The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-15
THE STATE GUARD.
What Are Its Obligations and Duties
How Far They Differ From Other Citi-

LCAS
Wilmington, n. c.. April 13, 1898.
Editors Messenger:
1t is important at this time tina there
should be no doubt as to wha are
guard, and how far they differ from
those Of other citizens. There seems
to be considerable uncertainty in this
matter, and / write this in hope that
you, 'or some of your readers versed in
h law, Will give US the facts from the
books.
MY own idea has been that they are
only amec1able to the orders Of the
state authorities for service within the
state, but the various illusions to the
subject in the state press have not
been in accordance with this view. I
nave consulted members of the guard,
some of high rank, but none seemed
TO know the exact terms of their en-
Hstment, or the provisions of the fed
er1al and state laws under hich hey
were organized.
We see 1T Stated tina 1.-THE guard is
TO be modified" ordered to Chicka-
mauga;" turned over to the federal
a~uuhodities." etc, etc, but this order
OF procedure does not seem to be ac-
cepted in other states. A New York
paper avs Governor Black has re-
quested the secretary of the Navy to
assign two of the new coastwise steam
ers to the naval militia of New York
Tor the defense of New York harbor
and Long Island Sound. The request
IS equivalent to offering the service of
the naval militia to the government for
active duty"
The Inference from his is that the
government could not demand their
services unless they were voluntarily
olIered- Does the naval militia of
North Carolina stand on any other
footing?
AT the beginning Of the civil WAR
the volunteer militia was
not put under national control untl
they had volunteered specifically for
that service. -
Again, a dispatch from washington
TO a New York paper, under date of
April Sth, says:
NOW that all preparations have been
completed for modelling the standinr
army west Of the Aneghenys and east If
the ftockles in the Chickamauga Nation-
al Park at short notice, the army al
ihihIStratlon is taking the final stems 70
secure a strong auxiliary force from the
eral states.
A letter was this afternoon addressed
10 the governors of states requesting
lnem 10 assemble at once all the repi-
ments of state troops in their armories
Inc ~adJutant generals of the states are
asked 10 ascertain personally from the
mlIt1amen thus m how MANY
viii volunteer their services for the ma,
tonal defense and to make a muster roll
OF those to be forwarded as soon as nos
Slb!e to the seat of war. The war de-
artmene has thus adopted the policy of
regarding the state organizations as un-
der no obligations to perform military
service outside their states.
More than 1000 900 men have rendered
their services to the government for the
army. Secretary Alger has all
these communications with the state
ment that the national guard will be the
first troops mustered into the federal ser
vice. He requested all national guard
commanders to ascertain how many are
VIKING to do duty outside then states.
No one who is not willing TO do so will
be called on by the government.
There can be no objection to any one
volunteering who desires to; and.
should There not be enough volunteers |
the state would be called
for their quotas, n a draft upon |
those of MILITARY g be resorted to
When all would take equal chances for
|
4 am sure that the men OF the state |
guard are quite as patriotic as any
0oner class of citizens, but I do not /
dhBnk they Should he called on. or ex- |
pected to perform, involuntarily. any |
duty for which they have not enlisted
TO do more thar any other citizen. |
amply because of their past unsalish
ServFceS in h state guard. /
WILLIAM CALDER |