The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-05-13

GEN. JONES On THE MILITIA RILL~IOn
The interior pages of this paper will be found
a letter from Adjutant-Ge neral tombstone
Jones, in reference to the proposed new
Militia Law. By training, by instinct, and
bv association. together with perhaps a
touch of p~aternal pride. our friend Gen
Jones speaks warmly of the bill, and sees in
it many excellencies over the old law.
1t is not probable that ANYTHING we might
say would at all effect the fate of the Bal:
therefore having already expressed our views
on it, we shall but briefly remark
lSt. Granting the old militia law 10 be oh
sole-e and worthless, why not 90 further and
abolish the whole system? When In Amer
lean History did ever a brigade OF militia
stand fire for a half Il dozen rounds: or fall
to demoralize the regulars by their flight?
But, say the advocates Of the new law. We
propose to organize and discipline this the
new commands until they ertU stand fire.
Just so, Then. we shall have a standing
army of $4,000 Regulars, and National
Guard Of 300. 600 as a Reserve \ strong
government, bent upon foreign wars. or
the crushing Of internal States, might
have use for such a force. In America IL
would be e steady drain upon the Treasury:
a standing threat to the civil powers, and
utterly un-aeeded perhaps Tor 4 century to
come.
True, the Guard is TO be primarily un-
der State control - that is to say, rLen not
called into Federal serrtce by the Presni0lt.
Under the present system it is not easy tor
the government TO use the militia. Abe LIN
coin in 1861 preferred to call for 1000
.svolunteers." Had there been at that day
a National Guard" of 700 we'll armed,
we'll trained, we'll oAicered soldiers in
each Congressional district it would have
been easy to whip out the States
before the Border States could come to the
rescue.
Z. S. Grant ir 1884 would need nothing
better than these 100 National Guards
men in each Congressional District to insure
his permanent election. The Southern
States Guards might oppose, but the stat
warts would be in the majority.
The National Guard is truly an ill-starred
name! 1t was the National Guard O
f France by whose b~ayonets Napoleon the LIST
overturned the First Republic. 1t was by
2 the same Guard that Louis Napoleon re-es
| tablished the Empire!
!, Our friend after arguing at length that
militia system is indispensable to the %securit.
: of the State-the intention being to Civ,
e the bone and sinew Of the country som
/ knowledge of military tactics and du
ties) proceeds to show that the new bill vii
cut down the number OF these experts t
SOME tUU men III edCi CtilplCS>lOudI blctliCt
= thus doing away with the very basis Of GU
militia organization. La q military point o
view, this may be judicious: it IS not, certain
~ from acivil and republican stand point. "
do not know that it is worth while to allud
to the power of such an ''elect,oneertng ma
t chine" as 700 men in each District, uniform
h ed, equipped, trained, inspired by a stson
sptrit-duco,ps, devoted to their officers
e and ever ready to approve Of any public ma
favoring thei: organization, or rice reyso
n Even under the old system a popular Militi
d General generally went 70 Congress.
Nor is it necessary 10 say that our obiet
e tons to the Bill are III no wise coudenlnat(
O ry ofGen. Scales. We agree With all tia
e Gen. Jones says Of him. We think well {
y him.
But like, Gen. Jones, he takes a soldtae,
view Of the measure; whereas VT conside
q its chief danger to rest in the fact that nal
a tnry men are SO strong in its favor. Shoul
d Grant be elected this fall, thereby shown
" that the majority Of the country wish
abandon the Republic Of our ancestors, an
lie set up a centralized, consolidated, strou
NATIONAL government, then we shall 9
# heartily for the Bill, provided the name |
changed to "G3unt Guards, and provided
of course, we are given 8 Brigadier Genera
ship therein.