wealbk05-第4章

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least　retire　to　their　quarters；　according　to　his　orders。　In　what

is　called　discipline；　or　in　the　habit　of　ready　obedience；　a

militia　must　always　be　still　more　inferior　to　a　standing　army

than　it　may　sometimes　be　in　what　is　called　the　manual　exercise；

or　in　the　management　and　use　of　its　arms。　But　in　modern　war　the

habit　of　ready　and　instant　obedience　is　of　much　greater

consequence　than　a　considerable　superiority　in　the　management　of

arms。

　　　　　Those　militias　which；　like　the　Tartar　or　Arab　militia；　go　to

war　under　the　same　chieftains　whom　they　are　accustomed　to　obey　in

peace　are　by　far　the　best。　In　respect　for　their　officers；　in　the

habit　of　ready　obedience；　they　approach　nearest　to　standing

armies。　The　highland　militia；　when　it　served　under　its　own

chieftains；　had　some　advantage　of　the　same　kind。　As　the

highlanders；　however；　were　not　wandering；　but　stationary

shepherds；　as　they　had　all　a　fixed　habitation；　and　were　not；　in

peaceable　times；　accustomed　to　follow　their　chieftain　from　place

to　place；　so　in　time　of　war　they　were　less　willing　to　follow　him

to　any　considerable　distance；　or　to　continue　for　any　long　time　in

the　field。　When　they　had　acquired　any　booty　they　were　eager　to

return　home；　and　his　authority　was　seldom　sufficient　to　detain

them。　In　point　of　obedience　they　were　always　much　inferior　to

what　is　reported　of　the　Tartars　and　Arabs。　As　the　highlanders

too；　from　their　stationary　life；　spend　less　of　their　time　in　the

open　air；　they　were　always　less　accustomed　to　military　exercises；

and　were　less　expert　in　the　use　of　their　arms　than　the　Tartars

and　Arabs　are　said　to　be。

　　　　　A　militia　of　any　kind；　it　must　be　observed；　however；　which

has　served　for　several　successive　campaigns　in　the　field；　becomes

in　every　respect　a　standing　army。　The　soldiers　are　every　day

exercised　in　the　use　of　their　arms；　and；　being　constantly　under

the　command　of　their　officers；　are　habituated　to　the　same　prompt

obedience　which　takes　place　in　standing　armies。　What　they　were

before　they　took　the　field　is　of　little　importance。　They

necessarily　become　in　every　respect　a　standing　army　after　they

have　passed　a　few　campaigns　in　it。　Should　the　war　in　America　drag

out　through　another　campaign；　the　American　militia　may　become　in

every　respect　a　match　for　that　standing　army　of　which　the　valour

appeared；　in　the　last　war；　at　least　not　inferior　to　that　of　the

hardiest　veterans　of　France　and　Spain。

　　　　　This　distinction　being　well　understood；　the　history　of　all

ages；　it　will　be　found；　bears　testimony　to　the　irresistible

superiority　which　a　well…regulated　standing　army　has　over　a

militia。

　　　　　One　of　the　first　standing　armies　of　which　we　have　any

distinct　account；　in　any　well　authenticated　history；　is　that　of

Philip　of　Macedon。　His　frequent　wars　with　the　Thracians；

Illyrians；　Thessalians；　and　some　of　the　Greek　cities　in　the

neighbourhood　of　Macedon；　gradually　formed　his　troops；　which　in

the　beginning　were　probably　militia；　to　the　exact　discipline　of　a

standing　army。　When　he　was　at　peace；　which　he　was　very　seldom；

and　never　for　any　long　time　together；　he　was　careful　not　to

disband　that　army。　It　vanquished　and　subdued；　after　a　long　and

violent　struggle；　indeed；　the　gallant　and　well　exercised　militias

of　the　principal　republics　of　ancient　Greece；　and　afterwards；

with　very　little　struggle；　the　effeminate　and　ill…exercised

militia　of　the　great　Persian　empire。　The　fall　of　the　Greek

republics　and　of　the　Persian　empire　was　the　effect　of　the

irresistible　superiority　which　a　standing　army　has　over　every

sort　of　militia。　It　is　the　first　great　revolution　in　the　affairs

of　mankind　of　which　history　has　preserved　any　distinct　or

circumstantial　account。

　　　　　The　fall　of　Carthage；　and　the　consequent　elevation　of　Rome；

is　the　second。　All　the　varieties　in　the　fortune　of　those　two

famous　republics　may　very　well　be　accounted　for　from　the　same

cause。

　　　　　From　the　end　of　the　first　to　the　beginning　of　the　second

Carthaginian　war　the　armies　of　Carthage　were　continually　in　the

field；　and　employed　under　three　great　generals；　who　succeeded　one

another　in　the　command：　Hamilcar；　his　son…in…law　Hasdrubal；　and

his　son　Hannibal；　first　in　chastising　their　own　rebellious

slaves；　afterwards　in　subduing　the　revolted　nations　of　Africa；

and；　lastly；　in　conquering　the　great　kingdom　of　Spain。　The　army

which　Hannibal　led　from　Spain　into　Italy　must　necessarily；　in

those　different　wars；　have　been　gradually　formed　to　the　exact

discipline　of　a　standing　army。　The　Romans；　in　the　meantime；

though　they　had　not　been　altogether　at　peace；　yet　they　had　not；

during　this　period；　been　engaged　in　any　war　of　very　great

consequence；　and　their　military　discipline；　it　is　generally　said；

was　a　good　deal　relaxed。　The　Roman　armies　which　Hannibal

encountered　at　Trebia；　Thrasymenus；　and　Cannae　were　militia

opposed　to　a　standing　army。　This　circumstance；　it　is　probable；

contributed　more　than　any　other　to　determine　the　fate　of　those

battles。

　　　　　The　standing　army　which　Hannibal　left　behind　him　in　Spain

had　the　like　superiority　over　the　militia　which　the　Romans　sent

to　oppose　it；　and　in　a　few　years；　under　the　command　of　his

brother；　the　younger　Hasdrubal；　expelled　them　almost　entirely

from　that　country。

　　　　　Hannibal　was　ill　supplied　from　home。　The　Roman　militia；

being　continually　in　the　field；　became　in　the　progress　of　the　war

a　well　disciplined　and　well…exercised　standing　army；　and　the

superiority　of　Hannibal　grew　every　day　less　and　less。　Hasdrubal

judged　it　necessary　to　lead　the　whole；　or　almost　the　whole　of　the

standing　army　which　he　commanded　in　Spain；　to　the　assistance　of

his　brother　in　Italy。　In　this　march　he　is　said　to　have　been

misled　by　his　guides；　and　in　a　country　which　he　did　not　know；　was

surprised　and　attacked　by　another　standing　army；　in　every　respect

equal　or　superior　to　his　own；　and　was　entirely　defeated。

　　　　　When　Hasdrubal　had　left　Spain；　the　great　Scipio　found

nothing　to　oppose　him　but　a　militia　inferior　to　his　own。　He

conquered　and　subdued　that　militia；　and；　in　the　course　of　the

war；　his　own　militia　necessarily　became　a　well…disciplined　and

well…exercised　standing　army。　That　standing　army　was　afterwards

carried　to　Africa；　where　it　found　nothing　but　a　militia　to　oppose

it。　In　order　to　defend　Carthage　it　became　necessary　to　recall　the

standing　army　of　Hannibal。　The　disheartened　and　frequently

defeated　African　militia　joined　it；　and；　at　the　battle　of　Zama；

composed　the　greater　part　of　the　troops　of　Hannibal。　The　event　of

that　day　determined　the　fate　of　the　two　rival　republics。

　　　　　From　the　end　of　the　second　Carthaginian　war　till　the　fall　of

the　Roman　republic；　the　armies　of　Rome　were　in　every　respect

standing　armies。　The　standing　army　of　Macedon　made　some

resistance　to　their　arms。　In　the　height　of　their　grandeur　it　cost

them　two　great　wars；　and　three　great　battles；　to　subdue　that

little　kingdom；　of　which　the　conquest　would　probably　have　been

still　more　difficult　had　it　not　been　for　the　cowardice　of　its

last　king。　The　militias　of　all　the　civilised　nations　of　the

ancient　world；　of　Greece；　of　Syria；　and　of　Egypt；　made　but　a

feeble　resistance　to　the　standing　armies　of　Rome。　The　militias　of

some　barbarous　nations　defended　themselves　much　better。　The

Scythian　or　Tartar　militia；　which　Mithridates　drew　from　the

countries　north　of　the　Euxine　and　Caspian　seas；　were　the　most

formidable　enemies　whom　the　Romans　had　to　encounter　after　the

second　Carthaginian　war。　The　Parthian　and　German　militias；　too；

were　always　respectable；　and　upon　several　occasions　gained　very

considerable　advantages　over　the　Roman　armies。　In　general；

however；　and　when　the　Roman　armies　were　well　commanded；　they

appear　to　have　been　very　much　superior；　and　if　the　Romans　did　not

pursue　the　final　conquest　either　of　Parthia　or　Germany；　it　was

probably　because　they　judged　that　it　was　not　worth　while　to　add

those　two　barbarous　countries　to　an　empire　which　was　already　too

large。　The