Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-10-30
THE WEEKLY FREE PRESS
Our Militia System.

"Tbere i. now no organized Militia in the
State In case Of resistance TO the laws or lnva-
son from abroad, there is not man subject TO
tbe authority Of the State, who can be relied
mon for military duty, except by means of the
compl clfel machinery of draft with It's attend
ant delay"
.4Luiant GensrGl's Report, 1868.
Just think of that Yet, from all ap-
pearances our Legislature will do nothing
this year to give US Militia System good
for something. Apparently there is no one
IN either b,dy-or at least nobody in the
Military Cammittces-who feels competent to
manage the subject One Committee wishes
to he discharged from all consideration of the
subject. and another, instead Of bringing the
SUBJECT in a bill before the House, and man
fully sustaining it there, wants the House
to TIL the Committee beforehand exactly
what it wants-a stern-foremost way of max
ing progress not likely to effect much.
As To relying on a draft, in case OF not,
sudden insurrectio and invasion, i; is sutti-
cient to say that such reliance is absolute
" worthless. The mischief is done long be-
fore draft can be made-much more before
the men drafted can be organized and fitted
for action. To be of any use in such an
emergency, the men must have been previ-
ously oficered, repeatedly mustered, and ac-
customed to act together in a military way,
and to realize that, as body, they can be
ordered to duty, if need be, at a moment
warning. Officers and men, every one Of
them, must know their respective places and
dutics-who has right by law to command,
and who is bound by law to obey. As the
case now is, the Sheriff Of the County, in case
of riot, has 4 right to call on the militia for
help; but what can this call avail, If there
is no organized and disciplined militia
J st not ing at all 4 mob could be put
down only ny another mob. Ii ought not to
be -, 1t i, discrclit to the State of Yer
mont to have it 50. As to how comprehen-
siy, militia organization there ought to be,
opinions may differ Our own view is that
it ought to embrace all the ablc-bodied men
Of military age, and that too, without adj
hitting excuses On the score of physical ina
bility TO any thing like the extent to which it
has been done lately under L. ). author
ity But if an efficient organization were to
take in at any one time, but half, third,
or even hut quarter Of the entire body OF
enrolled men, it would, in every respect, be
bettcr than To have no organization at all.
The fear of expense to the State Treasury
for per diem allowance to the Militia when
on drill duty, and for small arms, We sup
pose. is the great obstacle. Why not, then,
d. as vas done Il generation and a half ago ?
Then all the able-bcdied men of the State
were obliged to train several days IN the year
and to provide their own guns, without
any pay for time or guns; and there
was no grumhling about it either. The
youth. turned eighteen, knew that he would
b, enr, He'd at once, and called upon to act
in military capacity, and he war proud to
appear with his gun and take his place with
older men, ready for his country's service, if
need he.
1t has been fashionable of late year,, to
say that the old practice wns good for moth
ing. We know better. Not only from per-
sonal observation, but from personal expert
ence We know that it was worth great deal
"A vast deal more than no working sys-
ten at all