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At West Point Academy, the United States are amply provided
for furnishing officers of professional skill, to fill vacancies as
they may occur in our regular army; and the Naval Academy
located here, for a line purpose, for the instruction of that valuable
arm of our military service. These establishments, thus provi-
dently cherished upon principles of the first order; when united
with a similar mode of tuition extending to our militia; that pre-
eminent abiding, auxiliary force and exhaustless fountain of sup-
ply, upon which the other two depend for life and strength, we
shall have cause to rejoice that the general district system—I
mean that which embraces ununiformed men; undermined for
want of vital energy, has become a lifeless corpse: nor shall we
look upon them with further complacency, which after a run of
half a century, has at this moment only a name in our records,
but by judicious legislation effect its legal extinction, and hail the
application of such a mode of culture to a large proportion of
our people, as will give promise of vigorous growth and expan-
sive utility, with equal chance of durability attendant upon any
other human invention.

I have long thought that the whole of our militia laws ought
to have been abolished, because they have never in any instance
accomplished the good contemplated; either as respects officers
or men. Our laws exact yearly, one or two parades; these as
regards the counties at large are a mere mockery There, a few-
men now and then, (who can tell when last seen any where,) ap-
pear at battalion muster, unprovided with guns—some with pitch
forks, others constalks, sticks, &c., and after a few hours of dis-
gusting mummery separate for their respective homes, more
familiarized with frolic, than adepts in the military profession.
Is such a legalized farce, so long shown throughout the State,
still to be considered a proper organization of the militia, or in
the slightest degree worthy of preservation and enlightened pat-
ronage; I for one think not, and moreover, if the modern plan
herein suggested, cannot be adopted, then as an alternative, do
away with antiquated legal restrictions—let them be swept from
the statute book, as unworthy of any further support; retaining
so much of said laws, as give legal being to volunteer corps, a
proper enrolment of our militia force, and as before said keeping
in commission, all officers from the highest to the lowest grade.
Besides, I am led to make these remarks from a belief, for want
of leisure as well as inclination, few officers high or low, devote
themselves to the study of military rules as a science; but are
content with looking to, and depending upon what gleanings they
may chance to gather within their limited field of practice. This
reliance on the part of commissioned officers for the scanty, im-
perfect knowledge which a few annual parades afford, is denounc-
ed as highly censurable—not trust worthy—unfit captains for com-
mand, and in periods of perils, often prove ruinous: on the con-