New-York tribune., 1877-07-26
SERVTCEABLF SOLDTER.

Inc confidence with which the people of this
city are relying upon the National Guard to
protect their lives and property from threatened
violence, even after moIe than one regiment has
been ordered away on distant duty, proves that
there can be an efficient Militia or a Least, one
that has hitherto shown itself Trustworthy. On
the contrary, recent occurrences elsewhere have
demonstrated that citizcn-soldiery can prove
itself very feeble defence against IN in
famed mob of unarmcd issn. Not to cite
instances Of gross mismanasemcnt and i'm
becility, which everybody has been crticising,
il il fact that the militia of one mcnaced
State were under orders to march at mo-
ment's notice for nearly three days before it
was known that one regiment had no
ammunition whatever and all the rest
were impcrfeclly supplied And when this
lack was made known by lucky accident
the proper officers hardly knew how to furnish
the needed material, although there was an
abundance of it under their control. On
more than one occasion troops have been
placed on duty with no provision for quar-
termasters' supplies, and have actually suf-
fered from hunger until demoralzod and
unfit for service; and in one case am
munition for hOwitzers was sent to "a
battery of 3-inch rifed guns There have
been men enough, and officers enough. and
arms enough, and supplies enough, but in many
cases there has been no organizing force to
unity and yitalize these elements into any
thing like the condition OF an efficient
army. So long as Governors appoint In
spectors- General and OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
eral, and other members of their staff,
for purely ornamental purposes, and 80
long as officers are elected in the way they
now are, and for other reasons than that of
actual military capacity, there can be no as
sllrance that State Militia will be much su-
perior to an unorganizod mob. i few more
costly lessons may arouse State Governments
into perfecting and maintaining some adequate
preparation for emergencies which demand the
prompt exercise OF such force rs a well-trained
and organized sol]iery can alone supply.
Ii is all too late for such precautions after
cities are under the domination of lawless
rabble; but if in the immediate future there is
need of greater force than the authorities now
have at command, it will not be forgotten that
the country is full of men who have already
seen service. Ia few hours the regi-
ments now under arms could be recruited
to their full quota with veteran officers
and men, and such volunteers, instead
of being an encumbrancc to be labored with and
drilled into usefulness, would give increased
steadiness and immediate vigor to the National
Guard Some of the veteran organizations, like
the Grand Army, are already awake, and many
a Colonel, if the occasion were grave enough,
could issue call to the men whom he had
led against another re bellon, and who would not
fail when law and order were again in peril.
The Trades Union have proved that in the
future we shall have need of a Militia, organ
lied for actual service as well as for parade
Oh the Fourth of July. II there is need Of men
to-day, it is of men to whom the odor Of
burned gunpowder is not an unfamiliar fra
! grance-men who will fire when they arc