The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-08-28

Reasons why n snouIa be- AbolIshed.


States never had regular army in the sense
in which it is now used by the military ring
at Washington. This appears on the face of
history. President Washington tried the
experiment of establishing such. force in
the American legion, but he himself was the
first to recognize its unsuitableness under
government of the people, and 1t was dis
banded during his term of Office. Thereafter,
until 1916, the regular troops, so called, were
really volunteers of the same class as those
who fought in our civil war-that is their
regiments were raised as required and
disbanded when the necessity was over.
From 1916 to 1880 only few regiments of
infanry and batteries of artillery were kept
in service. and they were obliged to earn
their wages like other Americans. The
Florida war and the extension of the fur
trade on the plains gave us only two cayal-
ny regiments 1.-THE old First and Second
dragoons) and it was not till the Mexican
war that the present exclusive, useless and
expensive regular army began TO accumu-
late power and to influence legislation IN
its own favor. All our present general
officers and heads of staff depart
ments entered the service during the
Mexican war, or Immediately after. 1t
was during the Mexican war that
the jealousy between volunteers and
regulars commenced, and that the regulars
first exhibited their hatred of their fellow
soldiers, simply because the volunteers did
not uepeDQ on government pap IOr u llNel-
hood in times of peace. 1t was in the Mex
lean war that the West Pointer first started
the opprobrious name OF mustang officers"
for all those who entered the army from civil
life; and the jealousy then reused has only
increased ever since. In Mexico, also, the
system which prolonged our civil war to
such period was first inaugurated, that OF
giving the volunteers all the work, while the
regulars got the prizes and glory. What the
regular army is now it has become under the
rule CT Grant, Sherman and Sheridan, all
men formed under that epoch.
These men have started the cry, familiar
in administration journals, that volunteers
are scostly and extravsgant" in comparison
with regulars. They point to the debt Of
the Union for the civil war as s., 900, 600, 900,
and insist that had half of that money been
spent in preserving regular army in proper
state we should have been saved the rebel.
lion.
Let us examine this question of relative
cost and see where we come out.
From 1851 to 1861 the United States gov
eminent expended nearly $500, 900, 900 on
the regular army yet il did not prevent the
rebellion, while about half of the West
Pointers in its ranks joined the enemy,
many of them leaving the service almost
under fire, while every man drew the
last available cent of his pay. Did this
$500, 600, 600 justify itself by service, when,
as noted in former letter, not one regular
officer or soldier died in defense of his post.
until the green volunteers were called from
pillow and counting room to shame the PRO
fessional soldiers" into some show of man.
hood. Let us suppose that we had never
had regular army, out depended on volun-
teers from 1916 to 1861, raising them as re-
Quired We might still have had q rebellion,
but the country would have been about
thousand millions richer, and Jefferson Da-
Wis and Robert E. Lee would not have been
- IL \ L..
of the knowledge acquired at the national
expense at the military academy at West
Point
What is the use of maintaining as we do
to-day, at an expense OF $4,000, 900 per an
mum. a regular army which is no protection
to in war, which never yet saved the
United States from any danger, and which
has to be replaced by volunteers whenever
fighting is necessary? The military ring at
Washington answers by referring to the
chain of forts in the military division OF the
Missouri and to the police duties performed
by the soldiers. Ii they do render such SER
vices let us as the Canadians do, call them
by their right name-police.
Let us abolish the regular army entirely,
and strip it of its coat of tinsel and sham. 1t
never was and never has been an army of
soldiers, and never will be under its present
system. The only soldiers the>U nited States
has ever had have been volunteers. The
nothing else. Let us call them by their
right name, as they do in Canada, and save
SIS. 000, 900 out of $50, 900 600 year.
We should then avoid leaning on a rotten
reed, as we did in 1861. The whole history
of the United States regulars shows them to
be policemen, and nothing else, ever since
the period of the Mexican war. The voiun-
teers. who were real soldiers, refused to turn
policemen in 1865, to spy on the southern
population; but the regulars rejOiced in
their work, and waxed fat and
insolent in garrisoning southern
cities. Now, it is time this police force were
reduced to proper dimensions as in Canada
The whole of the Indian tribes in Canada,
from the 49th parallel to Alaska are con-
trolled by 240 mounted police, with a super
intendent, deputy and four captains. The
army Of Canada-its real army-numbers
10000 men, more than our regular army,
and is called militia. This militia may be
raw and Impractical, but it has never yet
failed to fight when attacked and would de-
velop into an army as good as our volunteers
one campaign. 1t costs $500, 900 year,
the mounted police $500 900 making half
million dollars for all of Canada each year.
We have a regular army, so called, costing
thirty millions per annum. How does it
compare in utility with that of Canada?
First it fails to keep the Indians in order
and shows itself worthless as police. Sec
ondly, il war were declared between Canada
and the United States tomorrow, Canada
could place 10000 men on New York soil in
q week, passibly disciplined, and fair shotsat
the target. III the United States depended
on the regulars alone, that week could not
possibly see more than l. 500 regulars put In
fine to oppose the 10000 Canada militia
The fighting would, as in 1861, have TO fall
on New York militia and volunteers.
Is it not then time for the American peo-
pie to wake up and abolish this expensive
body of police. going under the name of
soldiers, that never has been, is not now,
and never can be a protection TO the coun-
try?
The letter treats of nothing but facts, cas-
lily to be tested by figures and records of our
government 1t has pointed out two things
the uselsssnsss and costliness of the
American regular army, so called. In the
next we will consider what are the dangers
of this army to the American government
OF and by the people.
POPULATION.