Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-06-27
GEN. HAwLEY's ADDRESS.

JoN'ph lfaWlcy oil Connecticut.
GEN. HAwLEY's ADDRESS.
General Hawley discussed the Military
forces of the Republic, considered in rela-
/ ton to foreign war and domestic violence,
and their subordinaion to the civil author
ity and insisted upon the duty.of maintain
ing thoroughly educated and effective Ma
tional army, and well organized militia
We take the following extracts from the adj
dress:
/ In the United States we have divided
sodiery with a divided relation To the civil
! power. The National Government has its
/ sphere of duties and powers which, through
! great tribulatiOn, have become tulerably
well defined in the Judgment of all patriotic
/ men. 1t alone is authorized 10 maintain Il
standing army, and within the defined limits
/ of the law il may and must use that army
| for the maintenance Of proper National
supremacy. Partly because Of its having
such force always ready, the States are aII-
thorizcd through their Legislatures, or
Governor to call for its assistance in case of
insurrection or domestic violence. There
is no sense or reason in this country for the
fierce prejudice against the National army
that had such philosophical and natural
foundation in England. Our army is not
the army of king maintained by his prerog-
gltive. 1t is maintained by our votes aud
direction, by taxes levied by ourselves upon
ourselves. 1t is used and governed by an
executive and by officers who receive their
commissions, their pay, and all their ordin-
nances and regulations from us
And yet it is not well that the people of
our States Sh....I.l fall into an easy hal.i' NJ
I I,.lN National
nestle violence; wherefore it seems to me
every one must admit the very great impor-
tance of respectable and efficient militia
Ii was not agreeable to see, as We have seen
within two Years past the executives of sew
eral States compelled TO call upon the Ma
tional Government for the scanty force of
Federal troops kept on the Atlantic coast
but ON the other hand, it was extremely sat
isfactOry TO see that nowhere was a single
soldier of the National army assaulted, nor
was it necessary for the smallest squad
moving through the most violent tumults to
fire Il shot Wherever the National flag was
carried by our boys in blue it was salued
with honor. 1t was received as a blessing by
the well-dispOsed citizens, and even the
rioter would often grant it respect as an eN-
cIIse for deviatiug from the dangerous course |
upon which he had started.
have no expectation that anything | may !
say here will bc needed beyond the day of its |
uttcrancr, hut | follow in the footsteps of |
many ilustrious predecessors in enforcing the
duty Of n wel-orsanzed militia. do 80 be !
cause it would furnish the executives of the |
several States the means of enforcing law in !
nineteen cases out Of twenty without any IT,
sort to Federal power, and thereby escaping /
many controversies and heartburninrs do |
it hccause it is the duty of each State to !
maintain order within its own limits, and |
command respect for its own laws. | do it |
because il would excuse the National Gov !
CrnmCnl from the maintenance of large |
standing army. and would afford |
the most economical and satisfactory !
preparation for for ign war.
do not assume TO fix the numbers of the /
national army, on the numbers of our trained /
militia Possibly of the former. -, or |
80, 900 may he sufficient. trust it is in all .
matters concerning the protecting of the /
public property AMI the maintenance uf our /
Notifications, and the keeping of the public /
peace. have had serious doubts when |
perceived the very great labors and suffer .
inss of our soldiers in repeated instances .
in those unhappy wars which it seems our
fate to wage constantly with the Indians. .
Apparently sometimes ii was thought im- .
proper 10 take advantage Oi tins particular .
enemy, and that "A force in no wise superior .
Ia his own ought Ia he sent against him. II .
there he two hundred Indians to he suhlued. .
il is certainly more humane, and | shall .
effect some souls if | say more economical, .
to send against them II thousand men, who .
may prevail without any lighting. than 10
send three hundred wh1 may lnosc fity in
fierce combat Certainly that is the policy
of Il wise general in ordinary warfare. II
it hc possible to gain his end without the E
sacrifice "f men ly the display ot an over
whclmins force. he should br glad to dn it.
lie is murderer il be- mr.tslIie, numbers
:is to make an unnecessary light.
To discourse upon the dangers ta liberty
of any such regular army We have ever
maintained or are likely to maintain in time Of
peace is IN injustice Ia the American soldier
and lamcntahlc miSiudsmcnt of the Amcri-
can citizen. That $4,000. N. nOO or u 100
OOO regular troops. under the lead ni an AM
bilious general could overthrow the Amrri-
can Government is not within the limits of
possibility and if We may judge nt the fu-
turc hv the past. there is even less likelihood
that any great American soldier will ever
undertake it. II hc shall try it, W.
shall send constable after HIM Brncath
the millions Jl citizens capable of hearing
arms in such AN emergency, hr would -
down like q reed. Judged as a whole. We
have had no morc loyal and patriotic body
OF men in the country than the officers "t the
regular army Even during thu late great
rebellion ar.cr proportion ot them remain
cd true Ia the illT than ct any other class "t
men, tNcruilvc, judicial legislative, pr'lrS-
siunal ur ni whatever sort even clerical This
ought To- have been expected from their sPr-
cial education az tho national chanpIons, yet
it onc considers the legal doctrines taught
those who were natives at the South, even in
some measure crrepin. into the law books
used AT West Point, the surprise is that So
few Joined the rebellion But in support of
the proposition ! am nov ur'lng, | Cin sum
mon even tn. rebel West Pointers them
srlvcs, for within their sphere they were
without exception luNally subordinate in
their own civil government.
cur standing army, drpcnient from year
To year upon the appropriations of the Con
grcSs. olrcrcd ly men who have slowly won
thtir way tr the head, promoted hy the
Judgment uI the thlcI Executive, undtr the
eve al a wnlrhiul people. and scattered from
the Atlantic To the Pacific from the lakes
To the gulf is in NO respect likely 10 hr sub
orlinaIcd To trcasonahc purposes. | speak
ui the officers observe, rs To the prlNatrs,
that there il NJ recorded instIncc of - much
as "A ,omImny'S sidng with the rebellion at
its outbreak And from its organization to
this daN tho tone ui the army has been that
hciillinn soldiers and gentlemen. ! admit
cNccptiuns hu, thrN mr crti1iulN quite rs
few ~ an, unn lrr, u rirht tu 'Npcrl ut pror
human naturr Fer nnr during the hl'
.-rrlr war. thou. .hI s.auurimls with dis.
,ytctahlr apprehension ut She mu,tiludr eft 3
4 tI..,t J.. I,aa