The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-07-30
What Our Militia Should BE.

Is this nation certain to be never involved
In war? What Is the certainty? Have VIC Joined
peace society," War is popular idea In our people.
Party platforms have pronounced for war to carry
Presidential elections reckless House Of Repre-
sentatives s clustering Its hostile demands Eng
land Tor rights OF Irish subjects To practice scdiol In
English Jurisdiction 1t Is commonly believed that
The Administration began an nerpostlon In the Chlli
aud Peru war which would have drawn MS Into war,
We escaped II by backing ont and thereby rot snub
from Chl witch does moi SGT well on the national
stomach. Going back little, the HAYES administra-
tOn had an itch for war with Mexico, and Grant
came near rushing us into with Spain. We are
the most belllcose people In the world the most liza
BILE OF any to be precipitaed into war. II we had
Joined the peace society and beaten musLets into
piowsharcs, and converted all our cannon TO monu-
ments, have other nations done this? Their arma-
ments have Increased and are increasing, and
upon the rule that IN modern war the blow must be
ready to 40 with the word. What has made MS
cure against war with these great military
poweisY The ocean, II can fetch TO our
shores swiftly moving iron forts, which to
our present guns are imnregnable, and which
We have not means to keep out OF our ports
Any great power can have at command, either by
ownership charter, any desired number Of steam
ships which each carry from 900 to g 600 soldiers
aud equipments and cross over In eight or days.
What II we shsuld happen 10 find the ocean enemy
Instead Of protector
hut the country has now, In the disbanded yolun-
eers of the secession war. the for ganiz-
ing a volunteer army; This Is large part of our
element OF oar security now, what will he security
when The veteran volunteer shall have become too old
for servicer years have passed since thai
war began. lie who volunteered In the beginning at
the age of twenty three IL past the military age
The greater part of those who served past the
proper age for service In the ranks. The officers,
cept those who enlisted quite young and quickly,
even now too old TO enlist for war. out OF
the veterans there might DO enough at this time TO
make the oceTs OF an army and perhaps the skeletons
of the several formations but the great of the
soldiers would have to he Of new material, now.
In few years all VIII have to be new and all the
education Of the people by the war, In the soldiers
art Will have gone, save as II has been continued by
the militia. The war disbanded more than 100, 600
thoroughly trained soldiers In the state Of Ohio,
disciplined In all tho duties Of the camp, the march,
ntrenclllng and hghtlng, and competent TO impaTt
this training, II dishanded thousands Of OfceTs
trained In all these parts Of the soldier well In
the organization Of all departments of army In the
field.
II our country should get into war should we not
realize the impr0yldence of letting all this generation
Of trained soldiers pass away without imparng their
training to succeeding generation, In an adequate
militia Then II would lie said that Ohio might
have lad militia, trained by her citizens, as
well disciplined In all the duties of The camp and
field as the Regular Army, and that such body of
militia as Ohio should have maintained, and one In
the ratio In the other State would have cOnstl
tuted great army, ready TO take the field, and TO
make the country uTe, even II great continental
ower-GermaDy, for exampe-shOuld loin a great
naval power In pouring troops Into America, Ne
mpTOyldence Is SO costly as to take unframed men
into the helds-Cihciandt GgseHe.