The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-01-14
3.
Danger Of Reducing the Army.

Der 80 says that the proposition of Ran
dali to reduce the army TO 1900 men
will hardly be indorsed by the sober
Judgment of Congress or of the conntry.
IL may be carried in the House of Rep
resentatives, perhaps, for the majority in
that body is composed largely of men
who owe no good will to the army of
the United States. The sixty odd OH
GERS OF the rebel army in that body Will
probably be glad to seize on the pretext
of economy to revenge the defeat OF
their cause upon the remnant OF the ar
nv which inflicted it; to cashier the Oh
ticers whose military records are identi-
fed with the hnmiliations of the Con
frderate flag, and to reduce to impotence
the little army which represents the
military power of the United States
Gov 5nment, power which since the
REBELLION was overthrown. has. In many
instances, proved an effectnal restraint
upon tle insuIent lawlessness which has
prevailed n some of the Southern States.
But we trust there is wisdom and pat
riotism enough in the Congress OF the
United States to pause before weakening
the military arm of the Government as
to render /. powerless to suppress do
mestic resurrection, If such should arise,
as we'll as to perform the by no means
light task of guarding our Western from
tiers. and maintaining peace among the
Indiar tribes, and other indispensable
duties inseparable from the national de-
1 fense
The truth is that there is no more po-
tent factor IN the maintenance OF peace
and order among the unruly classes OF
the United States than the fact that the
Government il strong enough to enforce
the mandates Of the law; that it is able,
when courts and juries fail, and civil
processes are exhausted, and the power
of the State governments is successfully
defied, to compel obedience in the last
resort BY the strong arm of military
power. Military interference for the
suppression of local disorders is greatly
TO be deprecated till every civil process
and every resource of State authority
has been tried and exhausted. And II
will be rarely necessary TO call the mill
tary to the assistance of the civil author
ity as long as there exists force at the
instant command of the Government ad-
eauate to enforce its authority. But to
virtually disarm the Government of the
United States, as Mr.. Randall proposes
to reduce the army to such an insignih-
cant handful that it would be incapable
in any sudden emergency of sustaining
the national authority, would be to pro-
claim impunity to the disorderly bands
who have at different times inaug-
urated a reign of terror in the Southern
States. Besides, if this Congress may
reduce the already feeble numbers of the
army to 900 men, the next one would
he equally justified for the same reasons
in reducing it to 5000. 1t has already
been reduced to as small a number as i
can be without endangering the peace o
our Western borders and Southern
States.
The army il the nations police. ant
the Government cannot afford to dis
pense with power which represents thu
right aru4 Of it's natianal authority
power more potent, even as a moral re
straint, than as an actual instrument o
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