The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-14

6i'~ob oRCCl Win WHICH lIOOJS can De
transported in modern timese, all dam
ger of invasion, if danger it is, is "im-
minent," and in any evenet the ques-
ton whether the danger was imminent
or not would be one of executive dis
| cretion.
No Material Difference.
1.-THE old law authorized the use of
| the militia in case of rebellion against
the authority of the government of the
| United States. The new law contains
the same provision. The old law, it is
| true, does not, in express terms, be-
| stow this power on the President when
he is unable, with the other force at
| his command to execute the laws of
| the Union in any part thereof but
| when rebellion is sufficiently grave to
| justify an executive call for the militia
the President would be unable, where
such rebellion existed, to execute the
laws of the Union, for rebellion is de-
| Hberate resistance by force and arms
1 to the laws or operations of govern
ment.
Nor is there any difference between
! the old law and the new in the proce-
/ dure by which the President can call
out the militia. In both he is empow-
cred to issue his orders for that pur-
| pose to such officers of the militia as
he may think proper
Nor is the period of service made
| possible by the new law more onerous
upon our gallant militia. This period
| is not more than nine months, and
the President is restricted to the same
maximum by Section 164S of the Re
| vised Statutes, which has been the Jaw
for forty-one years"
The writer then takes up the SUBJ
| ject of penalties, contending that it
does not appear that the penalties for
| disobedience to the order of the Pres
ident imposed by the new law and the
old law have any material difference.
He declares that the military laws
have long needed amendment. After
| discussing at length the various bene-
fits which will result from subscrip-
ton to the provisions of the bill, Judge
Speer continues as follows:
The south's Opportunity.
us it not a mistaken policy to dis.
courage our aspiring young men who
have taste for the profession o.
arms of availing themselves of these
broad opportunities which will be
| eagerly seized by the youth of the
Northern and Middle states? Is it mo-
| lamentable to contemplate the pos.
sibility that the military organizations
| of the Southern states may be de
prived of the great accretion Of
strength and effectiveness afforded by
this bill? The Vaccinations concern.
| ing a race war in which the troops
will be under the direction of the
l President are not only idle, but they
are cruel. They make no impression
upon ignorant, unthinking masses OF
| the negroes, but they do create the
gravest alarm among their better mer
who are capable of thinking on theiI
future, and who enjoy the respect ant
| good will of the white people among
| whom they live. In any event, the
troops will be primarily under the or
ders of the governors of the states
1t could be only in the case of q
national emergency that the President
| would intervene. The constitution
provides in cases of domestic violence
the United States can intervene only
on application of the Legislature OF
of the executive of a state when the
Legislature cannot be convened.
Besides the great mass of the
Southern colored people are known to
us to be as amiable and inoffensiYe
| in a dangerous sense, as any people
! of whom history gives an account. We
| have no occasion to fear them, and
do not fear them. The fighting potency
of these then thi11ly people agricul-
| turaI and pastoral states. which for
four years held at bay the gigantic
| strength of the Union with the world
for a recruiting ground, has been per-
haps, quadrupled by our marvellous
material, mechanical and financial de-
velopment since then. We belong to the
same imperial race as the people of
that fast anchored little island whose
| slender army in India dominates with
absolute control $50, 900 600 of dark peo-
pie on the other side of the world.
But if the impossible should hap
| pen, and a race war should come, how
immea surably superior would be our
advantage over present conditions il
our organized militia were trained in
the profession of arms and We're
equipped with the deadlest weapons
known to modern times. II was Wash
ington, believe, who uttered the max
i'm. In time of peace prepare for
war Is it not true, then, that gentle
men who would encourage our people
to disregard or obstruct the legisla-
ton of Congress. intended to make
effective our citizen soldiery, are as
misinformed as to the character of
this measure as they are misguided as
to its results?
Need of Trained Militia.
"rhey should reflect that the greatest
humiliation our country has ever expe-
rienced is due to the fact that an I'M
trained militia at Blandensburg STAN
peded and ran away from an inferior
number of regular British troops and
our capital was taken and burned
They should also reflect that so mar
velous are the facilities of modern
transportation that a regular army
with powerful and perhaps for a time