The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-08-25
CONCERNING THE MILITIA.
VIEWS OF A HOSPITAL CORPS
MEMBER.
The Late Encampment at Santa
Cruz and Some of It's
Benefits

This being true, one who has the priv
lege CT seeing should impart to others
his impressions for their entertainment
and instruction.
A soldier in Camp Budd, and partic-
ularly one so fortunate as to be a mem
Der of the Sanitary Corps. must be ex-
tremely dull if he has not been moved
by the incidents connected with camp
life while in Santa Cruz. AS the an
clients never estimated a mans life I'M
I'll it had ended, on account of his con-
Trajectory opinions and conduct, even
so in matters of history no one event
can be taken alone, but must be judged
In relation to that which lead up to it
and those which Immediately follow.
A period must be taken and not one
day, week or month, or a small frac-
tional part of the time. The encamp-
ment Of the Third Brigade of the Ma
tional Guard Of California has just end
ed, and now proper estimate can be
obtained of its accomplishments
The militia first is an institution Pc
culiarly fitted to the conditions of our
country and its form of government.
Environment and the needs of the peo-
pie are the reasons for institutions, laws
and customs. The United States is
new, its climate varied and it's physical
formation diversified. A broad ex-
panse Of country can only be governed
and protected by two methods. A
strong central power. like Russia, or
by the people themselves in each COM
munity, like the United States. AS the
former method can only obtain where
the masses are in barbarism or Just
pTOarsriycv ThaTaf,.Cy,o ha 10
only one capable of existing here. For
this reason the militia is called into
existence.
Military tyranny of which we hear so
much and the danger threatened by a.
large standing army exist only in the
minds of theorists, terrorists and anar-
chists. The first of the list, perhaps,
are very good people, at least law-abid-
ing, charitable, and they sometimes
benefit the world by their speculations.
but the two latter are political mad
men and should be treated with the
same consideration as our insane
cured, if possible, or incarcerated for
the protection of society Remember,
when I speak of theorists I don't mean
scientists. There is a marked distinc-
ton between the two. The latter is
guided by truth, while the former by
feelings and imagination which always
leads to error
The foundation of our country was
laid by the militia, or citizen soldiers.
and its whole superstructure erected
and maintained by them. We, who are
living to-day, look with admiration
uopn their handiwork, and wish to per-
petuate it by the same means with
which it was builded. How deeply the
idea Of self protection is engrafted in
the minds of the people is manifested
in the manner in which they respond
to the call for the support of our Ma
tfonal Guard. Fathers. husbands and
sons subject themselves to military dis
clplins and willingly furnish the means
10 maintain an organization for the
noble purpose of protecting their homes
and hresides from foreign aggression.
and domestic wrong They furnish a
human wall around this land against
which the waves of sectional expansion
break and dissolve. Some NAV slur the
National Guard, speak disparaginglv
OF it, laugh at its discipline, and call
the members towards, but let no nation
act upon those presumptions. Ignor-
ance of the history of our country il
the only excuse for such remarks.
our nation has reached another epoch
The policy laid down to US from a cen
fury Of time is now obsolete. We have
now reached point where we must ex
pand or contract within our shell and
show ourselves unworthy of expansion.
The Monroe doctrine can operate but
partially. That there is no more fer
TlTOTV this
onization is no longer a doctrine. but a
conceded fact, but that we must still
no longer interfere in European affairs
cramps US into position that the condi-
tions will no longer permit. We are
compelled to interfere with foreign af-
fairs and particularly with the East and
the Orient. The conduct of Turkey.
China and Japan most nearly concerns
US and the sooner this country adapts
itself to the changed conditions the bet
ter will it be for our citizens in those
countries Besides a strong navy. a.
well trained militia is necessary to com
mand that respect we are justly entitled
10. An apologize stand has given place
to a dictatorial and our growing i'm
portance is a cause for remark in Eu-
rope. The sheer of royalty and of for
eign statesmen is the blossom of an in
structve fear of our deeply rooted re-
publican principal and of the expan-
sion of our people We COLOMBO and
the flag goes with us. Texas and the Pa
cific Coast are the result of that spirit.
Hawaii is ours by gravitation in spite of
the opposition against it and as soon as
the wave finds q, barrier westward it will
turn southwark to the islands in the
Caribbean Sea. Nations move by a law
within themselves and not according to
a written formula; and the law of the
survival of the fittest operates here as
well as with the individual. That ma
ton which heeds not the truth and has
not the courage to uphold it must fall
The earth belongs to the most worthy in
spite of the charity shown to peoples
born in heather lands. They have in
herited the sins of their fathers which
is ignorance and one by one they sue
cumb before a stronger arm. So long
as We are governed by the dictates of
truth so long will we have a strong
navy and a well appointed militia. Not
for war, but to insure that peace which
our people so religiously cherish.
The Third Brigade spent a profitable
week in Santa Cruz. 1t was a cause of
remark how well the members conducted
themselves and how much improved in
discipline and soldierly bearing the boys
were over the former encamDments.
True, close proximity to the city
tended to undermine discipline, but no
one can complain of ungentlemanly
conduct Of duty nor INSTRUMENTATION
while in the performance OF duty. When
IN the city the boys enjoyed themselves