5182. MILITIA, Classification.—[further continued] .
Convinced that a militia of all ages promiscuously are entirely useless
for distant service, and that we never
shall be safe until we have a selected corps
for a year's distant service at least, the classification
of our militia is now the most essential
thing the United States have to do.
Whether, on Bonaparte's plan of making a
class for every year between certain periods,
or that recommended in my message, I do
not know, but I rather incline to his. The
idea is not new, as you may remember we
adopted it once in Virginia during the Revolution,
but abandoned it too soon. It is the
real secret of Bonaparte's success.—
To James Madison. Washington ed. v, 76.
Ford ed., ix, 49.
(M.
May. 1807)
