, 1861-09-13
UNION DEF RNDE 8,0MM1rrxH

line longer the, present war lasts the
more public opinion begins to settle down
10 the belief that it will by 10 means be a
short one, and that even after We have
conquered q peace, our national defences
for long time to come, must be main
tained on much larger scale than at any
time hinee the var Of the Revolution.
While We may deprecate the maintenance
Of aslarge standing army, as incompatiable
with the spirit Of civil liberty in our coun-
try, and as perhaps conducive, eventually,
to the overthrow Of liberty itself, we eau
net and must not blink the question, that
a more wa1like spirit has to be infused into
our people. Once we thought we were q
first class power IN the SO called concert Of
nations; and after the overthrow Of the
Southern rebellion, we shall be so more
than we ever were; still it is not to be de-
MED, that the sudden outbreak of this
wicked insurrection took Us somewhat b7
surprise, We had fairly lulled ourselves to
sleep with the idea that war IN our very
midst was q thirg next to an impossi-
bility; and as foreign nations, far removed
from the theatre of our fancied greatness,
did not eVince any inclination to interfere
with our domestic happiness, We dreamed
Of an eternal peace, never. to be interrupt
ed By wars and rnmors Of WAITS.
This happy dream has been dispelled,
and wars stern reality stares us in the
face, Not fer moment do We doubt of
our ability to crush the most miserable re-
be1lion that ever swept over a free land
But then the question arizes, what must
be done TO avoid the dangers for the future
which now On all sides beset us? Shall we
again sink into that dangerous repose
which characterized our existence as a ma
ton before this Southern rebellion broke
out? Snail We again forget everything
which has bearing On our national exist
enee, in the rush after wealth and worldly
goods, and suffer our strength and cur ma
tional defences to decay and rot away in
this deep sense Of security which hereto
fore distinguished Us from the other na-
tons Of the earth? We hope that the fual
day Of reckoning with the overbearing
South is drawing near; that q final settle
ment will be arrived at; but even then, We
must not forget that a nation like ours
never can be q nation Of shopkeepers
alone; that Our greatness and our interests
require warlke spirit In our people in
order to preserve the liberties which, for
the third time, we have so dearly purchas-
ed; and that, situated as We are, the old
Roman maxim should ever be before our
eyes 81 z1s pacena para dcN1m!
The "Enion Defence Committee" of
this city, with admirable foresight, and
with keen sense Of the wants Of our
country, have prepared q plan, which, If
adopted and carried out by our people,
viii prevent any recurrence Of the caIami-
tous disasters which befel Us in the early
part Of the preseni =szaEg:e. Their plan,
in it's main featn,es, is based upon the mil
itary organization Of that little European
Republic, which, surrounded as it is by the
most powerful Of the monarchichl States of
Europe, has defed their power for more
than five centuries-the Swiss Republic.
It is hereby submitted to the renders of
the TRIBUNE, end We hope that it will
meet with the appreciation Of all true
patriots who seek their country's welfare,
not IN the strength Of standing armies, but
in the strong arms and in the military
skin Of the people themselves-the best
defenders Of q nations rights and liberties