The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

Messieurs Fowle,

Please to insert the following.

No Nation or People can be secure from their Enemies
and preserve their Independency without the Military
Art, it must give great Pleasure to every Friend to his Country,
and the British Nation, to see the present Revival of Military
Discipline in this and the neighbouring Colonies. The only
Way to have Peace, is to be always ready for War. If the In-
habitants of this Country should always have Virtue and Wis-
dom enough to follow the noble Example of their illustrious
Ancestors in training up every Man to the use of Arms, and
keeping good Stores of Ammunition, they never need fear the
united Force of all their Enemies. According to the best Com-
putation there are about half a Million of Men fit to bear Arms
in these Colonies; and the Number increasing so fast that it is
supposed within twenty or thirty Years, British America will
be able to raise a Million of Men fit to march into the Field of
Battle! --- If this vast Number should be properly trained to
Arms, what Nation or Nations under the Sun would dare enter
the Lists with America, or lift a Hand against her potent Sons!

As a well disciplined Militia is of such vast Importance to the
Welfare of this Country, it is the indispensable Duty, and we
hope it will be the constant Endeavour of every one to encour-
age and promote it. Military Skill being a great Accomplish-
ment for a Gentleman, as well as the Safeguard and Glory of a
Nation, it is hoped that Gentlemen of Character and Fortune
will lead the Way in this useful Knowledge and Practice, and
the lower Classes of People will be ambitious to follow their no-
ble Example. In this Way a Foundation may be laid for Peace
and Tranquility in America to the End of Time. To make
the Militia still more respectable, there should be a Major Ge-
neral and a Brigadier General in each Province---And as Mu-
sick adds greatly to the Beauty and Pleasure of Military Exercise,
there should be other Instruments besides Drums, such as are in
the Regular Regiments.

Standing Armies are a poor Defence against a Foreign Enemy,
they are oftener the Destruction, than the Defence of a Nation.
And it is a certain Evidence of a bad Government where a
Standing Army is kept up, either to support the Laws, or for a
Defence against Enemies, for a wise Government will always
make such Laws as are for the public Good, and good Laws
want no Armies to support them. A good Militia is the best
Security against all Enemies, and the only Way for a Nation to
become formidable and rise to Eminence and Glory.

ALEXANDER.