The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-03-03
politital gfairs,
The Danger Of Standing Armies.

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1t is perhaps not astonishing that tbe
army commission sent to Europe, consist.
ing Of Gems Upton and Forsyth, and
Major Sanger, have come home with their
heads full of the Importance of large stand.
Ing armies. In general, the military men
OF the United States, though behind the
other professions in breadth Of culture and
IN intellectual development, especially in
all that concerns the. world outside of the
exceptional affairs of war, have been gen.
tlemen Of honor and honesty, and desery-
ing the respect which has been freely &C.
corded to them wherever they are known.
No old world standard, however, in regard
TO military establishments, has any appli.
cation whatever to country which is in
no more danger of invasion by other cou1-
tries than it is from the inhabitants of the
planets, and which is presumed to be SO
lar capable of selfgoyenment that it does
not need any assistance in that way from
any but civil, constitutional agencies. and
least OF all from the military. The patriots
who founded this government were oppos-
ed to standing armies in every form and
of every size, whether large or small, and
so were the leading champions of consti-
tutional liberty in England. Nothing but
the abnormal impetus to soldering given
by the late civil war, and the consequent
predominance of the military element in
the occupation of the executive chair by
mere soldier, has given the standing army
the prominence whichs it now holds in
American affairs. All common sense
people know that all we need of a regular
army in this country is to fight the few
feeble tribes of Indians that are still strug-
Cling for existence on our western from
tiers, and to man such forts as are deemed
necessary for the protection of our com
mercial ports. The military dependence
of this country is its immense force Of
militia, by whom the late war in the main
was fought, and whose courage and self.
sacrifice were never surpassed, if equalled,
by any regulars in the world. Any army
larger than our necessities, and which is
intended to do the work to which the army
has been devoted in the late elections-to
suppress the freedom Of elections and hold
the people down while robbers and brig
ands are going through their pockets--will
not be tolerated in this free country.
Nevertheless, the army commission which
has returned from Europe actually recon-
mend, as disclosed in letter of Gen. Up
ton to Gen. Sherman, TO establish three
corps darmee and cavalry corps amount
ing in all to $50, ,150 men, and to actually
furnish and support the 5,531 field officers
required to manage such an army, when
ever it should be called "to the flag" as
the Germans say. He would make the
present army of $4,000 men the nucleus
Of this larger force by districtiug the
country into permanent recruiting districts
and stations, in each of which certain reg
iments Of the State militia may be desig-
mated as "U. s. reserves" He also pro-
poses that the graduates Of colleges where
military instruction is given be all enrolled
as second lieutenants ofreserves, and placed
in the line Of promotion. He lays great
stress on the failure in the late war to
officer the volunteers ut once with those
who held commissions in the regular army
"a mistake for which he places the blame
on "the commander-in-chief and the adju-
tant general" Gen. Upton provides for
the shifting back and forth of line and
staff officers, and makes many other sug-
gestions. On the suppOsition that we
needed an army proportionate in any de-
gree to our strength, these plans might be
worth considering. But such a system
has no more application to the United
States than that Of the United States has
to European nations. Gen. Uptons talk
about our "three military neighbors, Spain,
Mexico and England" !" is irrelevant, not
to say nonsensical. Does Gen. Upton sup
pose that either Of these nations is likely
within one hundred years to molest the
United States within its borders2 What
impression did England make upon this
country over sixty years ago? Mexico
was conquered by the United States more
than quarter of century since, and it
is much as Spain can do to keep Cuba out
Of the hands of American fillibusters.
Even the argument from the civil war, in
which Gen. Upton says we spent thou
sand millions teaching men to fight, breaks
down, for, as contemporary observes, that
was not between armies, but between two
principles and two great sections Of the
country, neither of which would have
yielded until the last possible expenditure
Of blood and treasure had been made. If
the system Of Prussia had been complete
in this country the struggle would proba-
bly, have been no less sanguinary and cost
ly. 1t is to be hoped that the report of
the army commission will have the effect
of awakening the mind Of Congress and
the country to danger Of which we have
of late had SO many admonitions-the en-
croachment of the military upon the civil
power, and that the representatives Of the
people, in view of the many warnings which
have been lately given. of the danger Of
standing armies to American liberty, will
vote for the reduction of the present stand
ing army, (Which, having been 50 largely
posted at ballot-boxes of late instead Of
the frontier, must be too large for the mil
itary needs of the country, } to such
minimum as the present administration
has shown by its disposition Of the militia
ry is required for the purposes Of war
Bdttinaore Sun, FEB. IS.
Mr., Tilden's Letter.