifying himself
it, and that Others not of this character but equally
claiming protection from the laws of the country shall
be compelled to perform their share of the burdens IN
the form of militia duty Such is the letter and tho
spirit of every proper and wise militia law in every State
OF the Union and why should it not be in the District
Columbia where the obligation of the citizen To the na
tona government, by which he Il protected at homo
and abroad and to which he owes allegiance is equally