Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-10-06

ing Of parents and all those having the care OF
Boys, to send heir snns or wards. or apprentices,
to Military School or Schools. to be provided
I 10y the State, where they shall b. trained for a
month in each year tor three consecutive years.
after reaching their 18th year, and that this be
considered sufficient amount Of drill to Ct them
| for duty IN the active militia, without their
/ spending more time fer that purpose. suppose
that if our young mer spend three months s:-
cording to the above plan, under competent
instructors, under strict military regulations,
they would acquire a military knowledge and
experience which would ft them for actual duty,
as far they could be without actually being un-
der Ere in battle-which | suppose i. necessary
10 give the finishing touch 10 a soldiers educa-
ton.
These thoughts have occurred 10 me, while
enieavoiing to inI some plan by which the evils
seemed to be connected with the old miiis
system, might be avoided, and yet we be able to
secure an efficient body of militia men. who
would at once be ready for any emergency which
might arise. Under the old system the miitis
was composed Of persons of various degrees Of
experience-fr the raw recruit to the veteran
IN Training -dsy ''an = Muster-dsy" experience
AMI of course could not be expected TO be eff
eient a whole; but the plan suggested would
furnish body of men who as whole would
understand their duties as soldiers, and be able
to act with promptitude when required.
Should the above meet with favorable opin-
ION by you and others whose military experience
qualities them to Judge of its merits. ! shall.
probably. put more of my thoughts on the sub
ject on paper for the perusal of the public TIL
then, | will be content to subscribe myself
a MLr1IA-MAs OF 1880.
Burlington. Sept. IS. 1865
BY the last census the males between the
agcs Of % and so in our State number
25.797. Between the ages Of 81 and 81 pro-
p. .s,d l.y our correspondent as the limits for
militia duty. the number will not vary mate !
ri,lly from tie same figures. five allow
iic-. We Lave remaining in round numbers. /
~ OUU ahlr-boii,d men between the ages /,
mentioned The proposition Of our cores
. ndcnt then is, in fact. TO substitute for the 4
present militia force Of 'iI thousand men, I
armed. uniformed and drilled, force Of /
f,renfv thousand. armed ard drilled, but not .
uniformed. We can see nothing to be gained .
hy such A change.
What we need is an effective body of citizen
lIierv which, upon emergency, can do 1
What tie Massachusetts militia did when the /
Preslien:'- first call for troops came it was 4
NJ night and in the morning the armed men Z
were marching through the streets of Boston,
On tl,ir way To- the cars. We were in Boston 1
that morning. and would have given hun (
,rcG times our STARE Of the cost OF an oiec- /
t5ye militia for City year., if Vermont could /
have had but one regiment 10 send with the .
brave Massachusetts, boys who next DAY /
GIT their way through the streets of Bal
t1fnurt nat eASu Il i'fiNt Niti bf TtNAitN
best by armiug. uniformiug and drilling q
limited number. as at present, rather than
bv the ineffective and slipsbod orr Ginizltion,
A. it would necessarily be. Of the WHOLE
militia of tie State, IT than BY the organ
zin- and arming three times the present /
number, Is quite clear TO us.
We see 10 need for any change Of the pre-
-ent law this year. The system is just get
linz unler hea lway. The expense TO the 4
state under it has all been incurred. 1t may |
hear un,qnally in spots hut take the State /
through, the regiments are mainly c,mpa>ed |
# volunteers, who cieerfully give their /
lime and lab II lr IN conviction Of the need /
Of -uch service and a feeling OF pride IN their /
companies. Let the drafted man eonside- /
,hat every man owes 70 much military ser |
vice to the State. and that his neighbor's |
turn will come in time and let none OF Us
he IN haste TO overthrow, before it is freely
tried. system devised with much care. and
which other States are copying as superior TO
their own.