The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-04

We have heard great deal from Admins
tralion papers about our ovcrworkcd ami
depleted regular army Mr.. THOMAS MAST
Ia. presented Us with sentimental pictures
Of imaginary slave drivers hacking OF the
limits Of kclcton in uniform, supposed to
typify this much-abuscd army. and certain
innocent people bcwtil themselves over the
idea tapt the country Is going To the dog
hroau-o the regular army has been reduced
to 21.ool men.
Believing that the American people arcby
no means fools, that thcy can 500 facts whcn
They are shown to them, and that they will
at on those facts at tine right time, IlIE
SuN, which shines for all, seeks to light up
The dark places behind which the Army Ring
has go long hidden, and to let the people SEQ
for Themselves whittier this army Will take
them. u it be- not destroyed
First, let W. examine the attitude assumed
by the def udcrs Of the standing army in
iluity. No one has put it 80 plainly a. that
tirclc-s champion 81 Grantlsm and Fraud,
the caricatur~t MAST. In few words he
says by his cartoons: The army saved the
! Union in the war; the rebels are now in
power; they hate the army because it beat
them; therefore they are trying to destroy
| it, 50 that they may renew the Old war
The whole plea Of the apolOgists for the
| present regular army and all its misdccds
amounts to just this in plain English words
and yet the facts prove every word and
argument false.
FIRST the regular army never saved the
! Union; on the contrary, it did its utmost to
| hetray it. 1t was the dragons Of Old BULL
n - Ia. nautt,
which ended in civil war and it was the
regulars Of 1wIuGs and half the Wet
Pointers ia the army, that tamely de-
| liycrcd up the ctHntry ~ it, then enemies.
| During the war the old regular officers
| were, almost to man, in favor II slavery,
and did their utmost TO prUlong the contest,
and the regular troops never showed any
enthusiasm OF daring, as they did in Mexico
when plunldr was inprospect. Secondly, the
rebels do not hate the regular army but, on
the contrary, love 1t 50 dearly that every
| West Pointer who turned his coat in 1861 is
anxious to get back into that same regular
army as soon rs he can. The old slave
holders all loved the army, and they love it
still, They knew instnctively in the old
times that the army was sure to be found
|
in .slIuport u tyranny, however grinding:
They long for it now as Il haven oI reIdgc
for the broken-down slaveholding families,
with members too lazy to work, too proud
to beg except of the nation-but all hun
CRY for n good square meal at The public
crib, Army commissions would be- godscnd-
to this class, for they have one good quail
ty- courage No better food for powder
can be found than your southern officer
! and soldier, proud OF his descent amid ali
his poverty, and did we need such men at
all, they would he welcome as soldiers
Happily for us and them, the United States
l. at peace with all the world, and no one is
likely to attnck rs for the next half century
The experience Of 1861 showed the rest Of
the world that nation which could kool
nearly two millions Of men in arms for Tho
mere purpusc " indulging domestic qual,
rel would prove the greatest military powel
Of the globe in time Of war. We need n,
regular army, for We have no enemies, an,
least Of all do we need one To put down any
fresh rebellion in The South for the expc
ri"ncc of 1861 showed that for such pur
pose the regular army il hut rotten reed
sure to break asunder at the first strain.
The question then arises why we nee,
an army AT all; and the answer Is perfectly
plain 70 III" common sense of every mpl
who will take the pains TO study the facts
We d. not no.d Il ro0niu 0rmu
The next question IL, why wa kocp one
and here also the answer Is plain
Oar present yeS u!ar army was established