New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-07-27
WANTED MILITIA.

! brittin, while t--entlhiy IL "uIiiht ibCti No ~
the Same time an unmilitary one. He trace
10 their inaptitude for military detail and the
want Of organizing capacity, many OF the calam
! titles and most Of the needless suffering which
bcfcl the British army in the Crimea, agd whicf
| they were almost as slow to remedy as they hac
been incapable TO anticipate and prevent. To
that extraordinary history our conflict has pre-
sontod many contrasts and some parallels
Among The latter may be reckoned our unac
countable sluggishncss in creating u militia
force adequate 10 the eyigenciej repeatedly
arising but never met, and mover proiited by.
We do not act like a people 10 whom wal
could ever become their main business, were il
for never 40 snort ! period.
We ought to have become convinced b. this
time ihat an invasion by q considerable Rebel
force il not 70 be circclually met 10y q mere
popular uprising. To such an invasion we have
been, and 80 In ~ our deienaes arc concerned.
still are exposed. Weprobibly always shall be
at least so long as General IIalcck remains the
confidential military adviser Of the President.
If this war should last thirty years. and II
General Halleck should also last. We have no
doubt there would I've 4 raid up the Shenandoah
Valley every year, and each raid would find its
defenses in the same condition. Whence il he
hooyes the North 20 take some thought for it'
own protection. The news this morning looks
as II the raid THE year might be duplicatod-its
,nI h.
which they were INDUCED at first. We heartily
wish it might be, if il would only stimulate us
into having an effective militia.
Maryland and Pennsylvania have already
sufficiently shown what their unorganiled pop
ulstion may be expected to accomplish in the
fsce OF an enemy. There il great popular
uprising, in one sense, but the faces of the
people are unhappily turned the wrong way.
Nor, although the exhibition Of timidity has
been past belief. is II f.ir 10 expect the border
ers to resit merely by iinpetuou- momentary
leyies. had they courage To- attempt il. Euro
pcan cascs are not parallel. The population on
the Continent is dense TO a degree We know
nothing Of. There arc always aristocratic
Leaders, born 20 command, educated for war. 10
initiate aud guide such a movement Their
means Of harnssine and opposing an invading
army are greater than onrs. 4 European gem
eral. for instance advancing through country
ihiokly dotted With villages supports his
army without commssariat by forced
contributions. Word il sent in advance
that so many loaves Of bread must be
ready at a specified time and place. Suppose
instead Of supplying them the people abandon
their homes. take 10 the mountains, or retire
before tho advance. II instantly becomes a
problem how the army shall be fed. Russia
during Napoleon'- invasion Is lorciblc instance.
But our armies carry, To great extent, their
own provisions. Nor, on the other hand, are
we animated by anything like a religious or
national feeling, AZ wee the Spanards in the
Peninsular campaign, when every peasant was
in arms, and inHamed by deadly hatred of the
French. We cant make our phlcgmotic Penn
sylyanans or misunderstanding Northerners good
haters. For the want Of it they must be taught
to fight.
Moreover, there is no great European nation
which is without a competent system, or cir
cumslances Of internal defense. IN Prussia
every citizen is trained soldier. In France
the depot and skeleton regiment system of the
military peace establishment make il easy to
double tie number Of The army in few weeks.
In Italy the enthusiasm Of the people impro-
viscs an army as it does poetry and the legions
of Caribaldi spring from The ground 10 become
veterans in moment. England to-day fired
with late zeal, has volunteer organization
formidable alike in numbers and in skill, trained
In the Use of the rifle. aud familiar with lunda.
mental tactcs-mainly instructed, We think, in
Napier's seven rudmenis. We once had a
population Of 5ackwoodsmcn in the West capa-
bic of handling the rifle, hut the Hover ot that
force was long since III the ranks, and the flower
Of the flower sleeps on a hundred ba,tlc-fields
Lacking. then, all the advantage and helps
which might compensate for the want Of mi
Iitia. We lack also the militia. When the Coy
ernmout called lust year Sor militia, there was =
moderate response-this year none. The truth
il, no State has it. militia in condition to put
instantly in the field. Ney.York has IN eSten.
sive organization. but comparatively few men.
and some OF its officers are more re.dy 10 take
the field against than for the Union-witncss
tho recent tratorous circnlarof Brig. Gen. John
A. Green Of Syracuse. in substance notifying
his command that they might shortly be wanted
to resist the sggressions Of the Government
upon the liberties OF the people. The resi.