The Wilmingtonian., 1884-07-05
THE MILITIA SYSTEM.

nucleus of an organization which might b
converted into an effective arm ofthe militai,
service at very tritiing outlay, and whicl
the honorable traditions of the Delawan
volunteers in the past fully Justify us il
expecting from the Government. If th,
Civil War taught any military lesson, it wa
that an undisciplined ill-eduipped and hast
lily organized militia was the placing of
premium on disgrace and defeat. BRAY,
they might be, but bravery is not the quality
which wins battles and decides campaigns
A mob is brave to rashness but it is easl,
controlled by small body of disciplined
troops. The exigences of the Civil Wa
repeatedly called forth the patriotism of the
able-bodied men of the country, but Of all
the tens OF thousands who responded to the
call, how many rendered effective service tc
the cause they served? They laid theil
| lives down for that cause they offered them
/
of the Slave, for the preservation of the
Union they loved SO well. But had the Gov
ernment been able to command standing
army such as European powers possess
even though that army had consisted of but
40, 600 men, the rebellion would have been
put down in six weeks. There is a disaf-
lected population of two millions in Ireland,
representing a hundred thousand men able,
willing, and ready to bear arms and COM
posed of the best fighting material OH the
globe. Yet this ever-threatened outbreak is
controlled by disciplined force of barely
10000 men, distributed over a wide space of
territory with indifferent military communi-
cations, 1t will be urged, of course, that we
have no such hostile element to deal with;
but we have what amounts to the same
thing, strikes and riots recurring periodically
and assuming most dangerous proportions,
simply because we have no disciplined and
properly equipped force ready to back the
power Of the civil authorities. In some
States, notably in New York. the militia is
we'll equipped and fairly effective, but in
many instances notably in Delaware-the
reverse is the rule. "When strong man
armed keepeth his house, his goods are at
p,+, 49, s.rI u.
ware militia more than that it is the express
| sion of the sense on the part of few
patriotic citizens that want exists which
the State is unable or unwilling to supply
and which they endeavor to fill to the best
of their ability ard their purses
In the event of any serious disturbance
and such events always occur when least
xpected-Delaware would have no other
resource than to appeal to the Federal gov
ernment, for her present militia would be
powerless in the presence of mob of two
thousand persons. They are just strong
enough to invite attack, and far too feeble
to cope with it. No State regiment should
consist of less than eight companies, ready
for service at an hou' S notice, and thor
oughly trained to the use of the weapons
with which they are furnished. Six hun
dred men should be the minimum strength
and the different companies should be
brought together for battalion drill at least
three times year, and if possible brigaded
with the volunteer troops of other States.
The Civil War found the South prepared;
it took the North by surprise, although
every visitor to our shores for the previous
twenty years had pronounced the event
inevitable. What was the result? Bull
Run, Balls Bluff, the failure of McClelan's
Virginia campaign speedily showed that
numbers We're of no avail against discipline
1t was not till the flower of the disciplined
troops of Lee fell befoIe the entertainments
at Gettysburg that the tide of success turned
Northwards. Pickett's men represented a
perfect organization; they wero annihilated,
| and there were none to take their places.
Even had the South had the men to draw
on, they could not have been brought up to
/ the proper state of efficiency under two
years. Discipline is TO the soldier what
tempering is to the watch spring or the tool;
! it is the difference between bending and
breaking in the hour Of trial. When the
State proves worthy Of her militia, we
believe-nay we are confident, that the militia
will prove worthy of the State.