Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1860-12-13

| win every people on toe glOpe, anu Will we
be always able to secure ourselves against
foreign violence or civil destruction Egypt
was once the Queen of the East, but her
greatness could not save her ffom the hordes
| eff Cambysses. Greece became the cradle OF
science and the birthplace of teachers for all
ages, yet the refinement. learning and all the
grand conceptions of the human mind. were
stopped, and the hands Of progress turned
back on the dial plate Of time. May there
not be again Ghengis Khan, Cesars, Char
lemagnes and Alexanders, to found new en-
pires and check the tide Of civilization 1t
has been but few months since Russia shook
the political frame of Europe, and the tribes
of India blQtted out the most remarkable
commercial enterprise in the world; AMI
who can say that America will not ba arres-
ted in her flight of ambition, and have the
same periods of ligh. and darkness rs the ma
tions before us? Is not her political future
now obscured by cloud that 10 Geen by all
the world.
In reply to religious objections, [ regret to
find so little encouragement for the advocate
Of non-resistancs, anil so little harmony be-
tween the advice and facts. The CLEAN of
the sword has ever lighted up the pathway
Of civilization. The Cross and Bible have
been carried on the point OF the bayonet ev-
er since Cortez landed on the shores of the
Western Hemisphere. The first beacon Of
alarm shown from the lanterns in the Old
North Church at Lexington, and the most e.
oquent appeals for the Revolution, came from
the lips of the Rev, Jonas Clark. Did the
constant expression of Gottes aeiue sci &C.
! than" save the Dunkards' families from be-
ing massacred in the Juniata Valley, and
their scalps being carried to Q!troit? Not
a man of them would shoulder rife, or pay
a cent towards the protection of their homes,
and when their wives or childr ID were ta-
ken captives, The fearless and noble Penn
sylvania volunteer would shoulder his rife
aud alone follow the trail of the savages, with
the cunning of the wolf, over rugged noun
tairs and icy rivers, into the depths of the
pathless wilderness, until he rescued the cap
tves or avenged their deaths, often losing
his own life. Il is not my wish to weave
fresh laurels fer the heros wreath, or award
a tribute of praise to the conqueror, or re-
kindle the angry passions of war, but
would fearlessly stir up the ashes Of the past
to do Justice to those who knew no sacrifice
too great when liberty was the reward. And
to save from disgrace the militia system Of
my country, the same feeling encourages the
remark til at the man who would embarrass
the only means of our defense, or ridicule the
volunteer system, or refuse ie the respect o
our community, does not deserve to enjoy
the precious fruits of liberty and indepen-
dence, which have grown rank on soil taa
has been enriched by patriots blood. Per-
haps / can best enforce nay plea in the Ian
guage of one of the greatest statesmen ant
orators of the age: "If this cloud of mani
fold war should burst suddenly it would fnt
that time honored institution. the militia o
the country, almost broken down. Yes, tht
broad shield which then covered the land a
the commencement of hostilities, is broker
and cast away! Yes, the pilitie, the onct
honored and DOW derided militia, to which
we owe the undying memory of Lexington
Concord, Bunker Hill. Bennington and Sar-
atoga-is sinking under an unmerited W weigh
!, of opprobrium and ridicule in to the dust. .
pray Heaven, sir, if the dark days mus
oversbadow tie sountry, we may not in th
have cause to regret that We arc so yer,
much wiser than our fathers"
Although my article has already been ex-
: tended beyond newspaper limits, | canno
avoid referring briefly to the chara eter of tn
arms distributed to the militia, and the sys
tenn of tactics in general practice. 1t seem
unaccountable to me why Government shoult
sparingly issue arms, (many of them unfi
: for use, and encourage the organization o
heavy Infantry SO little adapted to the char
acterstic features of our country, and 81
contrary to the economical principles efwar
fare. Frederick the Great discovered this er
ror when obliged to employ riaemen to NEE
the Austrians on equal terms. The Englisf
acknowledged the same facts in 1874, wher
they employed riAemen from uesse, Den
mark and Hanover, and organized the vel
remembered Goth Battalion o: Rifles, called
the Royal American Regiment. The Ssm'
thing occurred to General Cathcart at th,
Cape of Good Hope, when he wrote home fo
5000 rifles, SO that they could hit what they
shot at. The late war in Italy demonstrate
the practical use Of light Infantry. Wha
solid body of men could withstand the dead
ly aim and terrific charges of the Algiers ri
fe regiments? Experience justifies the re-
mark that the muskets we used in Mexico
were the worst in the world, requiring the
heaviest ball. the greatest charge of powder
the most windage, the shortest range, anC
the least accuracy. AS an instance of this
when the troops under General Santa Anna
charged down the Gala Real in Puebla, they
were received from the Quartet by the balls
and 5uckshot from upwards of 200 muskets
; 1 was informed afterwards by Mexican Of
fcer that they only lest ten men killed in