Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-07-21
OUR MILITIA SYSTEM.

The late successful invasion Of Maryland b,
I Gen. Early, and the demonstrated inoapacity o
the military administration to protect the Loya
States against such inroads, lie held by many o
our Republican contemporaries to impose on thos,
States the duty of at once efficiently organizing
their militia system, that they may at all times b,
in condition to defend themselves from such pre-
datory incursions, which are costly to the plum
dered States as they are mortifying to the nation
To this effect the New York Evening Post says
As for Washington, only large army can take it, or
Baltimore-both carefully and scientifically surrounded
with deences and containing each several thousands
militia and il we must keep the Army Of the Potomac 10
protect he border instead OF doing by State militia
shall be the Laughing stock OF the world.
Our militia is not properly drilled il is true but it
can and ought to be-and hope hereafter 1T will be
There persons who bear heavy burden of respons
billy, and they the State Legislators aud executives
There is Pennsyl ylvana almost without militia there s
New York, with 100000 fighting men enrolled and yet
but 1000 of organ zed militia We have had statute
for two aud upwards providing for the enrolment Of
all these men, and the organization and equipment Of
many the Governor may think necessary 1913 600 being
the minimum contemplated. Can Gov. Morgan Gov.
Seymour tell why this law has not been executed III
it had been could ourselves have made end of this
ncurson by putting forth small portion Of strength
The supineness had almost said the stolidy of the
State authorities regarding the embodiment of the militia
surpasses all belief We wholly unable to account for
it any theory consistent wth patriotism aud common
sense. We had all the materials hand safety and
honor required that they should be used The neglect
to use them has brought upon this fresh dsgrace and
We know not how much disaster.
What is now to be donel Retrieve the fault
quickly possible Arm the whole of militia without
delay. Not day should be lost And in the time
the people every where should make up by voluntary
socatons far possible for the remissness of their
public servants"
Of like purport are the following observations
of the Boston Daily Advertiser
"a raid into Maryland would not be lightly undertaken
if it were known that we had 900 men, armed and
trained in the elements of military movements within
forty hours distance of any threatened point Of i'm
porance might have, if the several States
do their duty As 1T now stands the inactivity of the
State Governments in this respect invites attack The
campaign opens with respectable force of United States
troops protecting the ne As the campaign goes that
force is weakened, drawn away other points until
We finally to the me known to the rebels wei
to ourselves when line feeble and known to have
considerable either of militia any thing else
available he rebels then plan invasion, with the
certainty that except few CITY regiments force be
got into the field to meet them for two three weeks,
instead of having the that the Loyal States
prepared to defend themselves at moments warning
and thus year after year does our neglect invite their
attack.
Maryland annually loses by these attacks ten times the
cost Of maintaining good militia We almost ssy the
same of Pennsylvania, the second State in the Union,
which has practically militia. The other States cannot
the dscredt of this periodical violation Of loyal
torrtery against The charges Of proper ystem for self
defence and need not cay that in such comparison
the former would heavily outweigh the latter"
When we consider the resources in men and
money placed by the Loyal States at the command
of the General Government, it may seem to some
unreasonable to demand that these States should
provide for their own separate defence against in
cursions from the enemy. And we have heard it
intimated that the CONSUMPTION law, by the draft
it makes on the officers and men Of the State mill
tia, is incompatible with the preservation of any
thing like a compact and well-appointed military
organization in the States. But, after allowing all
due force to these representations, we think it
must be conceded that there is a deplorable su-
pneness on this subject in the Loyal States su-
pineness for which it is not just to hold the Gene
raj Government responsible, as it finds ready ex-
panation in the istlessness Of the people, and in
their addiction to the pursuits of gain at what
ever sacrifice Of public spirit.