The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-01-02


per end of this county, paraded yes
terday, January lst, for The first time,
and counted 80 muskets. The Guards
deserve the highest praise for their per-
severance in so noble an enterprise.
Unable to procure on account of sick
ness their arms from Gen Perine, they
borrowed those of the American Ran
gers at Frenchtown for the occasion.
Long may they wave. y
Speech Of Gen. Runyan at sergeantsville.
After complimenting the enterprise
exhibited by the Company in the cree
tion of the building, Gen RuHyan
proceeded to speak of the volunteer
militia service of the country, and
said -
Like the rest of our institutions,
that service has had its valuable expe-
rience, and it is profting in the present
by the transactions of the past The
old system which required the perform
ance of military duty from every able
bodied citizen, between certain ages,
was founded upon the true theory that
it was for the interest of the State
that all who were capable of bearing
arms should be instructed in military
discipline. against the time Of need.
Practically, however, it was soon dis
covered that one or two days training
in a year, though long continued,
would not go far toward giving to the
citizen the discipline necessary for eff
ficient actual service especially, if, as
was very often the case, he possessed
not the slightest military spirit, or in
..lination forthe exercise. The knowl-
edge which he thus obtained, if indeed
he could be said thus to acquire any
knowledge of discipline but served to
show him his deficiency, and fill him
with disgust at the useless labor to
which he was subjected. Required to
leave his ordinary avocations for one
or two days in q year, to appear upon
a parade ground to be instructed in an
art in which advancement was, under
the circumstances, absolutely impossi-
BILE, he soon came to look upon the
proceeding in its proper light and to
treat the occasion with the levity
which it manifestly deserved. Com
manding officers whose regulation uni
forms ludicrously tontrasted with the
every day habiliments in which the mi
litiamen appeared on parade, became
the butt of their ephemeral commands,
and discipline was, Of course, quite out
OF the question Public opinion,
which seldom errs on such subject,
soon overwhelmed the system with
ridcule, Knocked it with parades of
fantasticals, and killed it with a horse
laugh.
Our present plan of organization,
on the volunteer principle, is free from
all those objections, and is the only one
by which this important arm of the
public service can lie rendered efficient
While the old system year by year
sank in public estimation, the new, day
by day, more popular, is fast becoming
the pride of the country
Leaving out of view the great du-
ties which cur political system has as
signed to that service, and which,
therefore, commends it to the fostering
care and cordial encouragement of ev-
cry patriot, it is worthy of every dol
lar that is spent upon it, and all the
time which is devoted to it, simply as
school for the physical training Of the
people
AS means of physical improve
ment, military exercise has no equal.
either in manliness of character, or
freedom from evil In it there is moth
ing that dWarfs the man, but every
thing contributes to his development;
nothing which tends to degenerate, but
on the contrary, that which ennobles
the race
As people, we are remarkable for
our assiduity in business and an alb
sorption in the engrossing pursuit Of
our avocations. We are no less re-
markable for the absence of those rec
reations which refresh and strengthen
both mind and body by relaxation from
mental and physical labor. and the sub
stitution in their stead, of the inyigo-
rating exercise of manly sports. Those
public diversions which are character
istic of other nations, are either not to
be found among as, or if found, possess
DO popularity and we therefore pre-
sent the singular spectacle of nation
passing almost from the cradle to the
grave in one unbroken round of I'M
renting toll in the stern duties and
employments of life. The result is in
eYitable. A youth without pleasures,
and brief manhood of drudgery and
nnceasing care, are followed by an
early decay Of powers, which by ju-
dicious and nee essary mingling of the
pleasant with the useful, might have
been preserved in mature vigor for
perhaps twenty years longer. There
is no pursuit, be it ever so laborious,
and whatever IFS character, which can
be followed without injury to him who
engages in it, or even to advantage,
unless its employments are relieved by
healthful relaxation, and proper phys,
zeal exercise.
The martial spirit of our people,
turns their attention to military disci-
pline as q means of national recreation.
Ard for this nurnose no choice nonld