Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-10-21
FRIDAY. OCTOBER 81, 1898.
ARE We COMING TO CoNsoRlPrIoN9

The Manchester Mirror and Farmer
suggests the always necessary condition
of a large standing army with any nation
on conquest bound, or that attempts to
hold large bodies of people in control
against their will, or without their hav-
ing participation in the government.
The fundamental principle of Ameri-
can institutions thus far has been a
government of the people, by the peo-
pie; one in which all equally participate.
Such government floats by its own
poise. It needs no large standing armies
to support it. But the moment we de-
part from this principle, armies more or
less vast with their necessary expenses
and honors will become a necessity.
America has shown that government
by the people and for the people can be
carried on without large armies over an
extent of country, containing near a
hundred millions of population EN-
pire in the sense of holding people
against their Will, and without their
equal participation in the government, is
only possible with armies adequate to
the task. The Mirror says:
Nothing is more certain than that the great
majority of the voluntee who enlisted in
response to the call of the president last
spring earnestly desire to be mustered out
The officers, most of whom are getting larger
salaries than they ever received ut home,
and living in comparative comfort, are I'M
doubtedly willing foreman n; but the privates
almost without exception, have had more
than enough of the army. Some OF them are
sick. Nearly all of them have become weary
of camp life, and now that there is no pros
pect of a chance to win glory in battle they
want to go home to their families and friends,
and stay there, and they plead, with con-
siderable reason, that they have right TO go
now that the war is over. They enlisted for
two years and knew when they were muster
ed in that they were at the service of the
government for that length of time if it
needed them, but they contend that there was
al implied promise that they were to be used
to defeat the Spaniards an0 when that was
accomplished they had a right to discharge;
and notice that some of the fiercest of the
jingoes who helped hurrah them into the war
are now savagely abusing President Nc Kin.
ley and his assistants because any of them
are retained and assigned to police duty in
the conquered territory We wish it were
possible to disband the entire volunteer army
within ten days, but 1t is evident that this
cannot be done, and that mt least half of 1t
must be retained for long time yet, or that
the regulars must be largely increased.
Gen. Niles is authority for the statement
that $4,000 men must be sent to Cuba and kept
there for the present; that 1900 will be need
ed at Porto Rico, 1000 at Honolulu and $4,000
at Manila, and ii is estimate that if we are to
to take hold and civilize all the Philippines
about 100000 will be required there. Add to
these 25,UOO for garrison duty at home, and
make due allow ance for the sick and fur
Laughed, and there rises before us an abso-
lutte necessity for the services of at least 1885,
900 If we are content with Manila and the
island of Luzon, and for many more if we are
to seize the whole Philippine archipelago.
We have authorized regular army of $1,000,
but even in the excitement of the war period,
when the martial spirit of the people ran
high and the attractions the service offered
were painted in the brightest colors, the
government was only able, as we remember,
to make this force $4,000, and IT is not easy to
see how 1t can be much increased by Youn-
tary enlistments at present. Who, then, is to
fill the requirements unless large share of
the volunteers are kept in the service until
the expiration of their terms?
This su guests another question which the
country will have to face soon ana which 1t
is the part of prudence to consider somewhat
now, Assuming that our imperial army must
consists of l25, 600 or 100000 men, how are they
to be obtained when the terms of the volun-
teers expire? The Yankees are not a mill
tary people. They are ready to respond to
their country's call whenever ii Is menaced
by foes that must be repealed by force but
military service in time of peace is not to
their liking. With few exceptions they are
too much attached TO their homes to wish to
leave them, and their tastes, ambitions and
habits incline them to peaceful pursuits. The
rigid discipline, the necessary subserviency,
the monotony and the isolation of garris IN
life, as well as the absolute lack of opportuni
ty to achieve distinction or to secure promo
ton, are not I'm accord with their aspirations
or desires. If there is fighting to be done for
the flag they are ready, but training and
waiting and waiting when there is no pros
pect of anything else is not in their line. II
was with the greatest difficulty that the
government was able before the war to main
tain regular army establishment of 5000.
Only those who had peculiar reasons for
wishing to leave civil life enlisted, and of
these a,large number deserted every year.
In 1893 more than fifteen per cent of the en-
tire army testified to their great distaste for
the service by deserving and taking the risks
of severe punishment If caught. This pro
portion was subsequently somewhat reduced
by better treatment, shortening the term of
enlistment ana providing that after years
service "A private could buy his discharge;
but with all these inducements to the men to
remain until they could receive an honorable
dismissal, large numbers ran away every
year.
Another fact which appeared in tn reports
of the war department was that the proper
ton of foreigners In the army steadily in
creased because the disinclination of native.
born citizens TO enter the ranks continually
grew stronger and stronger. In word 1t
was demonstrated through long series of
years that regular army of 10000 native
Americans could not be secured by voluntary
enlistments. How are we to raise and per
manently maintain one five times as large?