The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-10-30

lawyer, and 5000 of the 1000 were loo
al troops
The struggle in front Of New Orleans
shows the excellence of q militia OF
marksmen and the defects of all militia.
1t is the old militia tale of a good fight
behind ramparts, and a very poor one
in the field. To conclude:
Such is the history of the American
as a soldier, when he goes forth to bat
tie without organization and discipline,
invested with the uniform, the suppos-
ed legal privileges, and the military ig-
norance Of our home guards. Is there
anywhere, in the records of civilized
and gallant races, such another mon
otonous chronicle of disaster and dis
gracep When we talk about ''the hero
ism Of our forefeathers" we ought to
state that we do not mean the troops
Of the local governments. To deserve
the epithet Of heroic 1t is not sufficient
merely to shoot well from behind breast
works; it is necessary also to stand firm
upon an equal field. to carry strong
POSITIONS and to storm ramparts; and
not one of these things has been done
by u militia.
Do the American people, a people of
brave and intelligent men, like such a
military historyp Is it proud of produc-
ing battalions whose wretched organ
~ization and lack of discipline are sure,
in an open field, to send them to the
right-about before an advance Of good
troops? If 1t wishes for a moro Spart-
an record in future wars, it must get
rid of its provincial system Of defence,
aud devise something more practical.
The entire ~antiquated and feeble jum-
BILE, with its forty civilian headquarters
and its party-colored host of predestin-
ed runaways. should be swept out of
existence. In place of state troops who
will not cross frontiers and who owe al
legiance to governors, let us have a
force of national volunteers, willing to
march wherever they can see the en-
emies of their country, and bound by
oath to obey its congress and chief ma
gistrate. Only W. must remember that
even these will need the backing Of a
good regular army, to furnish them
with instructors and commanders of a
high grade, and to steady them in their
first battles.
This is sound and sensible, and we
commend it to the attention Of the
gentlemen of the militia convention,
whose local feeling is stronger than
their appreciation of correct military
principles. Whatever the exceptions,
in spite of them it remains true, that
the militia can never, as a whole, be
| elevated above the rank of an armed
local police until it is placed upon a ma
tional footing, and subjected to the dis
cipline and instruction of professional
soldiers. This is equivalent to making
them part of the regular army, and If
this involves too violent a shock to our
political system, let US al least save ur-
selves from the folly of imagining that
60 - : sar,nns amaraancv mon
$500 n,.s.ssea ~ , sn;r;t 81 1oc,l;ty
~ indanondsnt % h military COW
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10, n,.afaranoos r. 10 III nr;de 81 orr
80 $500 ~. 800 ~ tha,r ror;.
ua~t. ~ oomnosaa 80 mon ird;v,drsI-
IT, ettod NV th.;r inte,,;oence 70 com.
mard. hui rnfortnnoteiv for tho seri.
one business ~ war wa reouire Loo. of
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oe,ha sn;re 80 u;oId w;I,ina,v or nm.
uun;nair mos. .hsoIute ohed;ence
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