The weekly clarion., 1877-08-29
The CJamOr for an Increase Of
the Standing Army.

the lefIiHc popular OelnOHslfdLlOHs III
the North, the pretext which the Repub
lican leaders urged in favor Of the scheme
was that it was necessary 10 hold the
Southern States in subiection but it has
been superseded by the argument now
used that il Is needed to put down riots
and mob law in the Northern States.
Congress will find itself face to face
with this issue as soon as it meets in Oc
tober There is but one way for that
body to deal with it, unless they have
made up their minds to subyert the Con
stitution and make ours a government
| of force instead Of government Of opin-
ion aud consent. Standing armies are
the most dangerous instruments Of des
potism, aud when a government claiming
to be republican, relies upon them for
performing police service and keeping
the peace in the States and municipali-
ties, it is on the high road to monarchy.
| The date is recent when the Supreme
Court Of the United States enunciated
/ the doctrine that under our Constitution
the army could not be employed for such
a purpose. But it is for this very pur
pose that the Radical leaders are now
asking a large increase Of the army
The trainers Of the Constitution never
intended that this government should be
come centralized monarchy, and there
| fore they were careful to secure to the
States and to inculcate the duty Of pro
viding for well regulated militia taken
from the body of the people for the very
purpose Of enforcing the authority Of
government and upholding the laws.
Article of the amendment to the Con
stitution adopted by the first Congress
provides:
! A wen regulated militia being necessary
| to the security of Il free state. the right OF
the people to keep and bear arms shall not
| be infringed.
Mr. jefferson, in his first inaugural
address, among other invaluable prlnci-
pies which he laid down for the guidance
of the people, said
! wen regulated militia is our best reli-
! auce in time of peace. ana for the first mo-
| ments OF war, till regulars may relieve
them.
Instead of keeping up an immense
regular army at enormous expense and
at the peril of public liberty, let the gov
erment in cases Of rare emergency, call
for a volunteer force. The ohivalry Of
the Southern States having no turbulent
element Of their own to hold in awe at
the piont of the bayonet, will readily re
spond to appeals which may be made to
them to put down Instructions in the less
favored and more disorderly communities.
Anything, even a small ''rebellion" occa-
sionally against constituted authority in
the Northern States where so many |
abuses abound rather than large stand |
ing army imperling the liberties of the
people of the States, Southern as we'll as
Northern.
We have given above a brief extract
from the author of the Declaration Of
independence. Let us draw something
further from the most ilInsrious of all
the champions Of popular liberty the
world has ever produced. In a letter to
James Madison, dated Paris, January
Both, 1897, referring to "late troubles in
the Eastern States" Git seems that that
combustible population were given to
riots then as well as now)-Mr. JET
ferson said:
Those States have suffered by the stop
page of the channels OF their commerce,
witch have not vet found other issues.
This must render money scarce, and make
the people uneasy. This uneaSiness has
acts absolutely uuluStlfi4ble; but .
hope they will provoke no seventies from
their governments. a consciousness OF
those in power that their administration of
The public affairs has been honest, may. 4
perhaps produce too great a degree Ot in
iignation: and those characters wherein
tear predominateS over hope, may appre- | !
lend too much from these Instances OF II
regularity. They may conclude too hastily
hat nature has forme med man insusceptible OF ,
my other government than that OF force,
conclusion not founded in truth nor tXpe- |
renee. Societies exist under three forms.
disGinguisbabe. l. Without
yovernm ent as among Indians. ,. Under
governments wherein the viii OF every one
Ias a just influence, as is the case In Eng
and, in a slight degree. aud IN our States.
n a great one. 3 UHder governments o.
orce: a is the ease in all o. her moaarchies. t
md in most of the other republics. To
lave an idea of the curse OF existence undrr {
heSe last. they must be.Seen. 10 IS gOrerR- a
aeat Of ie0lyeS 0Usr sheep It Is problem,
lOt & ear in nSV miud. that the first coudi /
ion j. not the best. EuJ believe it 10 be |
with any great degree Of popu-
alton. The seeond state has a great deal 5
I good in it, The mass Il mankind under h
hat, enjoys precious degree of liberty and
appiuess. II has lis evils too: the princi- :,
lie of which is the turbulence to which ii is .
ubiect But weigh this against the oppreS- u
ions of m onarchy. ana 1t becomes nothing. .
wen this evil is productive OF good. Ii =
reventS the degeneracy OF government. \
nd uouri~heS general attention Ia the y
ubtic atfirS 1 hold Il that q lutle rebellion =
or and then is Il good thing and as necessary a
. the political lcortd StOgHls IA the physical =
Unsuccessful rebellous, indeed, generally :
,tahlish the euorGaohments on the rights OF =
he people. which have protIaced them. An u
DServari0n of this truth. should render :
onest Republican governors So mild in !.
leir punishment of rebellions- as not To a.
seourage them too much. II as medicine y
eeSsayy for The sound hsaltt Of g0cernDae'H. - :,
This is what Mr.. Jefferson said one "
ln6red years ago, and his words are p
st as applicable now as they were then c.
ct the country have occasional doses of ~ ~
e medicine" to which he refers, IN OF
e form of such instructions as re- 10 10
ntly occurred in the Northern States IN
eferenee to a remedy il the shape OF a
rye standing army.
TNAsNfIrcH as one of the Senators from re