Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-03-27

six months, wrapt in profound apathy until the very moment of great peril, they awake all ot 0 sudden to activity, and do more by their bluu~ derng zeal Of the eleventh hour to paralyze and prostrate the service than by their long lndolence and soInnoence.
 This call of the militia is on its face . mon strous absuriity. Why Q hundred thousand men when only forty thousand are declared to be wanting? Why call out the militia at all when more volunteers are offering than there are arms to place in tbeir hands? Why bring out hum dred thousand militia without arms or organl- zation, without supplies or provision of any sort when the full and proper arming of those already offering, who would De sufficient for all purposes of defence # well equipped, will tax the full ca. pacity of the government? Why call for men before magazines of provisions are provided?- Which of our generals in the field have made requisition for the hundred thousand miitamen evoked by proclamation? Which ofthose gener- als will not curse the folly which ovcrruns his camp with thousands of yoracious mouths. with out arms 10 fight with? Of all the tollies in the world that of filling camps with dead heads" by tens of thousands, having no means or capacity for fighting, but with immense ca pabiities TOT eating up provisions, Is the great est. Even if a hundred thousand unarmeJ and unorganized militia should take the field and TtDutLNOuS itL tue htLdGCS OCSiS itttNu " piUt1~ nation, what means afe there provided for their support? Militia must have food; militia must have tents militia must have all sorts ot stores and provisions needful for n the field; in- deed they require more of these things than reg uar forces from their want Of experience and economy in camp life. Has letcher organized his ordnance, commlssary, and quartermaSters departments. before cyokng his militia? He has not done so and his call is on its face ab~ surd and premature.
 The experience of this war has shown that militia forces have. with few exceptions, done more harm than good. No man can point to single advantage that has been securei by their means at all commensurate with the cost 0t get ting them cut and maintaining them It Is only in the frontier counties of the State, where the enemy appears ill comparatively small force, that the militia have proved at all serviceable; and there are dozen counties of the State now threatened by the enemy, where the people are eager to turn out in companies and regiments voluntariiy and without a call, but are deterred from doing 50 by the want of ammunition alone Earnest and repeated applications have been made to government for ammunition, but al ways in vain and vet while refusing to provide with mere ammunition militia who are eager to fight. who are ready to take the field at their own expense providing their own arms and sub sisjence, the government puts forth . procla nation calling hurdred thousand men into the field, without a commissariat provided, with out quarermasters staff organized, without arms or ordnance stores, or any preparation whatever made for their support or employment while in the field.
 It is a case of woeful aud melancholy imbe- ciHv It is case calling aloud for protest. t fills the community with classification and dis trust. It sap5 the foundation ot the cause. IL sickenS the heart of the patriot and makes the most confident begin to lose their faith. Instead of inc calm wisdom and silent efficiency Of Washington at the helm, we have the caprice and petulance of the school boy, full of braga- ,docio in one hour. and stricken with panic the next. The country can contend successfully with the public enemy; bat it may at last have to succolnJ and f,ll under the imbeciiity of its rulers.