Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-12-30
rHE GovERNoR AND THE MIL1T1A.


The Governor vetoing the revised statutes,
in order to get back the word "white" into the
militia laws, leads good many people to ask
questions. If no state may do anything con-
trary to the act Of Congress which provides
for the enrolment and organization of the mill
tia, why does the Governor object only to legls-
latiye interference with the word white 90
Our Massachusetts militia code is full of sins
against the federal law. For instance, the act
of Congress says expressly that the enrolled
militia shall be carefully organized into COM
panies, battalions, regiments, brigades, and d.
visions. The requirement is imperative; and
Massachusetts, acting constitutionally, can do
no more than provide the officers, and direct
the drill according to the discipline prescribed
by Congress" And yet, there is, in this COM
monwealth, no such organization of the ma
tional militia On the contrary, we have laws
which make such an organization impossible
for a large portion of those who would be thus
organized, if the federal law were strictly
obeyed, are, by law, organized as the "Massa-
chusetts Volunteer Militia, AN organization
omission of that word "white," or any other
departure from what Congress has ordered
Our volunteer militia system is local
system, state system, not contemplated by
the laws of the United States 1t actually
interferes with the act of Congress to make
it almost wholly imperative in Massachusetts,.
1t compels no man to be member of it; it
has in it men and officers who are not between
the ages of Is and As; it exists by virtue of
state laws alone. If Massachusetts, has power
to create such body of local soldiery, she
has power also to prescribe the terms of men,
bership. Why was the Governors veto con-
fined to single particular, when so many
things in our military system are "uncon-
stitutional"? Heis rightin saying that colored
men cannot lawfully be enrolled as part of
the national militia; but he might have found
other unlawful things for criticism, if he had
looked more carefully.
The federal constitution says that no state
shall "keep troops or ships of war, in time of
peace, without the consent of Congress. For
this reason, as well as ON account of its disre-
litia our state system, is held to be "unconsti-
tutionaal" Our state soldiery are TROOPS"
but they are no more part of the national
militia than they are a part of that section of
the French army known as "Turcos." But
Massachusetts ''keeps" these troops, trains
them, spends money on them; and, without
them, we should have no trainings, no gallant
fellows in regimeutals, no brave rulings on
the "tented field" and no hope of such i'm
posing displays of bravery, pomp and splen-
dor, as were seen at the great Concord muster,
last fall We agree that our volunteer militia
is much better than anything Congress can
organize for us; but what would become
of it should the Governor assai it with the
doctrine of his veto message, and insist on
sweeping it away into the great dust hole of
time, because it is not in harmony with
the laws of the United States? 1t is
true, that similar lack of harmony can be
found in the military code of almost every
state Enquire in South Carolina, or Virgin.
ia, or anywhere else, and you will find some
thing worth attention. And it is true, that the
head of our gallant Massachusetts army,
should have seemed very unconstitutional to
that patriotic reverence for federal power which
becomes dragon to guard that word white
in the federal law concerning the militia. But
what shall we do about it? Is there reason to
believe that the militia laws of Congress will
ever command universal obedience
1t certainly is not hardship to be excluded
from enrolment in the militia but, there is
always hardship in prescription. If our mill
tia system were strictly in accordance with the
constitution and laws of the United States if
such strict accordance were the universal fash
ion of the states; and, if we all meant to pre-.
serve it forever; then it might possibly seem
worth while to veto the whole revision of the
statutes, in order to rescue that word white"
from the incendiaries. But why SO anxious to
preserve the proscriptive portion of the law,
while dsregarding it in almost every Other re-
spect? The French army has its regiments
of Turcos, all colored men; and these regi.
ments have great reputation for bravery and
efficiency in battle. The French do not quail
fly their military code with the word 'white J"
and, should we be involved in a great war, this
prejudice against colored men would give way,
as it did in the two wars with England, and
we should be glad to have them in our armies
The NEXT LEGIsLATURE--The new Leg
islature will come together, Wednesday, next
week and we see it announced that the usual
caucuses preparatory to the organization will
meet Tuesday evening. We hear little or moth
ing said about candidates for the Presidency
of the Senate; but candidates for the Speaker
ship of the House appear to be numerous.
The Boston Journal says :-"It is probable
that there will be smart competition for the
Speakership. Mr.. Hale will probably be
candidate, and Messrs. Goodwin of Lowell,
Eldrdge of Canton, Rice of Worcester, Upham
of Salem. and Wentworth of Lowell are nrom-