The National tribune., 1884-02-07
Our Volunteer MILITIA.

The maintenance of an efficient militia was
an object Of special solicitude with George
Washington. When resigning his commits
sion at the close of the long contest which
secured the independence of the United
States, he addressed communication to the
governors of all the States, in which he
recommended the adoption of q proper
peace establishment, in which care should
be taken to place the militia throughout the
Union on regular, uniform and efficient
footing" adding that g the militia of this
country must be regarded as the palladium
of our security To the Congress of 1893
he said: They the militia) may be trained
to degree of energy equal to every exigency
OF the United States;" and, again, in the
following year he said to Congress: THE
deyising and establishing of a well-regulated
militia would be genuine source of legisla-
tive honor and perfect title to public
gratitude" The succeeding year, with in
creased earnestness, he said The subject
is of SO much moment, in my estimation, as
to excite constant solicitude that the con-
sideration of it may be renewed till the
greatest attainable perfection shall be ac-
complishedn
Jefferson, Mason, Randolph, and others of
the statesmen of those early days of the
Republic, have left the record of their solicit
tude in this regard
Jefferson said: "For people who are
free, and who mean to remain so, a we'll
organized militia is their best security"
In conformity with this sentiment one of
the earliest acts of the House of Representa-
tives in 1889 was the appointment of a COM
mittee to prepare bill to organize the mill
tia The matter was discussed through three
succeeding sessions, and in 1892 bill was
passed requiring every citizen to arm HIM
self and be enrolled in corps of militia"
In 1894 a bill was reported to organize
a select corps of militia, to be armed and
equipped by the General Government, and
paid when in annual camps of instruction"
Different changes in the militia system were
discussed in succeeding sessions until 1893,
when the threatening condition of our rela-
tions with France eliminated in the forma-
ton of provincial army and other warlike
preparations that temporarily suspended the
consideration of the militia system.
1t was chiefly through the efforts of JEFF
ferson that the law of April %, 1908, was
passed making permanent appropriation
of 100000 a year to provide arms and
equipments for the militia. The proyi-
sion of the old law, however, requiring
every citizen to arm himself, was not re-
pealed and still remains in the statute. The
wisdom of this provision became apparent
in the war of 1912, when the Government of
the United States was enabled to support It's
standing army of about 10000 men with a
militia force of Al, 622.
1t may be urged that the comparatively
feeble condition of the United States in its
early history, when, with population in
| 1890 of 3,929,214, it assumed control over a
country SO vast as that embraced within its
| area, required supreme effort on the part
of its citizens to uphold the power of the
Government, and that, with its present
population Of 50,155, 1888, the country has
nothing to fear from foreign powers. The
experience of 1861 demonstrated the fact
that the fear we, as people, have cause to
entertain is from domestic, rather than from
foreign foes. The universal freedom accord
ed by us to all corners, regardless of the
sentiments they express; the presence within
our borders of dangerous organizations,
whose very existence depends upon the de-
struction of all government and the sub
version of law, and the fact taught by all
history that the prime cause of the downfall
| of free governments has been fostered with
in, rather than from without, the body
| polite, calls eloquently for "a power behind
the laws to secure their enforcement
If 100000 per annum was deemed sufi-
Gent in 1903, when the arms bearing portion
of the population was little over million
men, and when large proportion of the
immigrants from abroad were fugitiyes from
! despotic governments, seeking an asylum
under the more liberal forms of America,
| who lent to the Government of their adopted
country willing and energetic support, it
follows that at this period of our history.
! when the number OF men liable TO military
duty has increased seven fold, the appropria-
ton should be increased to correspond with
the growing needs of the militia system.
BY the report of the Adjutant- General OF
the United States to Congress for February
1884, it appears that the number of men
available for military duty is esq.,, 92I, and
of uniformed and armed militia in the
United States is 5000
Last winter the Committee on Military
Affairs of the Senate reported bill, which