Evening star., 1948-04-07
Letters to The Star
Hamilton on the Military

OH tu8 lVAIIltAIy
70 the Editor Of The Star.
Many thoughtful Americans are worried at
the ascendancy the military seems to be getting
over the Truman administration. The problem
Is an old one, but the comments that Alexander
Hamilton made in "The Federalist" Number
D seems as apt today as they were when our
Constitution was only q proposal.
"The history Of war;" he said. sis no longer
. history Of nations subdued and empires
overturned but Of towns taken and retaken;
of battles that decide nothing; Of retreats
more beneficial than victories, Of much effort
and little acquisition. -.
Safety from external danger is the most
powerful director of national conduct. Even
the ardent love of liberty will after time,
give way to its dictates The violent destruction
Of LIFE and property incident to war, the con-
tinual effort and alarm attendant on q state
Of continual danger. win compel nations the
most attached to liberty to resort for repose
and security to institutions which have ten
dency to destroy their civil and political rights
To be more safe, they at length become willing
to run the risk of being less free ;.
"The institutions chiefly alluded to are stand
ing armies and the correspondent appendages
OF military establishments :"
Going on to speak Of the way that war
strengthens the executive arm of the govern
ment, 80 that constitutions acquire progress
sive direction towards monarchy" Hamilton
points out that ut is of the nature Of war to
increase the executive at the expense OF the
legislative authority He cites standing armies
as the same engines OF despotism which have
been the scourge Of the Old World"
There are not vague inferences' he insists,
"but solid conclusions drawn from the natural
and necessary progress Of human affairs. :.
Modern times, concurring with the habits
of nations, have produced an entire revolution
in the system OF war, and hays rendered
disciplined armies distinct from the body Of
the citizens, the inseparable companions Of
frequent hostility. -.
There is wide difference, also. between
military establishments in a country seldom
exposed by its situation to internal invasions,
and in one which Is often subject to them,
and always apprehensive Of them. The rulers
Of the former can have no good pretext, II
they are even 50 inclined. to keep on foot
armies 30 numerous as must of necessity be
maintained in the latter"
Hamilton believed In the smallest possible
standing army, for "the smallness Of the army
renders the natural strength Of the community
an over-match for 1t; and the citizens not
habituated to look up to the military power
for protection, or to submit to its expressions,
neither love nor fear the soldiery they view
them with spirit of jealous acquiescence in
necessary evil, and stand ready to resist q
power which they suppose may be exerted to
the prejudice Of their rights"
But where q large army is maintained "the
continual necessity for their services enhances
the Importance of the soldier, and proportion
ably degrades the condition of the citizen.
The military state becomes elevated above the
civil. The inhabitants . are unavoidably
subjected to frequent infringements on their
rights. which serve to weaken their sense Of
those rights; and by degrees the people are
brought to consider the soldiery not only as
their protectors but as their superiors. The
transition from their disposition to that Of
considering them masters is neither remote
nor difficult; but it Is very difficult to prevail
upon people under such impressions to make
. bold or effectual resistance to usurpations
supported by the military power. :. :"
ran into all this through g. Great Books
reading course under the Public Library. But
I fnd nothing in Hamiltons views quaint or
out-of date except their punctuation.
CLAYTON D. LOUGHRAN. r.