The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-28

Let it be borne in mind that tie new
doctrine that a standing army must be
kept up with express reference to crushing
out in blood the "uprisings Of the people
for the redress Of grievances, real 0rJ dcid,"
Is a doctrine launched ON the country by the
Administration OF RUTHERFoRD Il. HAYES.
The official document in which this doc
trine is set out Is the report Of c. W. Nc
CRARY, HAYrs's War Secretary, dated Nov.
10, 1871 This report, noting that 1T is az
sumed that our present force is sufficient
for the protection of our borders and II our
frontier settlements" proposes to "waive
here discussion OF that question: and 10
make an issue Oh increasing the army with
view to suppressing local disturbances
Mr.. MCCRARY says:
1.-THE presence of strong garrison IN any part ut the
founiry will ou'n prevent an uprising which In it,
absence might occur The great value Of strong Fed
,Ta torce stationed IN the vicinity Ut great cltp-
would be in the prevention Of mobs and violence
probably than IN their suppro ssion The army
Is 20 the United States what Welldisc pinned ami
trained polce force is to a city and tile is quite
necessary the other Those who oppose an} Increase
In the army do upon the theory that the local militia
Is sufficient for all the purposes of preserving the
peace and supprossns local upri.ngs.
Our fathers who framed the Constitution and who
were not without experience upon this point doubted
the wisdom Of relying upon the militia and proyidedfor
the employment u the Federal troops i0r is purpose 10
this seemed necessary to them ia the carly period OF our
history, when population WAS largely rural, ami the
spectacle seldom witnes seed of large of
idle, suffering and desperate. how much more ne.
il the same thing nowi A. ourcounry increases
In population and wealth. and AS great cities become nu
merous II must be clearly that there may be great
danger OF uprsnss Of LARGE masses OF people for the
redress OF grievances. real ianciod, and IL is we'll
known fact that such uprngs enlist in greater less
degree the SYM ates OF the communities In which they
occur This TACT alone renders the local militia unrc
able IN such an emergency"
Here then, HAYEs's War Secretary struck
the keynote for the debate which has
gone on In the House during the past week.
Expressly waving the discussion rs to
whether he had not enough troops for In
dian, Mexican, and routine garrison needs,
he asked for an imperial army as n substi-
.tute for local militia, requesting Congress
10 give HAYES plcnary authority to nearly
double the army by stroke Of his pen add
ing: "Wo may safely assume that such q
discretion would be exercised with hccom-
Ing moderation and prudence, and the grand
aggregate would never, in any probaJie
emergency arising in the recess OF Congress,
exceed 10000 menu
During the past week wo have heard these
monstrOus propositions reiterated in the
House Ninety years ago Mr.. MADISON
soid "a standing army is oic Of the great
est mischlels--a dangerous, at the same
''''e II may be necessary provision on the
smallest scale it has its inconvcnieuccs on
an oXtended scale its consequences may be
..'oi But wiser in his day, Mr.. ANsoN G.
M'NooK tells Congress- "The suggestion
tnat our army is a standing menace to our
Aoertles Is, In my opinion a childish one;"