Show NATIONAL GUARD whatever constitutes a well governed body in any sphere of society must be determined from a true conception of its inner workings as well as a liberal excerpt of the respect and influence they may command in the community in which they reside without a thorough realization of these facts much might be lett left undone that otherwise had been profitable were the forces in question disposed to acknowledge their weaknesses and thus by a little timely aid ak advice and assistance from the proper source be saved from rom the delirious del erious re suits which inevitably follow namely namuel n dissatisfaction and a spirit of total ja difference as is usually the case it is rather unfortunate to note the number of members of our national guard who from time to time get into bad stan standing dirig become useless as soldiers but the truth of the matter is they are in a measure excusable labun business likes like nonmilitary non military methods employed on the part of their immediate commanders is in the majority ot of cases the real cause the sum and substance why these men become indifferent to the proper performance of their military duties as well as entirely unmindful of their oath of enlistment the interests of the national guard should not be confined alone to the members thereof but should be of paramount importance to all the people consequently we should not allow our selves to run along in the rut ot of nothingness and make no advances in the direction of improvement what good does a person derive from identifying himself with a military or any other organization for the mere name of belonging to it surely no in of common sense wishes to allow himself to be betrayed into the insignificant silliness of membership in the national guard for the sole purpose of parading in uniform unless he is sincere in his allegiance to its underlying lying principles it if so I 1 confess to a iran frailty y which I 1 very much regret should exist in a military organization where every step is a step towards perfection where every motive ought to be actuated by impulse and every impulse prompted by true american patriotism our country since its settlement has been engaged in four general wars and has suffered numerous local disturbances requiring the stern application of powder and ball in its military history the achievements of its volunteer troops its citizen boldery have been the wonder and admiration ol of the world creating in the minds ol of all european nations a wholesome respect tor for our flag and what it represents in the colonial wars the intrepidity of the american volunteer was truly conspicuous in battle shock on the plains of abraham and in covering the retreat ot braddocks braddicks Brad docks shattered re regiments ments of the line our ancestral ri riflemen men gave promise of the military capabilities which later won for them release from british tyranny and for us toe the priceless heritage of a government of for and by the people in the revolutionary war our troops were of course but volunteers men who forsook the plough the forge the work bench in obedience to the call to arms the british were mobbed and that practically at lexington concord and bunker hill but they were certainly outgeneral led at and yorktown York lown between 1783 and the war of 1812 the chief military events were indian campaigns of considerable magnitude in which the brunt of the fighting fen fell to the lot of the militia of our military oppe rations in the war of 1812 the average american can point with pride to but two engagements audys une lane and new orleans in both of which armies admies of veteran english troops went down in sore defeat before the rifles of our poorly organized and worse equip ped yeomanry of the battle at new orleans cliv clinching aing as it did the honorable peace wrested from our hereditary foe chiefly by our gallant jack tars our of troops felt justly proud but it i is historical that there the genius and generalship of jackson and toe the accuracy and vigor of ane fire of his troops gave to the flower of the british army its most crushing and humiliating defeat between 1815 and 1845 there were several severe indian outbreaks notable the conflicts with the creeks and in which the government 2 again gai n had occasion to call out its citizen soldiery with the usual satisfactory results the mexican war added new laurels to the chaplet of our militia mi lilia but it remained for the civil war ot of 1861 5 to exhibit fully and completely the martial stamina and capabilities american so soldier loler when toe tae attempt to disrupt the union resulted in an appeal to arms tae succeeding states were in far better condition for the approaching combat than was the government whose munitions oi of war had been sequestered troops dispersed and war vessels dismantled by a federal administration which was if not in open sympathy with secession at least indifferent to the federal welfare the inauguration oi of president lincoln at washington D C was made possible only by the unswerving loyalty ot of volunteer troops of the district of columbia and when hostilities actually began but for the prompt celerity with which the militia of the loyal states responded to the presidents call for troops the federal capitol would have been occupied by the confederate forces from bull run to by land and sea the combatants on both sides were chiefly volunteers but the tyros of manassas and balls bluff soon became the seasoned veterans of gettysburg and chickamauga whose colossal campaigns and intrepid deeds were commensurate only with the immensity of the principles for which they so stubbornly contended when the end came and with it the order cease firing victor and vanquished divested themselves of the weapons of war and resumed the impei ments of peaceful citizenship with vital differences settled mutual respect increase dand the federal union restored and more firmly welded an era of 0 broader better feeling began which please god may never end since 1865 the martial spirit ot of our citizens has been fostered by volunteer organizations known as state broo troops P 5 or national guards which have been valuable adjuncts in the administration of peace and justice and in the proper protection of life and property although the militia of many states was in in some degree organized and equipped prior to the late war and formed the nucleus of our volunteer armies during that crisis the value of thoroughly disciplined and properly equipped volunteer troops has received but tardy recognition in many states in each and every instance when well trained and disciplined troops have been called into service they nave have exhibited their soldierly qualities in the most satisfactory manner but what can be expected when a states militia has been neglected and suffered to disorganize something more substantial than guns and uniforms is needed in the proper organization of state troops competent and popular officers are essential but the indispensable thing is military pride which arises from a conviction in the minds of the militia that the good people of the state have interest in and due respect for tue men who wear our count rys uniform to the american volunteers of the stormy days agone we undoubtedly owe the foundation and perpetuation of the institutions of a free government upon the citizen soldier of the present arid and the future we must rely in foreign wars and domestic disturbances in time to come to the one let us be substantially ly grateful to the other entirely just in the matter of the state troops of utah I 1 will say on several occasions the officers and men have been compelled to pay necessary expenses from their own private funds this ought not to be and tends to demoralize the service the expense of maintaining the national guard is not great an appropriation pria tion is necessary to maintain our pasi position tion as a state and to furnish means and the nucleus for a common defense in case of need for as has been truly said while not a warlike people we should always be a military people the guardsmen guardsman guards men of today maybe may be the volunteers of tomorrow take heed therefore that he be able ready and ancl willing proper equipment and train training WK will render him capable and ready but lack of of interest in and respect for him niggardly treatment of those who are veterans now may seriously effect his willingness and dampen his patriotism be it remembered that there is not a member of the national guard of utah who does not in the service he renders the state sacrifice manually a great deal of time and money the compa companies ni drill semimonthly semi monthly and sometimes mes oftener the members of the national guard of utah are not under any obligations to the state for compensation but the state is clearly obligated to them for the services they render JOHN M DUNNING col N 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