Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-08-14
n. G..
n. q.
We believe that there has been an en-

We believe that there has been an en-
campment or review, or something of
that kind in the vicinity of Philadelphia,
OF the sO-called National Guard of Penn
sylvania, under the command of General
Hartranft. We believe that it was not
very imposing assemblage in numbers.
Some newspaper complains of Lancaster
county that it had but one small CON-
pany present. We hear the complaint
calmly. We are not sure that We do not
hear it with satisfaction. On mature
consideration we think it likely that we
will come to the conclusion that is high
compliment to the good sense of our citi-
zens that they do not care to 60 a'sol-
diering in the /" National Guard" The
state militia Of Pennsylvania has never
been very imposing body by whatever
name it has been called. National
Guard is more high sounding title than
the simple one of militia, which was
born by our forefathers when they car
ried broom-sticks for arms on their an
nuai parade in which they were called
out to he counted and when they were
supposed to be drilled and instructed in
military art. There has always been a
great deal of supposition about our state
forces. The most elegant scheme on
paper never produced the troops. And
the fact is that the citizen of the state
won't turn himelf into holiday soldier
to suit the notion of the gentlemen of
the one military idea, who are convinced
that the salvation of the state depends
upon the organization of its people into
bodies of soldiery. The common sense
of the citizen tells him otherwise, and
his experience s,lstains his sense. Why
he asks himself, does Pennsylvania need
soldiers ? She has passed to the nation
al government all concerns with for.
cign nations. For instructions within
our own borders the law supplies the
authority Of the sheriff and the police
There only remains the contingency of d
dispute with the national government
to summon the people of the state
to arms in defence of their rights
Such a contingency is not contemplated
by men of the military idea and is moi
feared by others. Against its possibility
we may well say that sufficient unto the
day he the evil thereof. While the
United States has 50 small a standing
army it is not needful for the states tt
provide an armed force against possible
national aggression against their sOvcr:
eighty.
The real use the state has for soldier:
is to supply them to the national govern
ment in time Of war. But thi.
is the concern of the nation ani
there is no good reason why the state
should shoulder the expense Of preparing
soldiers for national use. Nor is the ma
tiOn likely to need great army on short
notice. No foreign enemy, able to cOpt
with us, is upon the continent, and no
body wants to contemplate the possibili
ty of another domestic rebellion. I'll.
state troops in fact become mere police
men TO he abused, rs they were year OF
two ago, in the railroad riots
Called out by the railroad com
pany's president, they were thrust
into a service which no citizen would
even voluntarily enter, and which there
fore, Il volunteer soldiery is not fitted t(
perform. Does the record of the Penn
sylvania troops in that emergency invite
the people of Pennsylvania to enter the
. National Guard ?'' Will they willing
Iy incur the danger of being ordered out
by railroad president to reduce to sub
lection their unjustly heated fellow citi-
zcns? There is no occasion for any sur
prise that the men of Lancaster county
do not affect the National Guard.'