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trary, the people at large throughout our confederacy being duly in-
structed in military tactics; there would be no difficulty in form-
ing an army of quiet citizens of the most reliable materials, where
the private soldier with his bayonet, would be equal to the chosen
officer, with sword at his side. In the formation of such an army
no body of men from the Easter Hemisphere, marshalled in their
old accustomed mode of like numerical force, would be able to
cope with us upon the battle field; no indeed, with citizen soldiery
thus enlightened; our brave troops would as easily ''brush away"
foreign battalions, as Taylor did upon the plains of Pallo Alto
and Resaca Dela Palma, the vain glorious Mexicans from their
supposed impreguable positions. Depend upon it, that in seasons
of tranquility, with methodical collegate acquirements. Our militia
would be in possession of elementary means, they tallying with
our national predilections; ever weilded by a peacefully republican
State.

While volunteer regiments, perform their allotted duty, it is
well known that district regiments will not turn out, the latter
from the nature of the case, partake in no measure of the com-
mendable spirit of the former; besides the district corps have
none of the incentives to action, like volunteers, prompting to
the performance of military duty, and what the laws demand of
all, many disregard, and when required murmuringly pay in fines
the forfeits of their own delinquency.

Many years ago, a Major General of North Carolina, recom-
mended in the strongest terms an immediate repeal of the militia
laws of said State; assigning as reasons therefor, that when he
took command, as Major General, no officer felt more military
spirit than he did; supported also, by a confident hope that he
would be able to amend the system; but that after thirty years
devotion and toil he was compelled to surrender the trust as a
fruitless experiment, and with sorrow leave the system where he
found, it feeble without character, and in need of every ingredi-
ent to make it otherwise—sustained all the while in this deplora-
ble condition, at a cost in fines inflicted upon the people of $70,-
000 per year, which fines were never applied to any useful pur-
pose, or known how expended.

Our laws, as well as those in North Carolina, demand of its
citizens manual—I should say, holiday labor, not dollars and
cents,—if the laws be so disregarded, or evaded as to fill the regi-
mental treasury, and do nothing more, the entire plan theoreti-
cally and practically becomes a burlesque of no ordinary kind,
and, ought to call forth the execration of every one, who would
scorn to pay a tax when productive of no possible good what-
soever.

While the old world, guided by past folly, prefer the turmoils
and horrors of war to the sweets of peace, we upon this side the
"wide ferry," must no longer omit placing ourselves in the best