Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-11-03
illustrated and defended by General waetr.
burn at some length, as follows

II, what system will be hest develop the
r three elements,- Organization efficiency ar
thorough drill There Is no difficulty
the organization, whatever system is adop
ed The rules prescribed for the army al
applicable to and will always be adopted f
the militia.
But to secure efficiency and thorough dri
requires more care. There are always,
every community, class OF men, who hay
no taste for military d Ill and movement,
and no aptitude for military teaching.
they are placed in military organization
they Will haze no emulation to aid in excel
ing other similar organizations, they Will al
tend no more drill than is required by law
and when required to serve, they will, b
their awkwardness and Indifference, entirel
neutralize the efforts of their comrades. n
matter how thoroughly drilled they ma
have become. Any system, which include
AL able bodied men between eighteen anC
forty-fve years Of age, or all between am
! given ages. will include all who are of TIN
class, and no organization can be obtained
which will be effective for service. On the
other hand, there is, in every community, q
large proportion Of men, ofarms-bearing age
who have a decided military taste. ana who
II they belong to n military organization will
do all IN their power TO cause il TO excel, in
perfection of drill and movement, every other
similar organization. ANY system, which
secures organizations filled by the voluntary
enlistment of this class of men, will necessa-
Tily be as effective as is possible, and that
system is the best, which most nearly attains
this result. An essential feature in such a
system must necessarily be. instead Ofrequir-
ing all between eighteen and fOrty-tive to do
military duty, that it shall require only a
certain proportion of all between those ages
To be organized and perform dutY-the num-
Der to he determined by the legislature.
This il one principal provision OF the sta ute
OF this State
But IN order that the militia may be eff
cicnt, tt c organizations must b al all tunes
KEEP iull. and 10y voluntary enlistment II
possible. But a purely volunteer system
mas been tried III several Of the States, and
has proved failure hence volunteering
must aided BY suitable incentive, but
yet by the adoption of such principle, AZ will
secure the keeping of the organizations full
at all times This can be accomplished by
a provision, that a limited time shall be al
lowed for filling by enlistment the deficiency
W ulNA may OCtuE dlN EdllhdAltlls anu IL
not so filled, that il shall be filed by draft
from the enrolled militia at the expiration of
such time. The effect of tins provision is not
merely to secure the filling of the orga-
nizations, but also to incite and pro-
mote volunteering; for, in addition TO
the natural disnclination to have draft
in town, which induces the town
officers, as well a. the company officers, TO
become recruiting officers, men will in many
cases volunteer, when they know there is a
chance of being drafted if they 90 not. And
Just IN proportion as this provision is
promptly and effectuallv enforced. the Occa-
siOns for its enforcement diminish
Thi- - ~-othcr OF the principal features
of the Militia Law of this State, and its
practical operation is as above stated. The
Captains of very many companies, which in
the first instance were in part filed by draft,
now report that they have no difficulty in
filling BY voluntary enlistment all vacancies
that occur. And although orders have been
issued for draft in fifty four companies since
the original organization, it has been neces-
sary to have an actual draft in but very few
of them. This may be termed TO some ex-
tent compulsory volunteering, but it none
the lcss secures for the companies an efficient
and spirited class of men.
These two principles, the organizing
certain proportion OF all the arms bearing
and the aiding of voluntary en-
listment by the draft, are the foundation Of
the Militia Law Of this State, and the ten
dency of their combined result is to fill the
with the best class of men for
that purpose in the State,-men who have
military taste and ambition, and who will
each strive to assist in making hIs company
the best IN the regiment 10 which 1t Is at
tached. And thus the most efficient militia is
obt1ned
But the attainment OF thorough drill can
not be directly provided ~ by law. Two
days for company drill three days for off |
GERS drill, and from three to five DAYS for |
regimental drill IN each year, IL all that the |
Legislature can be expected to require. or
the State be willing to pay for. But prac-
ucally a good degree of proficiency in drill |
is attained, indirectly. as the result Of the |
two provisions OF the law above mentioned.
The spirited and ambitious young men. with |
which the companies are filed under those |
desiring 10 excel, and to display |
such soldierly appearance at the public |
parades requiring by law, as will WIN for |
them the appreciation OF the community. |
meet many times in the year Tor |
a few hours drill on DAYS not required by |
law, and in many cases, by their voluntary |
action, adopt Bylaws which provide for |
stated drills, under penalty upon each mem |
Der for absence So that the amount oi in |
struction which the men receive in each year |
is by no means limited to that given upon the |
stated days named in tie statute.
1t is for these reasons that regard the |
militia system in this State as being, in its |
practical workings, as nearly complete as is
possible Its object is to fill its organira-
lions with spirited and ambitious volunteers,
and its fundamental provisions directly and |
eiectusily tend to that result.
These views, as it seems to us, are entitled |
to weight, AMI as We are glad to learn, are
iauing weight with the Legislature. There
sre those who think 1t would be wise to
throw away the heavy sum already expended
oy the State in the organization of the mi
itia, amounting to nearly 500, 900, rather |
than insure the comparatively small ex-
pense (not exceeding 2O,OOO) of maintain
ing it for another year; but we are not Of
the number The millennium has not yet |
,ume. Affairs have not become completely |
settled after. the war. Our relations with |
England, as indicated by the recent diplo-
matte correspondents, are such as to set
many man to calculating our condition and
strength In reference to arwith England,
"a war not imminent certainly, but certain
" possible. To wipe out or emasculate again |
our Militia system under such circumstances.
and before it has had fair trial, would. it
seems 20 us, be very foolish. such a trial
another year will give 1t If by that time
il has not commended itself to the approbs-,
tion of the people oil Vermont, let it be
,h,y,sbedI s1sf1su rhr-f -1iiUi ,r liaas Il
= = ---e.f-, Il IL ----------- g. b. ~
3. TEE l6rH CoSoRfssIosHL DlsrnIcr, N. Y.
There has been a little susrl about she NOM
nation in the 10th, district, across the
Lake, which is now fortunately ssraightened
out. The convention to nominate a candi-