, 1877-12-03
DEMOCRATS AND THE ARMY.
An Euglis1, Criticism nf Democratic 3In1ice
and Folly.

and Folly,
Lonfoa 7rn1',, lsor. l8.
The purp0-r for which the Congress OF the
United State. was called together at Wasl,inx-
ton soEne weeks before the ordinary time was,
Il will be remembered. the necessity ii obtain
Ing appropriations Tor The public services. slncc
the Houses hare assembled the most consp,eu-
Gus performance llave been Of purely rolItfc-
al. or rather karttsan, character, thotct so'lsc
quiet urt'grers has ',cen male with the Aprro-
priatiun bills. We published, tn Tuesday.
Telegram from o'sr American correspondent. In
which he stated t!lut tltc House Of 1scprcscnta.
tyrs had tHsRetl the hill provtihg for :he cost
OF the army. unfortunately !tnppears that the
llnitse. while not attempting 10 OH
strut the Executive by refusing
supplies for tic War Department, has taken
upon Itself to reduce largely the very modest
demands made In tic estimates presented by Mr.
sfeCrary. This had been done towards the close
Of Gcn. Grants Presidency by the Democratic
majority t,i thu late House of Representatives.
which was ut aloru powerful atrl more uu-
compromising than that now dominant i'll lie
1hIwrr Chamber Mt Washington. bu. the cir.
tlimttaliceh have ~ ttlInnltlelY clihuEctlt anu
the bitter purity sa!rt wh:l,a e.,up'e ot years
muetl abaiest. That II WIS not suspected That
the minority wtl,Ild again .lcal With thu nr.ny-
appropriations III hostile spirit. Unfortunate
IVA t1ffF tAHEu1HG txffGGtltlJH1 HlkE Hbt''
becn fultllc,l. The estimates ot The War DE.
pastuent claimed NJ adlltaoH to the military
lnrecs ni thu Federal Government, but they SUE.
Ecstci no reduction; and. indeed, 10th thc cir
United States since President iiayes entered
upon Ills Presidential oiIlee, TEEN with warnings
arainst diminishing the armed power VI the
ChIon. Moreover, Reductions III tho humber 0f
Yurnt, progressive, and .satcsnatIc, When the
Cunfctlorates laid down talc!r urns, little illute
tlan twelve years ngu, tlu Cnitcd States num-
hered morc than q million 'ucn ft the ranks.
OF these tro1ps weru dssbans.ed, and
ouly u small rcgulnr army Ut So,0o0 WIS
LIFT TO guard thu yust territory Of
the Kcnnhf!c agAllst tsnsllcstlc md foreign enc
III the following year the army should bc re-
dsccl tu II. .OO men. by subsequent legislation
It wus reduced to 25.uN men, and IT WA
brought still lower by tle victorious Democrats
change VI Government was made, tho army
consisted Of III Filorc than e!!,5Ju Hlen. Hut
cycn this su,:.ll forrs is now 10 bs reduced to
2o,0N men. The reduction ,proposcd by tne
| rn.y-Apuroprlatlnn bill In Committee vi tho
| Il0tlsc uE Representatives was resisted GY tho
HepublIeans. Hut. upon strict party vote IN
| full liouse, tho tlll as amended was carried
| by l:jj against III votes.
We arc struck at ilrst with mingled feeling
of establishment aid envy at this remarkable
measure. Its expaliency snny bu contested, but
Us possibility H. not denied even BY lta critics.
The United states will 0c as safe Iron, any sc-
rous pc1ils, such IS Invasion Or rtbt!s!ont with
| tAe'r standing ARMY ot ou0uO nlcn, ~ With my
lurger number that has been at the Alstnsal Of
tho Federal qovernmcnt stmcS the ~ d'sl,ndaen. ndt
| lsY, THO question that divides American
| opinion III RESPECT of army reorganization Is,
whether the work to BE- tiotI iif-ht net
b. h. n mS1e 5 nss'!xsay sn ,Ss .t1f:%as s % VIII ox S 81.
fc.cnt nro tho conditions which deter
mine tho form, and direction of stnt-
lar questions In Europe. With US, uuluckily,
q sas sstSr soss. Of ~ M s'a ms
for every l.Nn. wv OF tho population. or q
1000 men. Without speaking VI tho great NIL.
itary Powers of tho Cont!nent, Gcrinany ahl
Austria, France and Italy, each WELDING Nil
ferrlng TO thc desperate as'u .xnaussiag c'IIrts
Of thu coml,atants In The EtAt,--we may per.
ccive In the military estlmatca of *ceoitl-rAfs
and tl1ir.i.rato Powers, such ns Holland. 4icl.
giunl, Switzerland, aud Denmark, how stris'.
rent is the pressurs ir1ln which tho unlte.i
sh,tes are almost wholly relieved, llolland,
With q population. Of Iess thur 4.uo,UNt-
lcss than o,e-tcntls Ut tho population VI t!e
Unitcd statss,-,nalntains regular army
of IT,, ,UOO nIcn and u culonlal ARMY 0f 35,0A
uIr.,. 81 With the other sts,ail klngaoms an.
Republics nf Easotp. Tbs Ainrrlcans ": sub
iect to no such exIEencies, aud their disputes
atout tno numbers II their rsa:ular nrIuy hayt
no relation to thu saluc tlass ol CONTROVERSIES tn
European countries. They do not, perhaps, al':
nreclate their own happiness IN being delivered
that ".ialyhter ut thr horse-!cssi',' poltc,
bnscd ull war. lt they rated It nt its true
value, they would ts murc !ibsral aud lea,
Jealous IT. dealing with The modest little forge
which, be Its m.lH'bcr H,o03, u W uou. Or HUI
eau never become menace u liberty ut home
Or a proyueatt0n 10 iuretgn nallons. But
II tho good fortune vt tho An.erl
cans IN tnis respect Is such ~ m!eh'
well e1cite the envy Ut Europeans, the toI'tt-
ctaus Ut the favored Country are making au uu
wisa use Ut their opportunity. This pcrvtrsitV
with which tho democratic majority ~ ths
Lower HOUSE of Congress are pushing the ~
ducsolI VI the army to an irrational extreme
IL an omtlous sgu that tLa party which rsoba
bly will succeed to supreme power In thu Cnltes
STATES 1t tho next PRESIDENTIAL election hKs NO
yet been purgel Of tt!o olt lsayiE u adninis
rhc army of thc unltetl states has not to DC
fetla tho country sgaiAst tho designs u threat
OF great military Powers, but 4 has Important
functions " p,rt"r1n, a'Il, II ihese be isit oa
and tllc, Murh Inischet may bo done lu ~
ilrst place, there nre some troublesome neigh
bora to be watched OH slle Mexican frontier alit
uu tbs shurcs Ut the t;ulf. FillOaststtns ek!s,.
dlliuus urc not out Of date In those rcsols, a,'d
II there Was no military fortD Ut hand to Feic
pLratle4l attacks viii. prulaptttuds, the see1rat
i.pt only u hulfscttled territory Ike that a!on4
Tue lilo A1fAuuet out tFtu VI sottu1b"s pos sSS 80
rich plantations on the seaboal.i, En!ght oH tu!
perlleL Agair, the Indians u h !hy Eur We
are q permanent inenaee. An l4a!4a wy
now almost all annual event, and It t!as be-"
proved by repeated aud disastrous experience
: that to attark Indians With tnaataluata fosec
u to challenge defeat Lastly, d
army u needed u q reserve for tlt
: suppression Of domestic siolenee Oh ser!ou
, ! seale, 1he l,x4l authorities aIa held II
epuusible In the urst tnstancc TOR the prescrva
ton Of thu ueace, and arc lntruste: with the q
dluasy police of the eoulnluulty; but ~ gray
peal to the Federal Government lor assistance
!. f. il dcsir,bla that the Federal GovernneI
should be abls to render sueA assistance whc
It Is sought fora There would probably b. n
hesitation ln giving al Affirmative answer bt
, for the political u5U made OF this power by GoI
Graut's Administration md the c4Ipet-bu
: Governments which wcre upheld IN the solt
BY FedcrM o4youets. but 1t IL obvious tt;
tho elements Shirh threaten American y
I ciety With Danger frolu within arc BOT
= NUMEROUS and widely difuscd. Ths Cis
s War bred, especially iu the south. 4 Eeeklt
], | aul yiulsnt glsaa who have never tAkGu llu4