1. the military successes of the united states would seem to prove undeniably, that, if the nation had adopted a career of conquest as did ancient rome, it might have played an important part in the history of warlike peoples. the undisciplined militia shut up a strong army in boston in 1774, and, had not their powder failed, would very likely have forced the british to evacuate that place immediately after the battle of bunker hill.
2. washington’s army, made up in large part of militia, seemed always on the point of dissolution, and yet the british, after spending more than a hundred millions in fitting out armies against them, and possessing the important superiority of free movement on the sea, for the transportation of forces easily and rapidly to any desired point, never could gain a permanent foothold, though opposed only by a ragged, famished, and half disorganized army.
3. the war of 1812—the mexican war—and the civil war, all bear testimony to the excellence of the material for military operations to be found among us. yet we are a peace loving people. the government has never had more than the skeleton of an army in times of peace. while the great powers of europe keep up armies of half a million of men, our army, very soon after the late gigantic war, was reduced[295] to less than 30,000 men; barely enough to keep the indians in order, garrison the frontiers slightly, and furnish a nucleus of soldiers and trained officers in case of a war. by a law of congress, it was enacted that every sound and healthy man, with a few exceptions in special cases, between the ages of 18 and 45, should be enrolled and equipped for military duty. then, by the laws of the states, they are required on certain days in each year to meet in companies, regiments or brigades, for drill and practice in military exercises.
4. by these means military organizations are kept up in every part of the country, together with some knowledge of the military art. these, in time of war or domestic insurrection, may be called out with but a few days’ notice; and a large army of citizen soldiers can be raised in a very short time. with such facilities for raising men, it is unnecessary to keep a standing army of much magnitude. a few thousand men to guard our fortifications and military posts are sufficient.
the late civil war between the south and the north gave ample evidence of this; for when it became necessary to raise a million of men, it was done in a short time, and after a little practice they became good soldiers.
