The National tribune., 1907-03-21


to disperse, and summoned the loyal
people of the country to uphold the
dignity of the outraged Government,
and assert its authority over those who
had with cauSe!ess malignity cruelty
assailed its rights. The call for the
militia was based upon the act of 1895.
authorizing the President TO call into
service the militia of the United States
for the period of three months, for the
purpose of National defense or the sup
preston of internal violence.
The Mighty Uprising; OF the People.
The most sanguine patriot never
dreamed of such a reception as this
proclamation received from the people.
1t was one of those marvellous mani
festations of the peoples majesty and
strength which has no parallel in his
tory. 1t has no parallel for the reason
that never before in all the ages since
the sword began to devour has the
whole people of any country risen to
war. Everywhere else and always the
fighting has been confined to strongly
limited portion of the population In
Asia and in Europe the great mass of
the people have not, as rule, taken
part in any war, no matter how severe
was the struggle. England, for exam
pie. has always relied upon an army of
less than 100000, and never at any time
has she had as much as one per cent
that is. one man in every 100 of the
population-under arms. Even the dras-
tic conscriptions of Napoleon did-not
probably take more than two or three
men out of every 100 of the population
AS we go eastward in Europe and Asia
the proportion of fighting men to the
whole population decreases very rapidly
until in Turkey, China and Hindustan
probably not more than one man in
every 10000 is a soldier. The great
mass of the people-farmers mer-
chants and artisans-take absolutely no
part in war, which they let the pro-
fessional soldiers fight out, accepting
the results. In this country, with its
freedom, its public press. and its COM
mon schools, every man necessarily
feels that he has just as much interest
In the Government as every other man,
and consequently a call to arms means
him just as well as his neighbor. --. !
Never were people more unprepared,
however, for war, and particularly for
war upon the scale now suddenly pre-.
senting itself. The Revolutionary War
had been fought out by very small.
portion of the population, as had also
the War of 1912 and the Indian ware.
In the two years of the Mexican War
there had only been sent to the front
some $1,000 volunteers, which hardly
each for the larger and more popuIous
Eastern States. Thoughts of war. and
soldering had been crowded far into
forgetfulness by the rush of opening
new countries. building up new States
and establishing new industries in the
period of great prosperity and indus
trial activity which had come upon the
country with the accession of the Pa
cific Coast and the discovery of gold in
California. In most of the States the
militia systems. which had been kept
up during the Indian troubles. were
suffered to die from neglect and .deri-
sion. In the larger cities there We're
some pubiic-snirited young men who
kept up the militia companies. arming.
clothing and equipping them at their
own expense. Proba bly, oTe-half of the
young men in the North had never seen
an armed soldier nor anyone execute the
simplest movements of the drill, but
tho they did not have the faintcst idea
what ii really meant to be soldier.
when they felt their country needed