Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-05-17
Washinoton Standard
OUR ARMY OF ONE MAN.

Few know the singular Tact, AVS
tine Washington &t1J, that once the
regular army Of tho United states
consisted Of only one man-Ge"rgc
Washington. ii Virginia. This was,
u course, after the Continental Con
gre.s had adopted its famous pronun-
ciamento against the dangers OF a
standing army. in the memorable Ian
uuage declaring that " standing armies
in times OF peace are inconsistent with
the principles Of republican govern
ment, dangerous 10 the liberties OF
free people and generally converted
into destructive engines for arrant des-
pOtlsm." Nevertheless, even then it
was deemed essential, in order to
avoid the repetition OF the Boston
massacre OF I77o, when there was alb
solutely no military scheme whatever
to provide single head or nucleus
for a possible military organization.
Accordingly, 4 resolution was passed
by the same Continental Congress pro-
vidlng that a general be appointed to
command all the continental forces
raised, or to he raised, for the defense
OF liberty"
The Congress then proceeded TO the
choice OF general by ballot, and the
records show that George Wash
ington, Esquire, was unanimous
ly elected at salary of $500 per
month" There was no provision
whatever at that time for a federal or
continental army. There was no mil
itarv organization save the remaining
Massachusetts, Minute Men" at Con-
cord. This was in 1884, when, so far
as any warrant of law existed, Gen.
George Washington embodied the en-.
tire rank and file of the federal army.
OF the emergency troops, however,
mustered out of the war service after
independence had been established by
the treaty of Versailles, the Congress
Resolved, That the commanding Of
ficer Greatly meaning the Board of
WARP be, and he is hereby, directed to
discharge the troops now in the SER
vice of the United States, except twen
ty to guard stores at West Point and
other magazines, with a proportionate
number of officers, no officer above The
rank of captain to remain in service"
Thus Washington's new and original
regular army consisted OF but eighty
privates. Even this small band was
but a temporary affair, inasmuch as
the Congress confessed its lack Of pow
er or authority to maintain a regular
army-the provision for George WASH
ington's appointment as commander
in-chief being bold stroke OF usurpa-
ton much questioned at the time.
In few months after the eighty |
men were authorized to be retained as
magazine guards, however, Indian
troubles on the frontier necessitated
the increase of the guard to 595 men
with General Harmer in immediate
command. This army, however,
caused great concern among the poll
ticians, who discovered in it the babe
OF possible despotism, but from that
day to this regular military estab-
lishment has been maintained. The
first legal recognition of any body of
troops rs part of the then so.called
United States army was in September,
1857, when the Harmer body of from
tier fighter was designated as the Greg
iment of infantry in the service OF the
United States"-this, too, before the
Constitution was ratified by the States.
Thus it will be seen the regular army
is coexistent with the Constitution
and antedated the federal Government.
Army regulations, in fact, which are
a part OF the laws OF the land, are old
er than any statute, since they were
instituted before the Constitution.