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SHAY'S REBELLION.

Scarcely had the little army just created by Congress been absorbed on the frontiers, when an event took place which showed that foreign foes and hostile Indians were not the only dangers to be provided against. In December, 1786, nearly 1,000 malcontents assembled at Worcester, Mass., and forced the supreme court of that State to adjourn, so as to prevent the collection of debts.

Clamorous for paper money and determined to resist taxation under the State laws, the insurgents, now 2,000 strong, moved against Springfield Arsenal, led by Daniel Shaysand other former officers and soldiers of the Revolution. They would have taken the place but for the resolution of its commander, General Shepherd, who opened fire with his artillery and dispersed his assailants, killing three and wounding one.

The present exposed condition of all our great arsenals finds its condemnation in the history of this brief rebellion. The situation of the Government at its outbreak was one of utter helplessness. Through the States only was it able to procure troops, and these could only be supported by the levying of State taxes, which the insurgents were in arms to resist.

Unable to look to Congress for support, the governor of Massachusetts called out 4,000 militia under General Lincoln, who soon restored order. In view of the exhausted condition of the State treasury, the merchants of Boston advanced the necessary funds to defray the expenses of these troops. The term of service, as in the Revolution, was fixed at thirty days.

Apropos of this rebellion, which found strong sympathizers throughout all of the New England States, John Adams, second President of the Republic, expressed himself as follows:

National defense is one of the cardinal duties of a statesman. On this head I recollect nothing with which to reproach myself. The subject has always been near my heart. The delightful imaginations of universal and perpetual peace have often amused, but have never been credited by me.

REORGANIZATION OF 1787.

"In order to save the great expense of transporting new levies to the distant frontiers," and also "to avail the public of the discipline and knowledge of the country" acquired by the 700 troops raised in 1785, Congress, on the 3d of October, in the hope of inducing the men to reenlist, resolved

That seven hundred noncommissioned officers and privates be raised for the term of three years, unless sooner discharged.

The troops and officers were furnished as in the previous establishment on the basis of 260 enlisted men from Pennsylvania, 165 from Connecticut, 165 from New York, and 110 from New Jersey.

These troops and the two companies of artillery raised by the resolution of October 20, 1786, were organized into one regiment of infantry of eight companies and one battalion of artillery of four companies.

The strength of the companies was the same in the infantry and the artillery, each consisting of 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, 2 musicians, and 60 privates.

Although the appointment of officers by the States, as was customary during the Revolution, proved an unfailing source of irritation and discord, still the enlistment of the men for three years in the establishments of 1785 and 1787, and the separation in the latter organization of the infantry from the artillery, were decided improvements in military organization.

THE CONSTITUTION.

The weak, inefficient, and chaotic administration of both civil and military affairs under the Confederation gradually brought about the conviction that some change was indispensable.

In deference to public opinion, Congress recommended that a convention of delegates from the several States should revise and modify the Articles of Confederation.

In May, 1787, the convention met in Philadelphia, and after a session of four months submitted our existing Constitution, which was ratified by conventions specially chosen by the people of each State, and became within a year the supreme and organic law of the land.

The preamble sets forth, among other reasons, that the Constitution was ordained and established to "insure domestic tranquillity” and "provide for the common defense." Such portions of the instrument as have a direct bearing upon military affairs are here quoted entire.

ARTICLE I.

Section 1.

All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section 4.

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2. The Congress shall assemble at least in every year, and such meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.

Section 7.

2. Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate shall, before it become a law, be presented to the President of the United States; if he approve, he shall sign it; but if not, he shall return it, with his objections, to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large on their journal and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of that House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered; and if approved by two-thirds of that House it shall become a law.

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If any bill shall not be returned by the President within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress, by their adjournment, prevent its return; in which case it shall not be a law.

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The Congress shall have power

Section 8.

1. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises; to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.

2. To borrow money on the credit of the United States.

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5. To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures.

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10. To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water.

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11. To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years.

12. To provide and maintain a navy.

13. To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces. 14. To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions.

15. To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the States, respectively, the appointment of the officers and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress.

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17. To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the following powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or officer thereof.

Section 10.

1. No State shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation; grant letters of marque or reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts;

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2. No State shall, without the consent of the Congress, lay any imposts or duties on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing its inspection laws; and the net produce of all duties and imposts, laid by any State on imports or exports, shall be for the use of the Treasury of the United States, and all such laws shall be subject to the revision and control of the Congress. No State shall, without the consent of Congress, lay any duty of tonnage, keep troops, or ships of war in time of peace, enter into any agreement or compact with another State, or with a foreign power, or engage in war, unless actually involved, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay.

ARTICLE II.
Section 1.

1. The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.

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1. The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and the militia of the several States when called into the actual service of the United States.

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1. He shall, from time to time, give to the Congress information of the state of the Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.

He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.

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ARTICLE IV.

Section 4.

1. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature can not be convened), against domestic violence.

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2. This Constitution, and By-Laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof, and all treaties made, or which shall be made under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land.

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We have only to compare the war powers of Congress under the Confederation and under the Constitution to perceive that the ratification of the last-named instrument meant a radical change in our form of government. Acts of Congress having the effect and force of law now took the place of resolutions which amounted to but little more than recommendations and appeals to the several States.

Up to this time Congress could justly claim that its feeble and exhausting military policy was largely due to the inadequate powers conferred by the Articles of Confederation. Under the Constitution however, the authority "to raise and support armies," "to provide and maintain a navy," "to levy and collect taxes," and "to borrow money on the credit of the United States" was unqualified and gave every war power that the most despotic ruler could ask.

Henceforth there could be no division of responsibility between the General Government and the States. If disasters should happen in the future like those which twice forced the Continental Congress to hand over its authority to a military commander; if raw levies hereafter should be swept away as they were at Long Island and at Camden, and large portions of our territory given over to the ravages of war; if vast armies and prodigal counties again should deplete the national Treasury, the whole responsibility must lie at the doors of a President and a Congress clothed with unlimited power to meet every emergency.

Our liberties and independence, our country's honor and credit were thus all committed to one General Government, it being fully expected by a generous and confiding people that each representative in the discharge of this sacred trust should regard the national defense as "one of the cardinal duties of a statesman."

As the first step toward enabling our rulers to wisely and humanely organize and direct the military powers of the people, every cause that has tended in the past to prolong our wars, destroy the lives of our citizens, and waste our treasure, should receive in justice to all, the most attentive and painstaking scrutiny.

ORGANIZATION OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT.

The adoption of the Constitution soon led to changes in our military system. The first important act was approved August 7, 1789, and provided—

That there shall be an Executive Department to be denominated the Department of War; and that there shall be a principal officer therein, to be called the Secretary

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for the Department of War, who shall perform and execute such duties as shall, from time to time, be enjoined on or entrusted to him by the President of the United States, agreeable to the Constitution, relative to military commissions, or to the land or naval forces, ships or warlike stores, of the United States. And furthermore, that the said principal officer shall conduct the business of the said Department in such manner as the President of the United States shall, from time to time, order or instruct.

SEC. 2. That there shall be in the said Department an inferior officer, to be appointed by the said principal officer, to be employed therein as he shall deem proper, and to be called the chief clerk in the Department of War, and who, whenever the said principal officer shall be removed from office by the President of the United States, or in any other case of vacancy, shall, during such vacancy, have the charge and custody of all records, books, and papers appertaining to the said Department.

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The effect of this law was to make the Secretary of War, in the discharge of his duties, responsible to the President instead of to Congress.

PEACE ESTABLISHMENT OF 1789.

The act of September 29, 1789, laid the foundation of our existing Army by recognizing "the establishment for the troops in the service of the United States," and requiring all officers and men to take the oath of allegiance. The only change made was in the method of appointing officers, this power being vested for the first time in the President of the United States. Under this act the Army was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Harmar, of the infantry, the staff consisting of a paymaster-general, an acting adjutant-general, and an acting quartermaster-general.

To protect the frontiers from the Indians, the fifth section of the law authorized the President to call into service such part of the militia as he might judge necessary, the militia to have the same pay and subsistence, when in service, as troops of the regular establishment. In this section we have the key to our whole subsequent military policy in regard to Indian hostilities.

As the Continental troops during the Revolution were never maintained in sufficient strength, it was necessary to fall back on the militia to meet current emergencies, and when Indian wars had to be dealt with after the Revolution the same system was continued as involving the least expense. Thus, as events soon proved, a shortsighted and mistaken economy was to jeopardize the lives and property of our hardy settlers on the frontier.

REORGANIZATION OF 1790.

The first general organization of the Army under the Constitution was pursuant to the act of April 30, 1790," the first section of which fixed the strength of the noncommissioned officers and privates at 1,216, enlisted for the term of three years unless sooner discharged. The term of the officers was the same as for the men.

The infantry of this force was organized into a regiment of 3 battalions, of 4 companies each.

The field and staff consisted of 1 lieutenant-colonel, 3 majors, 3 adjutants, 3 quartermasters, 1 paymaster, 1 surgeon, and 2 surgeon's

mates.

a The dates of all acts refer to the time of their approval by the President.

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