Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-22
OUR SOLDIER BOYS.
The Recent Prize Drills AT Louisville
and Indianapolis. and the Les
SONS They Taught.
Abundant Evidence of the Very supe.
riOr Ability of Our Active Militia
Furnished.
Louisville Courier Journal.


The recent prize drills in this city and a,
Indianapolis furnished evidence enough OF
| the very superior ability of our active
militia, and did much toward reviving an
interest in military affairs. Few if any
companies In the country can do better work
tha the "Chickasaws" and "Crezcents," whose
performances on both occasions were 80
nearly equal in quality. Such efficiency as
these two companies exhibited is the result
OF extremely hard work-incessant drilling.
1t is this work feature which deters many
young men from joining a company of citizen
soldiers, quite as much as the expense oil the
thing. But the hard-practice drills have
their reward in the peaceful triumph of the
parade ground and beyond that in the active
and tangible strengthening of The country .
military arm. These tine young men, who
made such handsome appearance on dress
parade, are something more than fine weather
soldiers. II their services were needed in
active warfare, they would march 10 the
front as msnfully they would before the
grand stand on dress parade. Standing
armies OF any considerable magnitude
would be useless if a whole people were as
versed in tactics as the "Crescents" and
Chickasaws;" if every community could
boast OF military organizations like those
companies. One theory in this country is
that the regular army needs to be kept up,
with an annual succession OF officers as a
nucleus oil grand army, composed mainly
OF weli-drilled militia. We keep up the
regular army, but We do not keep up the
militia. There are not enough stimuli for
the young men. The work is very hard.
This latter omission is a very serious one.
1t cannot be admitted, as asseverated by de-
tractors OF a militia system, that the bravest
people, even under the stimulus Of a strong
cause, cannot suddenly take up arms and
carry on war successfully. Our late civil
war demonstrates the falacy of this position
yet how much more effective would citizen
seldiery be, when suddenly called to arms, TO
repel foreign invader, for instance, if
they are accustomed TO rigid drilling. Our
republican principle is that there shall
be no compulsIon in times of peace upon
the people TO be soldiers, but every
able-bodied man is expected to be ready
TO do his duty in time of war. So
every able-bodied man ough to know some
thing OF the duties of soldier. The re-
public OF Switzerland appreciates the i'm
portance of such preparation, and the popu-
lstion is divided into three classes for mill
tsry purposes, 10 be successfully called upon,
and all are instructed at stated periods dur
ing the year. The children are also in
structed in the use of arms, and are faith
fully drilled at their schools. The cost of
keeping up the army of ZOE, 1877 men, or
keeping the army In readiness for AYR Ia
standing army is forbidden by law, is lees
than So 10000 year, and the organization
is complete and efficient. The republic is
kept in state of defense by we'll organized
militia. THE legitimate object for the main
tenance of a standing army is the defense of
the nation; and this object could be most
efectually attained, in the case of people
really free, by abolishing a separate army
and rendering the entire nation defensively
warlike." Such is the view OF Captain John
Jacob, a distinguished British military
writer, AMI it is true, except in our
own country it is necessary to keep
up small standing army because of our
Indian population, the wild portion of which
has to be watched and periodically
fought on account of our peculiarly vicious
Indian policy. In England the militia force
is large, but very poor, very badly discip-
lined and drilled. The comments of English
papers on last years militia display estab-
fish that fact, and American officers vino
have seen that portion of England's mill
tary arm say it Is very forlorn-nothing to
be compared in effectiveness with our own.
There is no doubt that while our 125,00O
active militia get only superficial amount
OF drill, for the most part we hsve better
drilled and more soldierly men than exists
in the militia forces of England. Men of all
classes and standing in society make up our
crack companies, and if the flower of our
country's manhood were actually organized
in the States and under persistent drill there
would be no people on earth better prepared,
on sudden call to arms, than our own.
Under such conditions the assimilation of
the militia 10 the regular army would be
speedily accomplished. The Setting up
would be no difficult operation. AS
we in this country do not believe in
European militarism, which is drawing mil
lions OF men from productive industries to
be mere fighting machines, and entailing
charge of hundreds of millions annually on
the various governments, we must show 10
the world that we can rely with implicit con-
fidence on the patriotism and intelligence OF |
our citizens, and we must therefore give |
every encouragement to militia organization |
and take measures 10 secure perfection in |
drill. The prize drills at Louisville and In |
1ianapolis should be repeated next year. |
The Legislature OF this State should appro- |
pirate $4,000 year FOR the State troops and |
prize drills. Louisville should be able TO |
send at least one company into the field to |
for prizes. Success in this friendly |
'ivslry entails hard work, bat it is very |
lseful work. We should have State drill |
ng ground as has the State of New York.