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An Examination of the Message of the Governor to the Senate, returning the Bill in addition to an act for regulating by Daniel Wells American Advocate of Peace (1834-1836), Vol. 1, No. 1 (JUNE, 1834), pp. 50-51 Published by: World Affairs Institute Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27886765 . Accessed: 04/10/2013 02:15
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50

Wells

on the Militia

Veto,

[June,

It is not exciting. The grandeur and nobleness of its aims, is not enough to break the tyrranyof the Past and the Present over the
general are ahead Reformers always themselves men that consider and putting themselves to make

nimityenough to take up this subject immediatelyat itsown worth. whoso chief talent is the tact of seasonably discerning of their times,
at the head of the popular current. great There sure themselves in any are multitudes of their age. There of the enlightened and the leaders among

mind.

We

are

not to expect,

in the mass

of men,

magna

are others, not gifted with equal sagacity and foresight, who are ?whenever
are always a.s sure to be behind the movement at the outset, incredu always and therefore of interest and lous of its success, incapable activity.

itcomes tomove in the full tide of triumph; but who

prominent

enterprize

They exceedingly dread being in a minority. Of such men you may findhundreds,where you will findone that iswilling to breast the tideof falso opinion,and turn it ina rightdirection,or to encoun more discouraging apathy of deadened sensibilities. We ter the still
have know who any to the Temperance We reformation. all this in regard and the busy in this matter, the prominent men, now among to refused to commit themselves at the outset of the movement almost and were so, of its exertion, sceptical, contemptuously seen

any thing. Not that they were insensible to the crying effecting or to the need of somethingbeing done. Of evils of intemperance, were a fraid itwould notgo. They saw nothing tangible to be laid hold of.?Now, ifevery body had feltand acted as thesemen did, of thiscause? And when will where would have been the triumphs the predictionsof theBible, respecting the universal prevalence of world? 3.?An
peace, be fulfilled, if there are not men of another stamp in the this they were as well persuaded then, as they arc now. But they

Emmi un?ion of the Message of theGovernor to theSenate, returning theBill in addition to an act for regulating, Militia, S?c. By Daniel Wells. Cambridge, 1833.' fyc. the
pp. 29.

In the session of 1832-3, a Bill passed theLegislature ofMassa

chusetts, the musters ment

militia of theState, so as to do away with trainingand governing the

and arming for training and review, and to require only the enroll and an annual of arms. of the militia, inspection

repealing

and

amending

the law

in relation

to

regulating,

was drawn up by theHon. Daniel Wells, This Bill, we understand,

Lincoln in his vetomessage : and also, to establish theproprietyand expediency of the changes contemplated in the proposed bill. The discussion appears to us very thorough,the argument sound,and the

of the Senate, and the writer of this pamphlet, who was a member from one of the Committee that reported the bill. The Governor, to this bill. The refused his signature constitutional object scruples, taken by Gov. the grounds of Mr. Weils' is, to examine pamphlet

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1834.] Wells
conclusion, clearly as

on the Militia
to the constitutional

Veto.? Wares

Sermon.

51
unques

tionable. As to the expediency of such a law, we think it is very

shown same tially the setts Legislature And we are glad that, a bill, substan by Mr. Wells. was as the one in question, by the Massachu passed a law. at their last session, and has now become

right of the Legislature,

Maine had belo re passed a similar law ; and in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, the like changes have either been made, or had
under discussion. We trust that similar changes will be made

in

all the States. The frequent spectacles of military trainings and reviews contribute nothing to the respectability of themilitia, or to
the security What one.

the young, their influence is decidedly bad inmore respects than

we have the sword, his first amusement in his cap and an ornamented tainted with Now this corrupting

of the country;

while

as an element in view, we

in the education indicate

of

words ofMr. Ware:

"The boy's first playthings are the drum and

to marcii coat. Thus and in company with a. feather of the very atmosphere every successive genera

principally

may

in the

which the child breathes his way into manhood, is society, through
war should at least doubt, among a Christian beyond people, as the last sad and awful resort. AH arrange, regarded military as ments So far, should at least be considered purely defensive. and con with any lalse splendour, therefore, from being surrounded be impress upon the minds to be

made to inherit theprejudices of the preceding." tion is

ingredient,

of the young, is a ca that a resort, to arms and the Arms and pre lamity always deplored. deprecated for national defence should be connected in the imagination parations as the last of the 3'oung with the same solemn and awful associations, than about the executioner and the gallows.

tributingto delude themoral sense, every thing should be done to

inflictions of penal law. There should be nomore glory about them

4.?The

Promise

Pub Mass. Henry Ware, Jr. Professor, fyc. Cambridge, lished in theLiberal Preacher, forJanuary, 1834. pp. 23.
This justness, is an and excellent often marked discourse, by clearness, good scr.se, of thought, with the same quiet and eloquence of style, for which most of tin's writer's productions or out of propor There is nothing exaggerated admirably calculated to do good, and pro

of Universal

Peace.?A

Sermon,

by

the Rev.

simple elegance are distinguished. This discourse

Mr. Ware's tion in

minds of themost cultivated and thoughtful duce conviction in order. The object of the discourse is to show, that "the evils of War are such as to demand that the cHorts of all good and patriotic men be directed against it; while theweakness of the principleswhich sus tain it,and the strengthof the principles which oppose it,give en couragement to believe that they shall not labour in vain."

is, therefore,

or style of expressing himself. turnof thinking,

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