Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-05-31
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS.


series Of thrilling tales and sketches. BY an Am,
rcan Soldier. Written during period in tn
service from 1880. Boston, James Munroe 4
Co." Price 81 cents, l6mo., PIP. 1877.
Upon the cover of this little volume we find thi
manuscript note from the author or the publisher
g See Introduction" Oblging, therefore, as tn
youth in George Coleman's tale, who remarks, as h
strolls late at night through London, the word
&C. Please to ring the bell'' on door, and rings
il accordingly, long and loud, we haze seen the in
PRODUCTION.
Its character, however, is such that not sure art
we but that, letters and even invitations are some
times written for one man, but addressed to ano
ther, the copy sent us through our good friend Mr.
Franck Taylor may have been designed for some
editor here fonder of Locofocoism than we are
some editor indeed so little satiated with the ciU
havoc it is working, that he will even hail its intro
duction into the Army and Navy, as well as all oul
administrative and diplomatic service.
The book itself has, before the introduction Of
which we are to speak, dedication " To the Rank
and File of the United States Army" That of the
NAVY and Of the so-called Democracy might well
have shared the inscription; for the thing is plainly
intended to teach jacObinism to them all, to niame
all with hatred of discipline and of law, to render
the Army and Navy odious with the people, their
multitude sympathy with mutineers and deserters,
and, of course, to encourage mutny and desertion.
Should the volume reach as it is of course designed
to do, every regiment and ship in our service and
be believed by of twenty, it may cost hundred
executions (rare as they in our service) and
aggravate every necessity of severity and all the in
subordinaton that have called into being publica-
ton like this.
In short preface, the author avows that his pur-
pose is (" to acquaint the public with the true cha
racter of the existing United States Army and to
"save many an honorable, though humble man,
from degradation as American citizen and from
insult to his patriotism, by enHsfing in 1t, as at
present organized and disciplined" These are
certainly purposes most patriotic and prudent at
moment like this, when Locofocoism is on all sides
provoking wars and planning conquests! While it
holds in its hands, with despohc and INSCRIPTIONS
power, the opportunity Of what changes it likes,
legal or Illegal this is the Locofoco method of
rectng organization and discipline TO hinder
enlistment and to fire men to disobedience that must
either pull down all command drive it to frequent
severities This is entirely in the spirit of that Lo
cofocoism which has of late controlled and over
awed and mastered the genuine Democracy-of that
Locofocoism which truly boasts OF selfgovernment,
of being the whole source of law, yet flies in the
face of the very laws it has made, and instantly pro-
poses to pull them down. not change them, and, on
the eve Of its own wars not to improve increase
the Army, but in the very name of its beloved pa
triotism' to break it up, by hinderng all enlistment
in it as degradation ~ 1t is thus with them !:
all reform for them knows but the single mode Of
demolition with that it begins, with that it ends.
Is il not time that Locofocoism should show us
how il can make some law, adopt some policy,
which it will itself obeyi To instance the things
struck at by this publication: Who made the Army
and who erected West Point! Locofocoism, GER
tainly, if the old Republican Administrations Of
MADISON and MONROE were, the Locofocos pre-
tend, of their party. Who founded the protective
policy internal improvement, the bank, distribution,
and almost every thing at which Locofocoism now
raves as high Federalism Who roared for rota-
ton in ofice-kept in its minions, when il could,
half lifetime-and soemnly proclaimed in 1910
restoration" to office as its great principle! Who,
through the sacred voice of its own Greatest and
Best" advised President MONROE to call back fair
proportion of Federaiisfs into his Administration,
and regard, in appointments nothing but honesty
and competency And tch0 set up the "spolls
principle! Who pronounced prescription execra-
be Federal British-bank- arstocratca in lS4l and
clamor for it now, as the very chief of Republican
things! How much Of like admirable subyersion
and contradiction of all that itself has done or rant
ed about as capital and eternal truths and principles,
might we not enumerate, had we time, in confrma-
lion Of the temper which its conduct towards the
Army exhibits
In its work now before US, the " Introduction"
sets forth the general charges against the Army and
West Point; and the Recollectons" themselves
"a body Of tales) follow, specifications before a
court martial or as illustrations by fact in science
to establish the charges.
This introduction asserts West Point TO be " a
fraud upon the American people and vile perver-
sion Of its original intent :" that it is an en-
CINE Of fayortism, mainly filed with the pets OF
schemng and other influential men !" and that IT has
the exclusive supply of |" the things which are in
tended to represent officers" 1t admits afterwards
that some Of the graduates Of West Point are men
Of talents, genius and worth - but adds that many
of this some quit the service in disgust" while
many more Of the graduates possess physical and
mental energies about sufficient to qualify them 70
perform the arduous duty Of dancing attendance
upon a lady, shopping" This last sort, then
(since originally many more" than the good ones
and since {" numbers of the latter class resign
obviously form, according 10 this veracious autho
rity, nearly the whole body OF the commissioned
officers in the army. And thus we have the fact
not only that military education renders men uni
10 be officers, but that at West Point the standard
of excellence maintained by the instructors mus
be- not proficiency in mathematics, engineering
tactics, French, &C.; nor manly obedience ant
conformity to duty, however severe; nor fencing
craftsmanship, and other military exercises; blu
that the science studied there and marked on thu
merit-ro Of each day for four years, is the art o
squireng danes a-shoppng Clearly, then, io