The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-25
A CENTURY OF MILITIA.
HOW the Ola Systeu, Gave way 60 d
Present OrGaaixation OF State yoIou teers

| 1892. passed It's first general militia law
| This act remains to-day on the statute book,
with all Its ancient phraseology. and its man
| dates impossible to execute. Still nomiually
in force is its Injunction upon any able bodied
male citizen between Ia and 40 years OF age
enrolled by his Captain. to keep himself pro-
| vided with good musket or flrelock. OF q
bore sufficient for balls OF the eighteenth part
| OF pound" two spare fiints and twenty -four
cartridges. or else with "a good rlle shot
| pouch. powder horn. twenty balls. md n quar-
ter OF pound Of powder" Tho quaint In.
structions for grenadicrs and bombardiurs are
| still to be perused. and also tho directions to
| commissioned officers to provide themselves
with "A sword or hunger and spontoon," or, IL
| mounted. TO have their holsters covered with
bear-skin caps" From time to time efforts
| havo been made to remove this venerable
| chapter from tho statute books or at least to
| modernze 1t. until now. at last. it scems to
| derive II sort OF protection from its nge.
But the fact is that tho law was never carried
out. No sooner was 1t enacted than efforts
wcro mnde to repeal somo provisions md
amend others. Under tho plan OF Gen. Knox.
which had boon drawn up in 100. young men
between IL and ~ years OF age wcre to servo
thirty days in camp Of instruction during
ench OF the first two years and ten days OF tho
third yrnr: citizons between II md - years
wero to drill four dayo annually: those no.
tween 80 and co wore to DO enrolled in tho re-
serve. which was to assemble emi-annunlly
for n simple inspection OF arms. This was u
very striking. and. under tho circum stances OF
the country at that time. not n very oncrous
system. while its seriousness was shown by a
provision that no person reaching tho ago OF
81 should exercise the rights of IL citizen un-
loss ho could show certificate OF the ren uircd
service in tho militia. But the net OF May &.
1702. widely Departed from Knoxs pnn and
tho very next year aftcr 1t was put in opera
ton Washington asked Congress whether
your own experience in the several States has
not detected some inrcrfections in the
scheme" Tho story OF tho way in which nu-
merouS and frnitlcss attempts to amend this
system resulted at length in its frank abun-
donmcnt Is instructive and interesting.
Two years after its adoption n bill was re-
ported for organizing n select corps OF militia.
to be armed and equipped by tho general Gov
eminent and to be paid whilo serving in annual
camps Of instruction. This. Of course, would
have been radical departure from the gon-
eral law which required tho citizens to arm
and equip themselves and put them all on tho
same footing. 1t is not unlikely that. had this
measure prevailed. it would have been in
force to tho present day. and might have
!uauo u NdSb ulhcicnce III tIle history OI tno
country. 1t would. in fact. have founded
national militia OF an effective character.
However. years passed without securing the
notifications desired Tho chief step gained
was tho enactment OF the law OF April %.
1908. making an appropriation of 100000
annually to provide arms and equipments for
tho militia. 1t is noted rs curious fact by
tho present House Committee on Militia.
whose careful history of the subject is hero
briefly summarized. that. even when this new
appropriation had been made. the old require
ment that each citizen should arm and equip
himself was not repealed. Even then the re-
luctance to remove tho old law was manifest
Jefferson and Madison followed Washington
in urging year after year u modification OF the
militia system the latter in 1909 desired such
"a separation OF the moro active part from
that which is less so. that we may draw from
1t. when necessary. an efficient corps. ut for
real and active service. and to be called to it
in regular rotation" He thought that it was
quite enough to subject the population be-
tween IL and ~ years OF ago to military duty
in time OF peace. Madison's most noticeable
contribution to the subject was n proposal OF
annual camps Of instruction for tho commits
stoned and non-commissioned officers.
In 1916 Secretary Graham. by the direction
OF Congress- prepared now plan. 1t divided
the militia into three classes. according to
ages. of which tho two younger were to as
scmblc In annual camps OF instruction. Con-
gresham Harrison OF Ohio. afterward Presi-
dent. proposed as substitute military drill
FOR all the schools. and revived Madison's plan
OF annually instructinS officers and non-com- |
missioned officers in camp. He estimated |
that the cost to the Government would be |
$ l5oO0OOn year. In 1928 Board. on which |
Scott and Zachary TAYLOR were prominent. |
reported that tho great defect In tho law was
the excess OF numbers it held to service. They
as substitute n brigade OF militia
In each Congress district. to no instructed in
camps for ten days each year. and paid for
their time and expenses.
Tho drift toward select body instead OF a
general organization had thus been clearly
manifest through all these years: yet two ad-
litional elements. volunteering and State or
CARNATIONS. were needed before tho desired
reforms could DO secured. Jackson recon-
mcnded the former. while Secretary Poinsett
in lS4 40 made an appronch to the latter nv n |