The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-07-09

NuU lthlnI RANK III ClNll ilit win TIE
highest, filling the mos, important posts,
giving forth 10 others the Instruction.
.hry have received, and presenting salient
and often briIiau, projections from the
surface Of society. Of about 400 cadets
of the Academy who have been nj some
time in civil hfe. three have been presl-
dents of colleges, troUy professors in
colleges, one Governor of State. enc
Foreign Minister. several members of
Congress and OF the Legislatures, iIoo
Bishops of The Episcopal Church, sir
clergymen. many civil engineers, and
many 10 other professions. OF these it
may easily be proved that those who are
living hold positions OF character and in
0lence fully equal L. those held by an
,qnal number of the graduates Of colleges
while in scientific attainmens they are
far superior. Que is now directing the
greatest public work in Europe one has
founded in Amerlca, by private enlerpriZa,
the first real observatory IN our country;
some are distinguished ge-.ngisls some
have sdurnsd the pulpit aud the bar; and
some have taken part in The social and
polucal discussions of the times. In
these various forms, The members of Tbs
academy have mingled with the people,
have dllllsod the knowledge ihey have
gained, and exercised an influence over
he public mind lar greater lhan tia, which
is simply proporIoncd To their numbers
or their stations. With few and distant
exceptions, ii cannot be fairly charged
upon them that they have hidden their
talents in a napkin. or that they have
ceased to exert themselves for the best
aud the modest interest. Of their country.
The services rendered By ,be graduates
Of the institution, IN the campaign ia
Mexico, are thus noticed -
We have seen how the eleUes OF the
Academy have performed their part in
civil. Service in the army was he 5 re-
ridc, though not the only duty prescribed
to It's students. There have been ABOUT
eigh, hundred members of The Academy
who have been IN actual service more
than one year. OF this my haveeither
been killed or have died IN war, mi one
hundred and seventy have dIet in ser
vice. 1t follows that one in sTietR OF
the whole number have been IlIled, and
one in four have di d in lheservice Of
their country. Is ii asked Wat hind Of
service have they rendeed ! WRat n
there, il may be asked reply, in the
military art what in information, what
in strategy, what in The adual drill Of the
field, whs, in engineering, what in to.
biography, what in BATHS fought or VIC
tories won, which has no in It's full meas.
ure been rendered TO The army by the Off
GERS educated here Details Of proof
are unnecessary, for it's not possible to
differ in opinion upor facts which are as
notorious as the lighto day, upon actions
which shine out in our national history
upon characteos which have become the
property Of Fame--upon the memories
! Of the dead which have become the glory
Of the living.
One illustration, the most known. the
most recent ond the (airesl, NAV be found
in the campaign Of Mexico. There wal
has been condurlek on an extended scale.
large armies have been collected In.
porlanl bdlles have been fought, cities
have been taken. and large Zines of op.
era,ons sasieined and carried OUT al great
distances from the base Of supply. On
what did these results and operations de-
pend The official lisloy of the war
proves-lsl, that in the entire campaign
IN the Rio Grande, the Artillery service
was brilliantly performed. and that from
necessity, especially at Buena Vista
more depended upon it than on any other;
ID, that in the seige OF Vera Cruz and in
the storm of Monterey, this was not only
/ true Of the artillery, but that the informa-
! ton and direction which determined these
events, are justly due to the Engineer
service. | speaS, said Mr.. Mansfield.