M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-01-17

Report Of the Adjutant General
The snhject Of our state militia should
not fill q place in the Exerutive Mes.
sage merely because the Constitution
enjoins upun the General Assembly
the necessary Legislation to render it
effective. 1t demands q moro consid.
ate attention. The report referred to
presents = clear and practical outline
Of the system established by law and
regulations, the burdens under which
it struggles. and the necessity oflegis
lative action in its behalf.
The organized militia OF the State
numbers at present little less than
twelve hundred men. These are uni
formed armed aud equipped, and arc
for the most part in q commendable
state Of discipline, The unorganizsd
militia. Gahject to be drafted for mill.
tary duty in The event of insurrection
or invasion, amounted in 1859. to
260, 900 men; and the entire dispOsa-
BILE force oftbe State, at tho present
time, is about 2S5,000 able. bodie1
men.
The Constitution requires the en-.
rollneut ofall white citizens, residents
OF this State. being eighteen years Of
age and under forty. five years OF age,
in the militia. The law OF March ~,
1857, provided Tor such ehrollmelt;
but 81 much OF it rs relates to that
subject has been repealed. ] recon-,
mend the revival OF the repealed sec.
tions.
The present militia system. | am
advised, has received The favorable no.
tice OF officers Of the army, and militia
ry men OF other States; but no system
can work successfully unaided by tho
State Ths experiment, wherever
tried, has failed.
The citizen soldier is necessarily
subjected to continual expense. BY
existing laws the State shares no part
Of the burden in maintaining our pre-.
sent militia system. The bill which
passed one branch of the General As.
seinbly at its last session, proposing al
allowance, to each well disciplined
company, of a certain annual sum for
the care and keeping OF the public
arms, 10 in the right direction. But |
submit, with great Difference, whether
the basis OF that bill should not be en-
larged, both rs it regards rhe sum 10
be appropriated to each company, and
the number of the uniformed militia
to be aided. Ceriaihit is, two thous.
and If a mililia-the, estimate upon
which the sum in that bill is based
I is number greatly disproportioned
to the extent and population ofthe
State. J
BY the theory Of our government
the general defence is entrusted to the
militia. ltis your duty to deterTinee
to what extent that theory shall be
practically observed in Ohio. A ma.
iority Of the States have made liberal
prOviS ion for the support oftheir mil
itia.
While /. would be mwise 10 burden
the people with taxes for large militia
ry appropriations In time of peace, it
would he equally unwise to disregard
the sacrifices and burdens ofthose who
have undertaken the duties and re.
sponsibili;ies Of the service. and the
practical purposes Of military or
ganizatiun. An effective militia is
one OF the most reliable pledges ofc
tinued peace The ability Of the
State to summon her citizens to sup-
port her peace when threatened, or her
laws when violated, is a silent but i'm
pressive guaranty of their perpetulty
and supremacy.
II appears that the State has receiv
ed 81 962 mnskets and rifles, ami has
but about 5000 at hor present com.
mand. OF ,632 cavalry pistols, but
722 remain. Of272 revolvers about
40 are supposed to be recoverable.-
TOT 46 brass cannon more than three
fnurths are useless or dangerous Tor ser
vice, from neglect or had usage. until
the Quarter Master General restored
tn, IN 10 serviceable condition. The
same proportion Of loss and deprpcia.
ton runs through the whole list ui
arms received from the United States,
the original cost Of which was $780,.
203. ..-..'"'
] While the present system of the is.
cue and care Of the public arms pre-
vents similar result for the future. il
is for the General Assembly to deter.
mine whether the supply now owned
by the State isaIequate to her wants.
i Other States, under similar circum.
stances, have supplied the loss and
waste by purchase. 1
The animal quota received from the
General Government diminishes with
the accession OF each new State and
Territory. 1t is at present less than
one thousand muskets in value; and
when other arms, or the necessary &C.
cessories to keep other arms in ser.
vieeable order are substituted, the