Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-10-05
pTTLAND HERALD.
MONDAY, OCTOBER >, 1868.
The MILITIA.

.,craaches the discussion of the militia
4, ,tion is revived. The act cf last year
49, with much opposition, and it Is pre-
srm,l that au attempt will be made to
rrg, il at the coming session. If 1t
,rrr now question OF mourning the
,y,p,e OF arming and unilorming the
n1Ha anew, there would be room for /
sou1, whether in the present financial !
eorlr.un Of the State aud peaceful con
si,im. %. the country, it would be wise |
q ,n,ur such expense But the invest
Ill., necessary for organization, uni
6rm, and equipment has been made,
api ,br question, for che presentat least,
Il mainly one Of throwing up all possi-
H.. benefit to be derived from money
already expended. In this view, the
eroument seems certainly in favor of
,op,inuing the present system, either as
If, or with such Improvements as
wears experience may have suggested.
Il Is. hardly necessary to speculate
,ro5 The chances of war with England
an Evasion flom Canada, a renewed
struggle with the South, and the like.
we are liable to be involved in war at
any time. while we certainly hope that
we nav live at peace with all the world
for a great many years to come. But a
disciplined militia has its use at all
$times. It's use in war we know. Its use
In neaCe is as safe substitute for
large. powerful, unsafe standing army.
We must have one or the other, and
either must be paid for. James Madison
said that. without an effective militia,
the danger to liberty of powerful stand
j ing armies cannot be pTeCluded, and
such militia, as auxiliary to regular
force and as a substitute for large one
lin time Of peace, forms an essential part
of q republican system.
We have now among US numerous re-
burned veterans, ana it is the time to
take advantage of their expert nee and
military spirit in efectually organizing
and disciplining the militia. A writer
In the September number of the atlantic
Aoat1ly says on this point;
1T is observed, that the very effect of
a recent war is to make any such system
appear for the first time supertluOus A
hundred returned veterans in every viii
lace, with an arsenal full of rifles in eve
" State might seem to superCede the
. necessity Of all further preparation for
many years to come. Why give the time
and money to create an effective mill
tary force, when these heroes can atany
time within two days, improVise good
one No doubt, after the close Of the
Revolution, the same thing was said.
4 Yet even the Revolutionary veterans were
mot immortal-thOugh no doubt there
were moments when they seemed so, to
#the Pension Agent; and ours will find
their lease of life to be but little longer.
What IS TO occur then Twenty. five
years hance, our whole present army will
be beyond the age of active military ser
vice, and will have left to their children
only their example, unless we establish,
\ by their aid, some system Of warlike
training that shall be available for the
future 1t is one thing to have mill
tary generation and quite another thing
to have Il military people. Accidental
CXp,rjruct has given Us the one, but on
lypcrmanCnt methods can guarantee the
Other,
The experience 0. the war has put US
in d condition TO remedy the detects
which rendered the Old militia system
4 Of no practical account Col. Henry Lee
8ol Gov andrews staff, has written a
panp&e- on the subject of the militia
PIN the course Of which he points ont the
Reasons OF the failure of the old system
and suggests the following remedies:
l. There should be no exemption from
personal service, except on the ground
& OF age or physical infrmity. 2. Whether
q the appointment of officers be elective
4 Or gubernatOrial, they should especially
undergo a strict examination. 3. The
StriCtest military law should be enforced
during the muster or encampments. 4.
There should be a national Inspector
General for the different States-all to
be regular army officers if possible"
q And he says in conclusion
MI 'l believe this to be the only and the
S"fe way of reconCiling our patriotic but
e pusy ana impatient people to the indis-
8 pensa0ie institution of the militia. the
d complement to the church and the
81 school and the town the one institu-
H ton needful to complete the formation
and preservation of our republican
Character"
IN short, then, the country should
nave an organized military force. 1t is
not considered desirable that this should
De IN the shape of large standing
aiiily' 1t should consist chiefly of an
ofganlzed and, so far as possible. trained
militia Vermont has already incurred
the expense of organizing and uniform
ing her militia, or what is deemed suf
nclent portion Of it. Would it now be
"lSest 10 sink the investment entirely
Ut Keep up the system That is the
4oes'lon Tor the Legislature, and il
j would seem that .the wisdom and vir.
Tue need not have much difficulty in
deciding it.
IHB PARDoS BUsINEss.-A Washipotor