erical labors is a proper desire,
and should not be permitted to degenerate into undisciplined sport for
want of a legitimate pastime.

The militia service, on a peace footing, is really a recreation, with
an object and an organization of the most singular merit. Its system of
physical training is superior to the abnormal development of the
gymnasium, the fitful excitement of the ball-field, the constrained
pull and single purpose of the oar, and the violent termination of a
"shell" race. Its normal object, military training, is exacting,
methodical, and thorough, and moral force of character, self-reliance,
discipline of the mind, and knowledge of human nature are collateral
results of company and battalion associations. There is an element of
possible strength to the militia forces of the several States, which
may have been thought of, but never utilized. I refer to the youth in
every community who are old enough to be free from the constant
necessity of elementary study and relieved from the absorbing
application of higher educational branches, who are yet at school, but
with sufficient leisure to do well or ill--that age between the
watchful eye of maternal care and later parental authority: inchoate
manhood, rough, awkward, and susceptible; wild with their first taste
of liberty; full of anticipation and courageous in the future. The
struggle between them and society for a place is long and doubtful. The
State should adopt and help them by recognizing a cadet system to be
attached to the uniformed corps, whose officers could inaugurate no
wiser, more charitable, or more popular measure than to accept their
services. The measure of good to the boy and the measure of benefit to
the service would be reciprocal and incalculable. The cadet would take
to the "school of the soldier" with enthusiasm. It would give him
something proper to do, something right to think of; it would perfect
his growing physique with grace, and engraft on his system the elements
of manhood.

To all graduating classes in school, a membership in a cadet corps
would be an incentive, and school commissioners could make such
membership a reward of merit.

It would relieve the service from the present unpleasant feature of
recruiting by keeping behind it a subordinate corps of well-drilled
young soldiers from which its ranks could be kept full. It would
relieve officers from the drudgery of squad-drills, and give the
service the full time of thei