The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-18
The Army an Unconstitutional Body.

The army cost the people of the United
States in 1871, s95, 1895 o; in 1872 S35,372l57;
in 1873, $40 239 1885, in 1874 Si2 9l9, 927 in 1875
$4l1206i5; in 1876. S3sO7O,sss; in 1877,
s37 Os2 1855; and about $50, 600, 900 in 1873. For
the support OF this institution the people
have been taxed in the last eight years
three hundred and twelve millions Of dol
lars. This enormous tax has been imposed,
collected, and spent without particle OF
authority derived from the organic law OF
the nation. The army now exists outside Of
the Constitution of the United States. II
has no legitimate being. Every dollar voted
TO it by Congress is an unlawful misapplica-
ton OF public money.
The Forty-sixth Congress will. we hope,
contain more than one member who has
the courage and Intelligence TO consider
an army appropriation bill strictly in the
light OF the Constitution OF the country,
and to free his speech and his votes
from the tyranny Of legislative habit,
OF ignorant public sentiment, and the
seductions OF the military order which has
fastened itself on the revenues of the nation.
The provision for a military system made
by our organic law is SO simple and plain
that 1t Is q matter for astonishment that
standing army has got rooted into our poll
tics without violent and protracted strug
gle. It's existence actually is revolutionary.
Two military systems are contemplated
by the Constitution one temporary to meet
temporary needs, the other permanent. The
temporary one is an army to be raised and
supported by Congress The permanent one
is the militia OF the States. The temporary
military force is authorized by the 18th
article of the Sth section, which provides
that the Congress shall have power :" to
raise and support armies; but no approprl-
alton OF money for that use shall be for a
longer term than two years. The next ar
ticle, the 18TH which empowers Congress
to provide and maintain a navy" will
serve TO define the meaning Of the 18th. To
maintain Is 10 keep up, continue, to hold in
particular condition, not h suffer To de-
cline or fail, not to relinquish The author
ity 10 maintain navy implies n permanent
naval establishment as part Of our Federal
system. But the word support used in
the authority TO raise " armies - lin the
plural NUMBER carries no such meaning.
TIC" support an army Is 10 arm, feed and
clothe it. provide it with necessary trans
portation and medical care, and shelter it
when not on the march.
Had the Convention which framed the
Constitution intended TO provide for IA
standing army, it would have used the
word army" in the singular number,
and not "armies in the plural which
imports succession and temporary eX-
istence, and it would have employed the
decisive word maintain" as 1t did in
the case Of the navy. But the Conyen-
ton HAD no thought of a standing army,
Its purpose in the 18th section Of the Sth
article was to provide for military defence
or aggression as occasions for either should
arise in tho future. The occasions ending,
the Support" OF tho armies was 10 cease.
They were not TO be maintained. Only a
navy was 10 be maintained.
This inevitable inference from COM
parison Of the two articles OF the Con-
stitutlon. which lie side by side, is con-
flrmed by the limitations Of tho time
during which an appropriation of money
10 support an army can endure. 1t Is
restricted to two years. There is no such
restriction in the ease of the navy. FoI
that was intended to be permanent, the
opinion being that maritime force would