The sun., 1878-08-19
ABOLISH TIfE ARMY


solves, nm cNtirpatiOn Of tho OWL Ever sincC
the MrNican war u strife has bcon going Oh bo-
tween the people Of America and their so-callcd
regular army, and every year tho latter has
bccn cxtorting moro money from the pockets oi
the taxpayers on false rrctcnccs.
Tot US examine, in tho light Of recorded facts
taken from army histories. written by army olll-
ccrs, the question Of abolshng tho present
regular army and sec whcrc it brings us. No
taxpayer doubts that we should save s25, GOO 600
a year by abolishing tho regulars, but many
worthy citizens hoodwinked by tho organs Of
the Military Ring at Washington doubt the pos
sblity Of such abolition. They urge. in favor
Of tho present regular force. liz supposed scr-
vices. the dangers to society Of its absence, and
the supposed costllness Of volunteers.
Let us briefly examine these prctonsions.
First has our regular army ever done its duty
we'll: docs it now. and is il oyer likely 90 per-
form sufficient service to warrant tho cxpcn-
dituro of twcnty or thirty millions per annum
to sustainit
our regular army has suffered iust one severe
tcst. in 1861. when. II oyer this hired corps Of
professional soldiers had the opportunity
to prove whether they woro worth their
salt. II must hc fresh in the minds Of all those
people now beyond youth how signally tho
regular army failed OF its duty in that crisis,
tho first in lis long and lazy life. II Is sufficient
here - recall the faot that not oHe snigie nrwb0.
nfNr regiIGr army disi a. his BoN Ut IefeYce ~
RE Uroprfy Of fhe TUrr'lpen'. Rat post drr'
pOst ,cds gir't up ~ p,,sddbhnous security 70
he rdr mi.fp u Me Soiiih. and that the only
rnse of conflict before the raising Of volunteers
the homharlmcnt ot Fort Suntrrl torminutod
100 ttt SH1flidsr ~ ~ 10, u,.IfeGoisd tnfreSs hr-
t0rc a sitg' nidit ~ rs defctd,fs tdJ er,u lstt
Il may ho urgcl tina, this is a harsh view of
the case; that the rcgulararmy 81 trat day was
tro small in numbers To- have effected ANYTHING
ngniu-t tll" forces at the command of the South;
har ucks wore on nre and It's ultimate fall in
,vitihc when it sulrcudor"d Conocding all
that can be urged in favor Of the regulars. it
ported I'm caso anl idlcnoss for Just one pur-
post-to rgf when the time came. and that they
example Of hrroism t. the peaceful citizens ON
whom thcy affected and stll an cet o. look with
contcmpt Who can calculate on the mora
effect That would have be"n produced
ON the Union had tho four thousand
troops of the Regular army cnntoncd in
Texas fought hard anl died Ike heroes
instead uf surrondering Ike sheep as thcy did
to be cartcd into Washington irw months
later a domoralzel crowiY The ,odium
that would have been .ust on their Ms
salants and the glory of mariyrdom that
would have rurrpund~l their own massacre,
would in all likelihood huyr av"ried the civil
war hy the reNulsiOn in public feeling in tho
South caused 10y such spectacle Of herosm:
But this wa not 20 he. am ile contempt cr"nicd
IN the South by The uusillanimiiy OF the regular
army ended in Bull iiun and a four years war
True. the green mi,ita am raw volunteers
stampcdcd at Bull Run, While the regulars
stood their ground and fought. hut this was TO
be expected. Men cannot be- made into soldiers
in anonth and the Bull Run unuic was natural
g. creon trools; but he II also remembered that
the regulars did not rih the battle of Bull Run
that Il was regular officer VINO uumandod thc
beaten army, that thoir opponents were green
troops and that the superiority 9i the regulars
was by n, means grcat, enough 70 lustiiy the
sWe p9p Gn sas nee e MeSan a waa S4 ad Deon
Passing On through the history Of the civil
war do we flud single instance IN which the
regular nrmy. or any portion thereof. dis
volunteers sufficient o. justify the advantages
cnio ycd hy them at the expense II their tax
paying brethren The grcnt and horo, actions
0i the war were performed rs volunteers IN all
ras"s. and n the regulars maintained an
equality with their comrades 10 was Hll. In the
Army of tho Potomac there WAS ono division u
rcgulass so called and ekcd 0ut with yuluuio rs '.
mon lol No way to their volunteer comrades.
ON" hrr0dc - regular cavniry luls0 ckcd out
Win volunteers wits az that ,lu'b he mustered
ton in tho corps was that 1t wa "yory
ci.U.iuus.' In the Western armies the reg
ugrs were equally undesoWlng OF the
exclusive privileges granted 10 them. equally
undistingUlshed except for caution. Ii wns not
onte more. and this time We must admit that
thoy proved the suporiors Of the volunteers in
every respect Tor the work assigned 10 them.
II became necessary to hold the South under
martial law, 30 drHgoon elections, 20 garrison
leNcetNi towns. 20 spend fnllen energy N dress
larudes. and n ino 70 settle down 10 the dail y
lifc that u7el To- be led hy the Austrian army In
1omhardy before Magenta. Hero indeed. the
volunteers were found wanting, They grum-
hed. they deserted they mutinied. they came
and com sorted themselves 50 badly Tint II be.
came necessary to disband them, But mas
much rs II WIS also necessary 10 the life %! the
Repupllcan party 20 continue martial law in the
regular army 10 forty regiments Of Infantry
ten ~ rayary. ani I'VE oi artillery with q force
American citizens that our present regular
army WAS raised for the sole purpose OF keep.
ing down. part Of the, American, people. and
because II was found that the volunteers who
saved the Union, after the regular army had
| betrayed II 10 the enemy. would not permit
pressing their fellow citizens. Let this be re-
| memhrred whom the talk OF southern out
raGes s reiterated BY John sherman and his
| down the rebellion could not 500 these out
| ragcs. and would not be hired 20 invent them
| Will" the Increase Of tho regular army into Il
mcrcenary force 70 opprees the South only pro-
yoked the sp.rtof its inhabitants into revolt N
hercd thgt since 1870, and under the successive
| reductions OF the regul lar army 20 its present
force, peace und lqiet have grad qnly and par.
| italy returned 20 the Union. and Il will he seen
| that al! the facts So far ratent in history pOin'
| tonne conclusion. which II this:
The present regular army Of the United
| states IL dangerous to the safety of the pcopl,
| and popular government. and should he at once
| alnllshet. root ana branch.
| IL may he objected to this view that the army
| 70 necessary 10 the safety Of the frontier. an,
| Thy public property In the forts and arsc nals
| which require protection. II will be found. OI
examination. that this difficulty. Ike other,
suggested by the Military Ring ut Washington
Is more hohH9hlin To irighten children The
| only use of nine-tentls OF our fOrts on Ia,
| American seaeoast ID 10 consume money. Gnl
| II they Were dismantled. tho country would b,
| 50 muck the richer 10y the sale of their nov
| obsolete AMI useless nrmAmcnts. The few ser
| ycehblo ones could be garrisOned hy militia II
| case OF necessity. and AT all othor times left IL
a M "a lTau y Am
| ploYed TO do the real work.
The prime necessity OF the present day IL Il
| abolish our insolent, lazy oyerpad standing
| army. and y compel It's members to earn thei
| living as other men dc, instead OF eating th
| broad OF dleness, That once done and ever
officer thrown on his own resources, we shoul'
| be able 10 find exactly how much real necessit
W. have for an army. and 10 provide for thu
| necessity and no more. Even II we had to rails
anow army from time to time. as the Nolunteer
| were raised during tho rebellion we shoul'
| have gained a most important advantage b.
| abo oshlng threatening and dangerous claa
| IN the community. thai of professional sol
| dirrs. AZ present the officers OF our regula
| army consider themselves entitled To be- sup
| ported in idlencss for liie because thoY lOino,
| the regular instead of the vountecr army.
| cnptan ot volunteers. crippled for life. get
| tSa month pension q captain who joined tn
| regulars at the same time did tho same or les
service, and lost an arm. retircs will
! srventy-nve per cent. of his full pay
This is net lust to the taxpayers