Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-12-30
THE ARMOEY SCHOOL

We have shown, that no, only can all the mill
iary duties, now performed by he Pablo Quad,
be efficiently executed by The Cadets, but lha', in
addition thereto, these young men will receive a
good education, and afterwards impar the saue
throughout the Stale
Ii is objected, that al these military schools hut
little attention is paid 10 moral instruction.; that
the necessary restrictions are enforced by martial
laws, rather than by persuasion; bu! il is al the
same time admitted, BY those who raise This Oh
lection, that The habits and department Of the sra
duaies Of these schools are as good Professor
Garland said better, il not even better, than The
habits and department Of those young men who
graduate at other Colleges.
For ourselves, We would not enquire which CT
The two means had been used, provided The best
ends had been attained; and that The graduates OF
West Point, as Of Lexington do come from those
institutions, with as good moral habits and as
gen.lemanly department, as the graduates Of any
other colleges in this or any other S,aienot tx
cepting sec,aIian schools conducted By The rever-
end c'ergy,-we most confidently assert and We
might draw some compa risons going 10 show his
within the limits OF our own Stale; but we hest
tate 10 make such references, lest our motives
may be misunderstood. The truth is, moral in
nuences are as much exercised al these schools
as al any Of our colleges, and hence The good ic-
suits but there are those, and learned men, too,
who seem TO think that the teaching ol morality
and religion is incompatible with teaching he use
of arms, and that therefore, The latter forciby eS
cludes the former. To such We have only 10 say,
that we never thought George Washington and his
companions in arms, tic less vi!lnous, or the less
religions, or the less good citizens, because they
had been taught the use Of arms, but, on the con-
trary, We believe by this military knowledge, they
developed their fitness for the great and glorious
cause which, through divine assistance, they con-
summated.
The system OF discipline a, these schools is
not the mere repeated chidings for repeatedly
broken rules; nor the lcmPorsing policy OF long
suppressed displeasure, lest the student should
quit and thus injule The character and The means
OF the institution; but il is a firm, unwavering
adherence 10 rules and regulations carefully pre-
pared by BOqrd Of HiMtc,s, thems ires annually
selected By tic Governor If the STATE because Of HeiI
suiiabicness. And these rules and regulations en-
brace supervisory power over The cadets, not
only when In study or recitation hours, but dur
ing every hour OF their connection with The school:
and the violation Of them is punished exactly as
arelhe violations of college rules, viz: by snspen-
sion and expulsion, etcem Hat Mty are more or
tain.
Another advantage which would arise from
the esa bshlnent of The Annoy School is, that
il would essentially all in perfeciing our militia
system. All concede, that il is upon our citizen
soldiery we mus; depend for The defence of our
homes; and all concede that while for personal
bravery, patriotism, energy Of character, and other
elements which make The soldier, no nation can
exceed Us; yet, without military knowledge all
must admit, that we take the field with cruel
odds against US. The young men from these mi
lilaiy schools having acquired the rudmens q.
this knowledge, will doubtless be sought alter,
first, 10 fill subordinate Offices in our volunteer
companies from thence 10 Use TO higher grades,
until, finally, they become commanders Of Ieg-
ments, brigades, &C., and then to be able and eff
Glen, leaders in times Of danger.
We have said the odds are cruel when undis-
cip!ined militia lake The field against regular
troops. Is il not sol Look back 10 our former
wars; for, until our militia learned The art of
war, were they not iuicbered wherever they had
10 face regular troops in The open feld7 In truth,
were We not Gas We shall be again) almost inva-
riably beaten at The commencement Of lie wars
so that, by thus encouraging our enemies and
discouraging our own citizens, these wars were
made longer in consequence Then, why this
croaking about The dangers of learning our
young men The use Of arms, its immoral lcnden-
cy, &C., &c ? Do VIC mol believe in The wisdom
of Washington, when he recommends prepara-
lion for war in time OF peace2 Is it mol peace
now, and is rar nevcr more 10 eome2