Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-03-13
HE MILITIA. i.

 the subject of calling out the uriiiiig and we have been, repeatedly urged tocensure the conduct of certain authofities. IhiS we have declined doing, because this is no time for fault finding and because the legislature was called, composed of men from all parts of the State, aware of the evils, any exist and with power to provides q remedy, II one is nee,led. It has been repeatedly charged that the governor refuses to com mission the officers of some volunteer com panies and discouraged volunteering ID cer- tain counties, on the ground that such counties had furnished more men, in pro nortion to the voters, than other counties, and that volunteering must be done by certain rule. We hope this is untrue and are 10th to believe 1t because the Cover nor swore to sec the laws faithfully execu- ted and took special oath to support the ordinances Of the convention. In the or dinance adopted on the 20th day of May 1861, 1t is expressly stated that:
 'sThere shall not be any limitation of the number of any volunteer companies Tn any county in this State. and the governor shall issue commissions to the officers of all vol unteer companies organized in this State.
 Our great drawback is want of arms and barely enough can be had to arm the vol unteers. This being the case there is no use to call out the militia while volunteers are ready.
 However we leave these questions to the consideration of the assembled wisdom of the State. In certain emergencies 1t may be necessary to call out the militia in one section of the State bat to do 1t in other sections, at this season of the year, is to in sure a famine next fall.
 ! Our correspondents will see the reasons why we suppress their eommunications, some of which are very bitter. How far l they are correct we are not prepared to say. One gives his views upon drafting and says if volunteers will not fill upthe required number that resort should De had to draft. He proposes to classify the persons to be drafted thus:
 1. "All those genteel loafers, members of distinguished families, and braggarts, who are eternally proposing te raise com panies or waiting for "a position" These | propose to take where ever found and s1 little office of clerk to some payma.tef, quartermaster, sutler or other, or nominal rank as aid de camp to another officer, should shield them. l have no iaith in lhe fighting qualities of these fellows, but they might be made useful as te4msters, cooks otc.
 ,. Ali keepers of groceries, bar keep CTS and habitues Qf drinking houses.
 3. All unmarried men. o.ael than only sons of widow, (leaviag one for the sup port of family between taa ages q lc and 45
 \ il All unmarried boys between tie ase. of l6 ari l7 A,
 ,. AI q.1s- sesvf.a -ho at, {; < and 45
 6 The remaining male poppIation."
 We suggest our correspondents plan tC those who have the ordering of draft. Another correspondent Oh the assumption that volunteering is discouraged and th, militia called ont purposely Q provide, off ces for select few and furnish them salar les ranging from two lanldrei up to tbrs. hundred and one dollars 2 month. capsG cally says:
 "A very simple ramedy for these Ills is in the hands of the legislature. If they want to save the State thousands ahd prevent mcr vieng taken from their homes, their pl0ughs workshops and families when most needed and hen there is no need for 1t, they have only to declare some eight or 10 members oi and the family parasites, whose names could be given, to De ineligible to military offices and incapable Of drawing pay fer any ser | vices except as q private or nou-commissiou- I ed officer That would stop this humbu3- gcIy and cause the resignation of these bjus- terers who earthly avoid danger and whose only charging is upon the treasury Let I the legislature do this and you will never hear of the militia being called out, unless there is an absolute necessity for it, and volunteering will not De discouraged, as it is now, because. these fellows cannot get high offices in the Confederate service and more than all, because if they were cleo ted in the volunteer companies or regiments | 5here would be chance of their smelling gunpowder a coumpond which they nor tally dread.'
 DESTRUCTIVE FtREs AT HELEN Early