Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-08-01
[For the Daily Spv.l
Organize the Militia.

heSS'S' E@tt0TS Inc writer hereby pre-
sents for the earnest consideration of YOUR
readers this fact, that each of the loyal states
ought to draft at once every able-bodied citi-
zen into the ranks of the militia for drill. 1t
is the draft which is needed-the ''conscrip-
ton if yon please-only so it be the govern
ment commanding its citizens to prepare for
! its defence, although that be at the expense of
/ their lives and fortunes.
The phrase is often heard, '.now we will see
whether W e have a government or not and
we all remember how much the traitors have
| talked about the weakness" of the govern
ment, it was ga fossil government" &C. The
very life and soul of republican government
| is involved in its right to draft its citizens
into the ranks and compel them to war in its
| defence. If the traitors who conspred to
overthrow this government had not believed
that the government could not exercise this
vital right, they never would have inferred so
enormously that sit could not defend itself"
This is the ''weakness" and ''decay" upon
which they so confidently relied, and except
for their mistaken belief upon this point (''for
this is what they meant" when they said the
north wouldn't fight and ''they can't coerce
us, we should never have had this unholy
and bloody war with all its threatenings upon
us.
Upon this question whether this, the most
| sacred and essential right of our govern
ment Ito freely spend the lives and property
Of its citizens in its defence) is really in exis-
tence and can be enforced among us to-day,
turns the entire question of our country's
destruction, or its onward march in the career
Of prosperity and glory, which has thus far
had so sublime progress. But it is no lon
| ger doubtful that the loyal north is burning
| to defend and protect the government, and
| hence the imperative necessity of the gov
! eminent at once organizing and drilling this
vast army of abe-bodied men. Though this
force be without arms, and drill so seldom as
not to interfere with regular business vet
how immeaSureably stronger in our own eyes
in the view of all traitors, and of the nations
of the world should we be, if every man in |
the republic kuec his place in the ranks, and |
thus bore witness to the fact so glorious, so |
honorable to each citizen, and so essential to |
the very existence of our institutions. that |
our government can count the men who will |
fight to victory or death, in its defence, and |
more than that, has them actually in training. |
The spirit Of '''7G" was always best expressed |
in the stirring music Of the fife and drum of |
the militia field
The writer, after earnest and deliberate |
consideration upon this matter, hereby calls |
upon every one who agrees with him on this
int +Int
called out and drilled-to sGy so, and discuss |
and push the matter with all the COVER he
may possess. Let him consider, among the |
advantages which such a move promises, first,
the immense power in numbers, who are even |
barely organized. a handful of militia stop |
ped the British at Concord and few shot |
them down as they retreated to Boston, but |
the whole country was an army Of militia.
The knowledge of tbiS fact was what drove |
them back so hastily. We have in our day
seen how numbers were invincible-''in the
revolution in Italy in 1913, in the memorable
five days at Milan, where a half-armed and
undisciplined populace, after desperate and
protracted struggle, succeeded in driving out
thirty thousand regular soldiers, in spite of
every advantage Of discipline, arms, and po-
sition." Imagine the men of Massachusetts
to be formed into regiments, and let interview
ton troops land upon our shores: we should
crowd them into the sea in ten hours after they
made their appearance Second, what mag
nfcent and effective lcdT lneeting would each
drill day becOme
All honor to the brave volunteers who are
actually in the war; but there are hundreds of
thousands yet at home, who, if they could
know so much of the soldiers life, duties,
&C., as a militia drill would teach them,
would find that place in the army before
D.al. 1 Al.
what they wanted, and did not know it," We
suffer to-day because our citizens lack that
feeling toward government, and knowledge of
military drill, which militia draft and drill
would give them. Who can suppose that
Worcester, with three regiments of militia
organized and drilling, would have to wait
one lcee6 to find among those three thousand
officers and men, two hundred and siXty-one
volunteers for the war. The interest, conf
dence, ,and determination of our people would
then be very different from what it is now.
Third. 1t would be healthful and cheering
to see the secession sympathiZers and lOafers
among us compelled to take their place in
the ranks and obey the orders of government.
We are in the midst of tremendous strug-
gle for our national existence and for the very
life of liberty. The nations of the world do
not sympathize with us. The south is fight
ing us with desperation inspired by its posi-
ton, and we can only conquer them by call
ing in all our gigantic resources, and fighting
them with equal desperation. Atpresent are
we not like one fighting with one hand tied
behind him, and that the one required for de-
Tense while the other may strike the blow?
No man can assure us that we may not soon
need this defending hand. We all know its
power and that it can be made available at a
small cost. Let the militia Of Massachusetts
be ca}led ont and ere,y man in the state d,9H-
ed a'the rHdimeat Of q Soldie,'s duty. Here
is something on which all men can unite.
Here is an opportunity to benefit the country
to-day, and the future certainly demands that
tins be done at once. MILITIA.