New-York tribune., 1867-10-01
THE REBEL ARMY or MARYLAND.

The apprehensions of the country begin to take
form and to solidify into particulars. The iresi-
dent il declared 10 be casting al amorous eye
upon the Maryland Militia, tody of treason
able antecedents and factious proclivites. This
force, we are told, has been recently rcorgan-
zed and of the 10000 men of which ii is COM
posed, there are said to be 4,6OO in the City OF
Baltimore. There are other facts which arc
not reassuring. We print to-day telegram that
Gen. Grant having properly refused TO grant
the requistion upon the General Government
for artillery Gov. Swami has purchased II
Founders in Baltimore, and placed them IN the
charge of companies commanded by Rebel
soldiers. This is startling enough, hut we must
add TO it the expenditure, by a State already
impoverisbed. of nearly $3O0,0O0 for uniforms
and muskets. Why should Maryland prepare
for war; Why should Gov. Swami organize a
militia which is little better than Rebel army
II is argued that if the President were disposed
to subject Congress to "A Pride's Purge or to
drive it altogether from the constitutional
domicil, this Maryland Militia would be found
a ready and convenient auxiliary. The worst
of these rlmors is that they should be current
at all The burning shame of the whole mat
ter is that anybody of unclouded reason should
think such usurpation possible. The dishOnor
to the Republic of a Chief Magistrate to whom
such intentions may be seriously imputed is
greater than the danger of their practical full
flment. 1t affords only another illustration of
what we have again and again declared-that
| the public mind is in a condition OF chronic
| alarm, and watches with nervous susceptibility
for the slightest indication Of Executive vio-
lence Never before has the country been III a
| predicament so humiliatng. 1t is disgrace to
be credulous, and it may be ruin to dis
believe.
After a dozen vetoes, and after persistent
evasion of the laws enacted in spite of Execu-
tive prohibition, it certainly becomes all loyal
citizens to be upon the alert. That predc-
tion may be important now which ten years
ago would have been simply ludicrous. The
mouthpieces of the President threaten war,
and, if there is to be war, we prefer to
commence the campaign without an hours
delay. We propose to encounter the
Rebel army of Maryland with bloodless
weapons, and, by giving them taste
of the peoples quality, to decrease their
passion for practical combat. The President
may not care for the popular will, when it does
not keep time and tune to his own, but we
suspect that the warriors who are to be sum-
moned by the White-H House reveille to take
Congress into custody may prove to be of. a
less uncomprOmisng nature. They may have
an apprehension Of predestnate ropes and of
the Dry Tortugas. IL the coming State elec-
tions condemn as unmistakably and as en-
phatically as they gshould the President and his
policy" the sonorous language of the great
result will not be wasted upon the Baltimore
bandittl We have tried the1 stuff of which
they are made, and if they so quickly appre-
hended Gen. Buffers uncompromising in
tentions, they will hardly prove more Obtuse
in the face of great Republican maiorities. His
Excellency may call them. but as there is no
law which, at the risk of their lives, can COM
pei them to parade in Washington to crafty
his love of military spectacles, they may take
time for reflection before they obey the sum-
mons and, If they reflect at all, it is probable
that they will prefer the comfort and safety of
their own fre-sides to the chances of grape
shot in the Capital. They are, no doubt,
phalanx of uncommon clOseness and compact
pess-a legion rivaling the regiments of Rome;
but Mr.. johnson is not Philip of Macedon, and
would have cut but q sorry figure in crossing
the Rubicon. Tic may for aught we know, be
reading up in French history, aud preparing