Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-16
Rtne ahnnfInr.

The improvements in the rife have placed
IL in advance Of all firearms, and have made
it a necessity in the armies Of all civilized
nations. A detachment of men, armed with
breech-loading rifles and practiced in their
| use, would disable another body with smooth
/ bored muskets before they could load twice.
| The number Of balls expended in propor-
ton to the number disabled in battle has
varied from three TO ten thousand. Even as
recently as the campaign in the Crimea, the
French army, as is estimated, expended
twenty-five million small arm cartridges
without disabling more than twenty-five
thousand OF the enemy. In the Mexican War
our troops fred only one. sixth as many shots
as the Mexicans to produce the same effect.
The British troops who fought the Kafirs in
1851 expended thirty thousand ball cartridges
/ in killing twenty-five of these savages. Our
own army in Florida were not more success
ful. With the present arms, in the hands of
practiced troops, the enormous expenses of
that Florida War would have been avoided.
Three years ago, when the belief was gen.
eral that Louis Napoleon contemplated an
invasion of England, the plan was adopted
of raising volunteer corps in every county.
Every member procured his own arms and
equipments and, with some assistance from
the government in supplying instructors,
there soon arose body of two hundred thou
sand English marksmen, who rendered the
country invincibe. This fine body of men
is still efficient, and probably will remain so
while England has so enterprising neighbor
as the present French Emperor.
The military strength Of our Government
was designed by its founders to rest on the
militia OF the States, which should comprise
the whole body of citizens between eighteen
and forty five years Of age. For many years
after the Revolutionary War this theory was
carried out and it was reinforced consider
ably by the War. of 1872. But long peace
and universal prosperity made the militia by
degrees unpopular, and the laws of the States
were modified so as to release the citizens
from their OBJ igations to maintain a vigorous
military organization. With the exception
of small number of volunteer companies
in the cities, the whole system fell into dis
use. Young men were discouraged from
joining even these on account of the alleged
waste Of time and money, and risk to their
morals So completely had the military
spirit died out in the older Northern States
that arms are not even found in our houses,
and whole generation has grown up which
is Ignorant of their use.
This state of things has stimulated the
present great rebellion. Mr.. Jefferson Davis,
during his residence in New England three
years ago, more than once remarked upon it,
and he even asserted that a we'll organized
military force of twenty-five thousand men
COulu uhICu W auJ pOlub III Iuo INOLIuoIu
States against any opposition we should
make. At the same time he and all the men
of his school have been encouraging the mill
tsry education of their own section. The
Mexican War gave it strong impulse, and
the Southern States have now great body
of military men educated in the field and
! their own schools.
! If the Government could have called to its
assistance two hundred thousand skilled rife
men last April, or even half that number, it
is probable that the contest in the Border
States would have been avoided. The exist
ence of such force might have prevented
the rebellion altogether. Such force could
not take the place Of the regular army, but it
would have made powerful auxiliary force,
which, forming around the army, would
make it irresistible.
Considerations like these lead to the con-
viction that our citizens have still duty to
perform in learning how to bear arms. Thou
sands during the past few months have Joined
volunteer associations for drill, and are suf-
ficiently advanced to make as effective vol
unteer troops as exist any. where, if they
were only practiced in the use of the modern
| rifle-BoSto1 Journal.