The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-03-26

ched another trait IN the American character,
which has been the subject Of great admira-
ton with intelligent travellers, from the Old
World Foreigners have admired the ease
with which US Yankees, as they call US, can
,urn our hands to any business or pursuit, pub
hc or private; and this has been brought for
waIu by our own people as proof that man,
" 'his great and free republic, is being very
lar superior 10 the same animal in other parts
Oh the globe less favored than ours A proof
oil me most convincing character of this truth,
so iiattering TO our national pride, is exhibited
before our eyes IN the gentleman from Michi-
gan delivering TO the world grave lecture on
the campaigns Of Gen. Harrison, including
variety of very interesting military events in
the years lSl /, 1912, and 1913. In all other
countries, and in all former times, before now,
gentleman who would either speak or be
listened 10, on the subject OF war, involving
subtle criticisms on strategy, and careful re-
views Of marches, sieges, battles, regular and
casual, and irregular onslauehts, would be re-
CURED TO show, first, that he had studied much,
investigated fully, and digested well, the sci
ence and history Of his subject. But here,
sir, no such painful preparation in required
witness the gentleman from Michigan. He
has announced to the House that he is mill
tia general on the peace establishment! That
he is a lawyer we know, tolerably we'll read
in Tidd's Practice and Espanasses Nisi Prius
These studies. so happily adapted to the sub
Ject OF war; with an appointment in the mill
tia IN time of peace, furnish him at once with
all the knowledge necessary to discourse to
US, as from high authority, upon all the mys-
teries in the "trade Of death" Again. Mr..
Speaker, 1t must occur to every one, that We,
to whom these questions are submitted and
these military criticisms are addressed being
all colonies at least, and most of us, like the
gentleman himself, brigadiers. are, of all con-
ceivable tribunals, best qualified to decide any
nice point connected with military science
| hope the House will not be alarmed by an
impression that am about to discuss one or
the other Of the military questions now before
us at length, but wish to submit remark or
two. by way Of preparing US for proper APP
probation of the merits of the discourse we
have heard | trust, as we are all brother
officers, that the gentleman from Michigan
and the two hundred and forty colonies or ge-
nerals of this honorable House will receive
what have to say as coming from an old
brother in arms, and addressed to them in
spirit Of candor
Such as becomes comrades free,
Reposing after victory"
Sir, we all know the military studies Of the
gentleman from Michigan before he was pro-
noted take it to be beyond a reasonable
doubt that he had perused with great care
the title page Of " Baron Stueben." Nay,
90 further; as the gentleman has incidentally
!. assured US he IS prone to look into musty and
neglected volumes,l venture to assert, without
vouching the fact from personal knowledge,
that he has prosecuted his researches SO far,
as to be able to know that the rear rank stands
right behind the front. This, | think, is fairly
inierrlble from what understood him TO say of
the two lines of encampment Mt lippecanoe.
Thus, we see. Mr.. Speaker, that the gentle
man from Michigan, so far as study can give
us knowledge of subject, comes before us
with claims to great proiundty. But this is
subject which, Of all others, requires the aid
of actual experience to make US wise. Now
the gentleman from Michigan, being militia
general, as he has told US, his brother officers,
in that simple statement has revealed the glo-
rious history Of tolls, prvalions, sacrlices,
and bloooy scenes, through which we know,
from experience and observation, a militia
officer in time OF peace Is sure To pass. We
all, in fancy, now see the gentleman from
Michigan in that most dangerous and glorious
event in the life Of militia general on the
peace es,abishmcnt-a parade day! That
day for which all the other days of his life
seem to have been made. We can see troops
in motion umbrellas, hoe and axe handles,
and other like deadly implements OF war over
shadowing all the field, when 10 the leader
of the host approaches,
:" Far off his coming shines 7
l. a.. I'll,
Borubon, is OF ample length, and reads its
dolelul history in the bereaved necks and bo-
SONS of forty neghboring hcn-roosts Like
the great Suwaroh, he seems somewhat care
less in forms and points of dress hence his
epaulcttcs may be on his shoulders, back or
sides, but still cleaning, glorously cleaning
in the sun. Mounted he j., too, let il not be
forgotten. Need | describe to the colonies
aad generals of this honorable House the
steed which heroes bestrde on such occasions'
No. see the memory Of other days is with
YOU You sec before you the gentleman from
Michigan mounted on his crop cared, bushy-
tailed mare, the singular oblquities of whose
hinder limbs is described by that most express
siyc phrase, "scke hams"-her heghth
jus, fourteen hands, "a ,olj;' yes, sir, there
you see his steed that laughs at the shaking
Ol tue spear lhtt Is, MS - &c "-io'o
neck is clothed with thunder"
Mr.. Speaker, we have glowing descrip-
tons in history of Alexander the Great and
his war-horse Bucephalus, at the head Of the
invincible Macedonian phalanx but, sir, such
are the Improvements Of modern times that
every one must see that our militia general,
with his crop-eared mare, with bushy-tall and
sickle ham, would literally fnghten off bat
tle-iield an hundred Alexanders But, sir,