The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-22

Congress is about to conslder the prOprietv OF
permanently enlarglng the regular army. The
biH of Mr. Senator Wilson has been reported,
and when it comes up before Congress we shall
probably enter into its merits. The general sub
ject of a regular army is one OF great interest
There are many who believe that we cannot get
along without permanent regular army of at
least 200, 900 men, and Congress will be asked to
arrange system embracing this number. We are
asked to look at the great European nations, and
assured that there can be no greatness OF nation
Ality unless we have military strength. France
has 4O4, 1872 men to support her empire and keep
Europe on good behavior, at a cost of over
$e0,0O0,0 600 annually. Russia keeps her million
OF soldiers at cost of about 100000, 900, while
England has a standing army of 100, 900 men to
watch the Fenians and Sepoys and butcher the
blacks in Jamaica, at cost OF $50, 600 000 Rus
sia gives one man in 67, France one in SO, Eng
land one in 1885, to form an army. .-
Proportionately the Netherlands have the
largest-Portugal the smallest armies. Europe
has, combined, nearly 100000 men under arms,
at an annual expense of more than $500, ,000,0 600.
This military organization is little more than
pageantry, and represents the pride and ambition
OF royal houses. Russia wants Turkey and the
Scandinavian countries. Prussia desires to COB,
bic up Denmark Austria must keep Venice and
Hungary. Belgium must preserve her nation
ality, France must occupy the Rhine and med
die with Mexico and Ccchln-Chlna and Algiers,
of the world. Spain must repress liberalism
and sustain the Pope-when his eldest son, the
beautiful LudoviCan Napoleon, takes away his
bayonets from under the pontihcal throne.
England must have soldiers for her German
princes to play with and tor lazy young lords to
command at large pensions. To accomplish this
fanfaronade, the labor of 100000 OF men is alb
soIbed, and $780, O0O, 900 spent every year
What shall we do in America? Laying'aside
the suggestion that standing armies are the
curse OF tree governments, let us look at the
thing practically. What do we want of
army? The pacifcaton Of the Southern States
is the only purpose now before the Government.
We see that even General Grant is of the opinion
that the time has not come to reno We the armies
from the South, or even to permit the Southern
militia to possess arms. Ii Mr.. Senator Irum-
bulls bill for the enlargement of the Freedmens
Bureau passes, we must have an army to carry
out its provisions. The question arises, How
many men will it require to do this? A military
force in the South must have a moral effect.
We cannot occupy the Southern country in
fact without having million men. Morally,
one regiment is as good as corps, and at the
very highest estimate twenty thousand men are
enough to paclfy the South. The military force
on the Rio Grande is unnecessary, and only in
vites collision between the belligerents in Mex
lco. Maximllion IS not going TO hurt Texas.
When these men Of war get within the sound Of
guns and the smell of powder, they become ram
pant, and may at any time get us into trouble.
An armed neutrality is a menace of war. We
desire to make no such menace now. We want
make communication sale with the golden coun-
tries. Even this may be partially avoided by
doing the Indian Justice and dealing literally
with him.
regular army of twenty-five thousand men
is, we think, enough for the United States. Let
us learn lesson from the last war. The regular
army did as much to help the South as the
North. Even that part of it that renamed loyal
was drag on the moral progress of the war.
The old regular army came as near being an
aristocracy, as any institution America ever pos
sessed All its instincts, its education, its ira
dltlons, were aristocratic. To be educated at
the expense of the Government, to hold fancy
positions and clamor for additional pay, was the
sole business of the old army officer. When the
war came, he did not want to fight, but, If he
was put in the line let the fight be perfectly gen.
Tie manly. Mcclellan and Buell. and Porter en-
bodied this West Point regular army spirit
The fault was not merely with the men,
but the system. If We give a young man of
twenty a sword and bid him go and rule
a hundred others old enough to be his
father with the most peremptory ana oppressive
discipline, he will soon believe that all the
world is his command, and acquire tyranncal,
bigoted habits. When the nation arose in its
majesty and sent its sons from plough, anvil,
and loom to battle for national rights, this little
knot OF lazy pensioners sneered at the volun
teers as cattle and plough-Doys, The cattle and
the plough-boys won the victory. We trust there
will be an end Of this military policy. or if it is
necessary evil, let it be confined to the smallest
number. We want West Pointers enough to
manage adiutantg general and inspector-gencrals
otices to represent the dignity of our country
at dress parades; to drill and teach recruits.
We do not want military class In time OF
peace it is unnecessary-in time of war the fight
ing men will come from farm and workshop.
We trust that Congress will legislate on the
theory that regular army is rare luxury and
that very little OF 1t will go great way.