The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-18

1.-THE National Guard" We here call the
Virginia Volunteers or, active mill
tia But should they be called into
the service of the United States they
would be subject to the same regulations
as the troops of the United States. except
that cOurt-martials for the trial of militia
would be composed of militia officers
My All officers above the rank of colo
mel would be appointed by the president.
1t belongs exclusively to the president
to judge when the eXigency arises in
which ne has authority under the con
StitutiOn to call forth the militia and
his decision is conclusive Upon all per-
sons. After militia have been called forth
and have entered into the service Of the
United States, their character changes
from state to national militia"
\ more important question than that
decided by The Journal of Commerce is.
whether the president could order the
militia out of this country. We find no
express provision of law upon this sub
ject, but congress has enacted that when
militia have been mustered into the ma
tiOnal service. they shall be subject to
the same rules and regulations and arti-
Giles Of war as are the troops of the
United States" Yet militia have been
known to refuse to cross the line. One
such instance was in 1912. during our in
vaSion of Canada. when a considerable
number of New York militia refused to
cross Lake Ontario: others. however,
crossed and did valiant service for their
country
% lar as we hIlO". Tie ~ oJdItS
government has never yielded 10 the idea
that it could not order the militia out
of the country but as far as possible it
has adopted the policy of using them for
home service. In case of war with Spain,
we doubt not that with such of the regu-
lars as could be spared, and volunteers
offering for foreign service, we should
have all the men We needed for purposes
of invasion: if not, the president and
congress could put their powers to the
test. We however, advise the Virginia
volunteers not to be alarmed. 1t has
so happened that the territory of Vir-
ginia. has been fighting ground in the
three great wars-that of the Revolution,
that of 1912. and hat of 1876. Great
hostile fleets entered the Virginia capes
on each of those occasions. We may.
trouble with Spain, our government
would be careful to look after the de-
fences of the Chesapeake bay and Hamp-
ton Roads. In that event. the services of
our volunteers would be needed at Old
Point and in the vicinity of Norfolk.
We fancy that this would suit our boys
much better than any other service they
could be called upon to perform, but we
undertake to say Virginia would also fur
nish her due share of volunteers for ser
vice anywhere they might be sent-in
Cuba or in Spain.
There are very few Virginians who
talk of war with levity. We all
at least. have heard from the lips of dear
ones-of the dark side. In
alone there are ZS,OU confederate SOIuleTS
graves. To this day there are blackened
walls and ash-heaps that tell the sad
story of the evacuation fire. Our loss
was great in lives, in property, in trade,
and we'll we recall the anguish of the WO-
men as they read the bulletins from the
battlefields and saw the names of nus
bands. sons, fathers and brothers among
the killed or wounded.
We exhausted every resource of argu-
| ment and persuasion before we went
into hat war. and costly as were its con-
sequences. we cannot regret that we
fought it. The principles we held we de-
Tended with our best blood. AND we are
ready to fly to arms again for a cause
which commendS itself to us. But when
peace is broken let it be because it was
no longer consistent with national honor.
Let the war be a war for our country
not for army contractors. or to bolster
up a lettering party.-Richmond Dis
patch.