The Arkansas banner., 1847-09-06
From the .ss~ York Ersniag Post.

General Wool and the voluaateers.
 We insert below the warm tribute of re- spect paid by the chief officers of the first Illinois Regiment, and the brave Gen. Lane, o( the Indiana Brigade, to Gen. Wool, on taking leave of his command at Buena Wis., ia. IL is a triumphant vindica,ion of the sound military policy which this brave and accomplished officer adopted and vigorously pursued in his extraordinary management of lhe volunteer forces of his army. He has proved by the result of his own example in the enforcement of discipline and the esiab- lishment of sllict but just military policy, that volunteers, when properly ofiicered, be- come the most powerful army that can be brought into the field. They are then taught 10 acquire the ordinary efficiency of regular soldiers. while they are appealed 10 as cili- zens. and retain in full vigor that spirit-rous- ing s,imulant of State and national pride, which worked so magically on the battle ground of Buena Vista.
 There is another fact developed, not mere ly by the immediate tribute of respect to which we call attention, but in the general language of the volunteers since the great battle, which we regard as highly suspicious for the service. It is very evident .ha, most of them have changed their views entirely as to the necessity of discipline They expe- rienced its benefits in that terrible conflict, and they now appreciate its importance What would have been their fate if discipline had been previously disregarded' Their force on the battle ield was but 4,6l0, of which more than 4,O00 were volunteers. who, in the preceding summer, had been or ganised into the service by Gen. Wool in the respecuves States of which they were private citixens.
 They were now surrounded by an army of 24,000 of the bes. disciplined, the most numerously oficered, and the most veteran army ever raised in Mexico. Ten thousand of them with Ampnslia had been under fire at Monterey, and there were officers and men who had fought against old Spain, and made civil war their psstime for 25 years. What, we repeat the question, would have been the fate of our brave and devoted htlle army, if discipline had been neglected: Probably in one hour they would have been thrown into confusion, and then, if the sanguinary de- sign of the Suwarrow of Mexico had been carried out, seconded by his licensed assas- sias, the einfurialed lancers-and his Cossacks. the ranchos--who were placed as additional ouiposts to cut of every straggier, and were all ihirs,ing for blood and plunder, not one man of our heroic band would have sarvi- we'd .o tell the tale of horror.
 It is not surprising. therefore, that we find not only change of opinion as to the abso- luse necessity of discipline, bat an ou,pour- ing Of grateful admiration towards General Wool for his steady determination in enfor- cing ii, and his admirable examp:s ia direc- ling l. to the bes, advantage on the field of battle. He had known ba,tle-felds before. But the volunteers, with the exception of one regiment, had never been under fire. He knew that bis sole dependence in the hour oi triai would be from that seli-eon6ding bra- very which discipline alone inspires. Ac- eordingiy he had from the moment his army was concentrated at San Antonio in the latter part of August, until (after accomplishing . march of 300 miles, he presented them in front of SaiIlllo on ,he alarm of Gen. Worth n the latter part of December, and thence up 10 the very day Of battle, directed the whole energies of long military life to make his column not only the proudess model of an army ia all its appointments, equipments and supplles. but the best in i,s discipline and