The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

FORESIGHT.

That no nation or people can be safe or happy without they have power sufficient to defend themselves, is a maxim that no body who has any pretensions to reason will deny just force from the beginning of the world has always carry'd the day against truth, justice and equity :---That people in a war, who has no other arguments to offer against the well disciplin'd battalions of their enemies but superior reasonings and well grounded rights, are in a condition to be pitied indeed ; for this reason the Romans were careful at all hazards to cherish & preserve military skill and discipline ; the introducing rewards and marks of honor for the well deserving, and punishments for the bad, were the best methods to make them excel, and by these means they came to be the conquerors and consequently the masters of the world. Tho' the mode of fighting is alter'd from what it was in those days, yet discipline is vastly more necessary now than it was then ; their highest ingenuity then was to get longer, stronger and every way better weapons than their enemies, which produced a large share of courage as well as some discipline :-Now the great art is to move in perfect order with celerity and care, to fire justly and properly, so the greatest execution is done at many yards distance. which makes battles less bloody than when they engag'd every one his man. A history of all the battles that's been fought since Gun-Powder was invented and used is only a history of the superiority of discipline on the part of the conquerors, and want of it and misconduct in part of the defeated :--- The present method of fighting is such that discipline and good commanders ever carry the day against numbers and irregularity, for proof of this, witness Charles the I2th of Sweden, with 8000 beat Peter the Great at Narva with an 100,000 ; and this regularity gain'd immortal honour to the British nation at the battle of Fontenoy, where had the bashful Dutch in the least seconded their motions they had gained the most surprizing and complete victory in history. And in the late war it was their superiority and goodness of troops that made Great-Britain triumph over her enemies in every part of the globe ! but when a people resign themselves up to ease, idleness, and become luxurious and enervated, it is certain they are always mark'd out by designing men as a sure prey: And it is as certain that it becomes us at this day to stir ourselves and be active, when we know not who are our friends or foes. Here I beg leave to make use of an old but true proverb, that " Security dwells next door to Ruin. An attempt to rouse them out of it deserves attention at least, if not thanks ?..- the gentleman of Essex has mine, and heartily.---This province if under good regulation in its militia might defy any body of men that might be sent against it ; let each regiment be properly officered and a train of artillery belonging to every three or four regiments as should be tho't proper. I am not insensible that an objection will here be raised against the expence and trouble that will be in providing accoutrements and disciplining those troops ; in answer to that, no man would grudge (not even the most avaricious) to give a certain sum and a pretty large one to a person that saved his house from being burnt, or rescued himself out of the hands of ruffians who were just a-going to murder him in a cruel manner ; whether this is applicable or no I leave to the thinking part of the public.----Rouse then; my countrymen, awake, shake off the slumbers that seem to have infected you for some years past : instead of only four days in the year (or 8 hours) exercise forty at proper times, learn the evolutions to go thro' them with exactness and propriety, let each county, and each regiment vie with one another which shall produce the best soldiers.---7000 men well provided and disciplin'd would deter any nation from making attempts against our liberties, we should not then be liable to every insult that petty tyranny can invent. Let's learn our own strength and importance and we never shall bow our necks to the yoke of slavery, nor drag a cart loaded with corruption, bribery and venality.

The august Representative Body of the people it is to be hoped, will, at their next session, take the affair of the regulation of the militia into their consideration ; and it is to be wish- ed that every Town would. give instructions to their Represen- tatives accordingly, as the only method under God of preserv- ing our rights and privileges.--It is not a bare simple wishing that this might be done, but every one, must put their shoulder to the burden---every one must take part, they that are not fit for officers must be soldiers, and they that are not fit for soldiers must be fifers.