Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-01-10
Mo STANDING ARMY NECES-
SARY.

The rapidity with which the army Is
being reduced does not indicate that the
Government is apprehcnsive Of early wal
with any foreign power. The Secretary
of War in his report that the
standing army will probably be reduced,
by next May, to fifty thousand men,
which is the number that seems to be in
tended for the regular peace establish
ment; and he also intimates that the en-
tire cost of his department, on the peace
footing, will not exceed thirty-four mil
lion dollars per n This exhibit
shows that the country which is greatest
in wal can also be greatest in peace. The
number of men in the army in the last
year Of the wal was over one million. and
the expenses of the War Department were
over five hundred millions. One year
ister-the first year Of peace-the army
will he but a "corporal's guard" COM
para,ively. and the expense of its support
will be only about equal to the interest OF
what it cost the preceding year. What
more potent argument than these facts
could be adduced in proof of the sound
ness of Republican government: Wha.
monarchy would dare TO so suddenly cast
aside its military amor: There is not a
6fth-rate kingdom in Europe that does
not, maintain a larger standing army than
that which the Government proposes to
employ in the future. In fact, no throne
would be safe a day with such a COMPARE
lively insignificant army to sustain II as
that alluded to, particularly so soon after
the closing of a great war. But it does
not follow, from these circumstances, that
the Government will not be in II condition
TO protect its honor and interests in the
event Of any sudden interruption OF our
peaceful relations with foreign countries.
Mr.. Stanton states, in his report, that the
Government has now in the military ar
senals more than a million stand OF small
arms more artillery than It can
conveniently take care of: three years
supply of ammunition, and a large
and abundant stock of clothing and
Quartermasters' stores. The requisite
material for carrying on u new war is
therefore already provided, and as for the
men to use il, there are a million of the
best veteran soldiers in the world, scatter
ed over the Northern States, who would
be ready to spring into the ranks again at
the first tap Of the drum. And the South,
too, has nearly half a million splendid
veterans, a large portion Of whom would
be ready TO rally under the old flag Of
their fathers. and fight as heeoically for it
as they lately fought, misguidedly. to rend
it in twain. In short. the United States
will continue 10 be the most powerful
military nation in the world, with the adj
vantage over all others, that j, will at all
times be ready for an emergency, without
mourning much expense therefor. While
England. France, Russia, Austria, and
other leading European powers, are obliged
to keep immense standing armies in readi-
ness for war, thereby entailing great bur-
den of taxation upon the people, our Gov
ernmen, will be always jus. as well pre-
pared for hos,ili,ies as they, and at only a
nominal cost. The reason Of this differ
cnce between u Republic and the mon
arches of Europe is simply this: The
love of the people for their country is the
foundation of our national strength, while
the power of monarchy is founded upon
the fear which it engenders in the public
mind by a gli,,erins array Of bayonets.
Such is the difference in effect between
liberty and despotism.