Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1877-05-15
THE ARMY.

Thirteen years After the war. when
thought We we're safe for the rest Of our
days, We ind ourselves left cut In the cold.
without pay. or rations. or anything-neg-
lected. slighted. hurt In feeling. but not In
courage. Destroy your army and your
Government. and you are . msb. Tho
Government cannot subsist without an
army. and that must BE- . good one. too"
The above words were spoken BY VIM.
7. sherman. General Of the United
States Army. at the annual banquet Of
the New York Chamber Of Commerce
last night. They are telling words, every
one Of them. and we'll worthy the con-
sideration Of the American people.
There 10 . great deal Of talk now about
abolishing the army ; about leaving this
country with no mean Of defense In
case Of war. We voadsr where the
United States would have been in 1850
IL Fort samptsrh had not been sarrisoned
by q brave band OF Union soldiers.
Does not every man Of ordinary CON-
mon sense know that but for the delay
caused by the heroic defense OF that fort
by Col. Andersen. va should have been
unable to raise tho necessary volunteer
troops in time TO meet the rebels n
save Washington from being captured :
Does not every reasonable man know
that but for the regular army at that
time, the United States to-day would BE-
split up into different sections. and hal
We should DO but q second edition Of
Mexico. every State fighting for itself,
aud anarchy ami confusion rsisnins all
over the Unioni
We do not anticipate another rebel
lion. What we have said above is aim
ply to show what the army has done for
US In the past. But We arc liable at any
time to he involved in q foreign war.
They tell us that W. can raise volunteers.
so We a N But raisins volunteers takes
time. More than that. II takss money.
L,rze bountiss have to be offered. and
the Government has to pay the boun-
ties. 1t takes hundreds OF thousands OF
dollars to enlist one regiment. and many
hundred regiments will Be required to
defend this nation against the assaults
OF even the smallest country which may
a.saii IL. Tho time. however. required
10 enlist and drill the men Is 81 more
importance than the money expended.
While we are raising our "volun-
teer'' army. the enemy may gain a
vantage ground which will place him
in a condition to dictate terms Of peace
TO Us. But IL We have q regular army.
well drilled and well Differed. which we
can place in the field at once. We are
ready ut all times for every emergency
1t is urged by the Democrats who con-
troll the House OF Representatives. that
the army has been used In the past to
eoerce the Southern States. That argu-
mcnt is no longer applicable. for Prs.i-
dent Hayes has taken \ new departure.
ard not one United States soldier Is o
quartersd in q single State house in the
South. The late rebellious States are
now free to govern themselves in their
own way. Ii Is true that n portion OF
the army is still within their borders.
But the same thing may 30 said Of the
Northern, Eastern and Western States.
There are United States soldiers in New
York. In Massachusetts,. and in Califor-
mia; yet none Of these States complain.
II the citizens Of Louisiana and South
Carolina cannot tolerate the sight OF q
blue uniform. they are a. much traitors
n, heart as they were in 1860. But We
do not believe that the people Of the
South demand. or even ask. the aboli-
ton Of the United States army.
The House Of Representatives have 1t
in their power to practically abolish the
army. They can refuse to appropriate
money for its support, and Of course II
the men are not paid they must be dis
banded. II is to be hoped. however.
that the members Of the House will look
upon this subject from a practical point.
anil retain an institution which Is even
I