The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-13
GEo8GIA's VOLUNTEERS.
TUE CALL NOT A DEMAND UPON
STATE MILITIA.

MI. Governor Makes a Statement
,,.,,.tve to His Position and the
o...auixation OF the Volunteer
,ro,s-Bow Money Was Saved to
,be state.
,tanta. Ga, May 12-The Journal this
oe-.rnoon publishes the following inter-
view with Gov. Atkinson:
.r,bs nublc has been furnished with
8, much transformation as to both the
,,r and the facts bearing upon the pres
ent military movement in this state that
5,vfl be Impossible to give them clearly
h IA fuIlv the information necessary to
ii understanding of what ought to have
bJsn done without reviewing the law and
sIins the reasons why we have pursued
H. course under which we have been
Horling in securing Georgia's quota OF
,be volunteer forces of the United States.
ain MANY of the discussions that have
,rreared in the public prints very grave
INJUSTICE has been done the state militia.
\ that an effort has been made to con-
,irce that public that their enlistment
/
duty to join the volunteer forces OF the
Tinted States under, the present, call. The
ALLEGATION of members of the state militia
II at an end when they respond to the
a1s of the state for all state purposes,
and TO the call of the Federal authorities
when their services are demanded as
militia under the constitution of the Unit
"a States. TO execute the laws of the
,nion. to suppress instruction, and to re-
mel INVASION The militia of the state
cannot be called out by the United States
10 carry on a war of invasion, and for
Il that reason the militia has not been call
ed out by the President.
THE present call is not for either OF
these purposes and is not for the militia.
1t is call for volunteers to enlist in the
volunteer army4 of the United States for
i the purpose of becoming. a part Of the
army of invasion and rendering any other
i military service that may be required of
them by the Federal authorities.
.Under the reouisition made upon me as
/ Governor of this state for volunteers the
i only reference made to the state militia
was the suggestion that in securing the
number of volunteers required preference
be given to members of the state mlitla'
Tnis was done because it is preferable to
Rave trained men when they can be secur-
el The money which the state has been
Spending year after year for the purpose
of training the state militia was expended
in order that they might be properly train
ed and equipped to respond to such qe-
mands as might be made upon them as
militia either by the state or Federal laws
and had no more reference to an army of
the United States composed of volunteers
than to the regular ARMY of the United
States.
Notwithstanding the great injustice
which has been done the members of the
militia in this discussion, it has been graf
Tying to me as 1t must be 10 all Georg ians,
TO see that they are aiding US in cred
table manner, to meet the emergency that
\ is upon u.s. and that our volunteer forces
4 are drawing literally from the ranks of the
Il state militia
The call for volunteer forces is not
demand upon the state militia, but call
upon the patriotism of every citizen liable
10 military duty, whether members OF
the militia or not.
'Fhe call upon me as Governor OF the
state being for volunteers and not for
raising an army by CONSUMPTION, it is left
Tor each Individual to determine for him.
self whether or not he desires to become
part of this army.
When we remember that we are asked
70 raise two regiments and that our state
militia is composed of six regiments of in
fantry and one unassigned battalion, 1t is
easily understood that the task of select
ing officers from this large number Is
delicate and difficult one.
n 10 coll for q
made by the Federal government, it has
been my purpose to furnish experienced Of
tcers and as far as practicable experienced
men, and to do this without destroying the
state militia, which may at any time be
needed at home. If il had been desirable
10 part with the services of all the officers
IN the state militia it would have been i'm
4 oisibe to have siven all of them offices
4 IN Georgia's quota of the United States
4 volunteer forces To illustrate: We have
+ IN the state militia eighteen majors and
need in the United States volunteer forces,
only four majors.
If two regiments had been called out
as at present organized and the other four
4 regiments and the unassigned battalion
mad been left untouched the officers and
men of the other four regiments would
have felt that they had been entirely ig-
bored. Sections of the state from which
lese TWO regiments were taken would nave
leIt that more than their share of the bur
Den of war had been placed upon them. In
addition to this the sections drawn upon
would have been left entirely without mil
80, which may at any time be needed for
The purpose of enforcing the law or sup
pressing riots, or for home protection.
with two-thirds of the state resenting the
treatment by which they were entirely ig-
4 n.red, aud the other third complaining
hat il was uniustly drawn upon the rails
4 gag of sufficient men to put these regiments
Oh a war footing would have been difficult.
Even had / had the authority TO order
4 the militia for the purpose of enlist
hs them in the United States volunteer
l'rces just as they were, an authority
Mich had not, it must be remembered
al the average size Of our regiments
40 men, while under the army bill
slment is composed of from 924 to 1,272
nen. If $50 were ordered into camp il Is
lie to say that after the objections on
nysieal examination, The number in each
n slment who could practically leave
i err homes and volunteer would rot OK
. ed go or 800. To undertake to adopt this
an and permit those 250 or 500 with all
cir officers from one regiment, 10 re-
ult up to the full-sized regiment, would,