The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-04-21
OUR MILITARY
f. 7. Is ACTIVE.
Officers aud Privates in
Readiness To Organ
ize Companies.

Activity among the state .niIitary
and privates is more marked to-day thar
il has heen since hostilities with Spain
were threatened. Yesterday afternoon thu
officers discu. sed the situation With the puI
pose Of coming to mutual understanding
Of the right thing to do and the bsst was
to do it in the event Of the State being
called upon to furnish troops to the FEEDER.
oil Government. They decided that ull
had been done that could be accomplished
until the actual call comes. The three
men went over the maps and studied very
closely the points along the coast where
there was a likelihood of defenses being
established and talked over plans fol
Transporting troops to them II It should
become necessary 10 do SO. D.,
A meeting will be hold az the Afnory
on Saturday night to discuss plans for
forming new company. The prime movers
In tho scheme are sons Of some of the best
families in the city. 1t Is proposed by
these men to organize q company Of young
men who have been associates and friends
since school days Some of those who have
been taking an active part In the move
ment want u battalion Of naval reserves
organized. Delaware has no naval re-
serves and 1t is believed it would be popu-
lar and secure more members than u com
pany Of infantry or q battery of artillery.
There are doubts, however, about it being
possible for the naval reserves to organize
at this time. The matter will DO fully dis
cussed on Saturday night and it Ia pro-
posed 10 make the new organization to
Philadelphia. The promoters have been
quietly soliciting members.
The p, We b. Railroad has made every
nrrangem ent for the transportation Of
tho men and camping outfits to points
along its lines Mt quick notice.
The members of the guard are enthusias-
tic over the prospect Of going into the field
to do real soldier duty. The officers are en-.
couragGd over the prospect CT advance
lnent in rank If called into service. They
believe they will have the advantage over
the officers In muny other states because Of
the influence Of Senator Gray.It is believed
Gray would be immediately accepted
The companies are rapidly filling up.
On peace basis each company Is allow
ed to recruit up to 60 men, while the full
war strength Is lC0 mon Officers Of the
Delaware troops have received no intilnd-
alton that they will DO required to recruit
to the latter figure.
Once in camp the commands will be
thoroughly and uniformly equipped by
the national government. The brigade is
nov supplied with 46.calbre Springfield
rifles, most of them of rather ancient
pattern. New rifles of 30.calibre-lhe
size used by tho regular army-will be
supplied The regular army uses tho
Krag-J orgcnson rifle, but it is thought
Winchesters will be supplied the National
Gnard, as 'hev are got such complicated
affairs rs the Krag- JOrgensen make Tho
commands viii! be uniformed alike and
supplied with boots, canteenS and q COM
plete campaign equipment.
The Delaware soldiers arc awaiting with
deep interest an announcement of the
plans of tho War Department respecting
the use of the State troops The depart
ment is endeavoring to find a way of using
the nat ional gusrdslnen and allowing them
to preserve their own organizations. Ma
tional guard regiments are all organized
on the three battalion basis, and zach in
fantry regiment consists of twelve compa-
MES, with three ina jors, battalion adju-
tants, &c. The regular AMY Organization
provides for one major, reduced staff of
officers and ten companies. The national
guardsmen cannot BIO mustered into tho
army with their present organizations. and
it would scarcely seem expedient to at
tempt to reorganize the guard on such
short notice. 1t is thought that special
soon be unf ertaken.
Owing to the vagueness of the statutes
defining the power of the President over
the National Guard it has been q question
whether the President could send the
Guard out of the United States to invade
q foreign country. Opinions have been
freely ventured on this subject both ways
and while these opinions have contradict
ed each other, they have even sometimes
coiltradicted themselves. The question re-
mains open. ,..,,
1t is not new question 1t was raised
first in the war of 1912; when the Govern
ors OF some Of the New England States re-
fused to obey President Madison's Order
to send their State troops to invade Can.
ada. Thomas Jefferson, whose strictness
of constitutional construction is proven
bal, was then of the opinion that the mi
lilia might be sent.
Upon an absolutely strict construction
no doubt can exist that the President has
the power to send the troops out of their
own States The Constitution expressly
authorizes Congress 80 provide for calling
forth the militia to execute the laws OF
the Union, suppress instructions and re.
pei invasions. This power has been ex-
ercised under the act of 1875, and its
amendments, which provide that:
"Whenever the United States are in
vaticd or are in imminent danger of in.
vasiOn from any foreign nation or Indian
tribe, or of rebellion against the authority
of the government of the United States, it
shall be lawful for the President to call
forth such number of the militia Of the
state or States most convenient to the
place of danger, or scene Of action, as he
may deem necessary to repel such inva-
sion, or to suppress such rebellion, and to
issue his orders for that purpose to
such officers of the militia us he may think
proper.
In n case which called into question the
power of deciding whether and when the
exigency demanding the services of the
militia existed, or was about tn arise, the
Supreme Court of the United States held,
in the case of Martin V. Mott, 1927, that
this power rested exclusively with the
President, As to the defense of any part
Of this country, no doubt remains OF the
Presidents power to use the militia Of any
or all, the States.
But can he use them to invade another
country? Ii they have volunteered into
the service of the United States, no can Of
course; but If they have not SO volunteer.
ed, the question might need to be settled.
Under the act OF 1875, rs is said above
they may be sent anywhere in tho country
to repel invasion. No doubt exists on this
hfnd. with our tremendous seaconst line
danger of Invasion exists everywhere.
Once encamped in force to Iepel INVASION
the President need only await the passage
OF he bill now pending, authorizing the
enlistment Of 10000 volunteers Then
these min 'ialneh, or as many Of them rs
might Q wiling to serve, could at once
be sworn in Us volunteers. After that
they nigh; DO sent to invade Cuba or, if
need be, Spain
"Nowgood digestion waits on appetite,
health on BOTH II it doesn't Try Burdock
Blood Is tiers.
""-E----~-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. NORTHUMBERLAND