Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-09-03
Army Officers.

We ind in a speech Of Gen. Gushing at
the fourth Of July celebration at Monterey, the
following:
Let me repeat what has been said at
home, a fact which has struck them with we'll
founded admiration, that whereas in all the
contests Of the American and Mexican armies,
the Mexican officers have ToHo,ved, the Amer
lean officers have led. Our officers not only
made the plan Of the battle, and planted them.
selves in the front rank, but placed them
selves in the post of danger, and where the
cry Of danger was loudest, the boom Of can
non heaviest, and the iron hailstorm thickest,
there were found the gallant general and his
officers"
Now we are not disposed to disparage the
merits military ct otherwise of our officers
We claim them 20 be as good fighters and
as able leaders as the best. But we are not
willing that they should monopolize all the
glory, nor make more capital out Of the war
than they deserve.
Man is very much governed by humbug,
especially when his combativeness is appeal
ed to. Any number of men can be enlisted
on small wages, to enddre incredible hard-
ships, be kicked and cufled about at the plea
sure Of comparative striplings, imbrue their
hands in the blood Of the unoffending, coolly
'Nbh - ~ w oNoh nv tih W " NhuN ~
benefit themselves No, their names are
never heard Of except in the list of killed.
But only to crafty their officers. A regiment
will bravely, yes madly, scale a bristling for
LITIGATION, and their commanders will not en-
ter until il is almost or entirely reduced. Yet
what do we heari "Glorious achievement!
Col. A. at the head of his column g%allantly
siormed fort b. He drove the enemy in, and
by a few moments hard fighting gained COM
plete possession of the fort, with the loss Of
only so men. This exploit will crown him
with glory" And the next we hear, for this
daring Of his soldiers he is promoted to a Bri-
gade. What becomes of the menl The
dead are thrown together in a ditch, and CO.
vered over like dogs; the wounded after ly-
ing perhaps over night in the open air, are
carted to the hospital, and the remainder are
turned over to some other aspirant for glory
and promotion. We hear very little said of
the bravery Of the men. What is the use of
praising theml Our aristocratic army system
for5ids their promotion, and a reputation
would do them no good. Hence they meek
ly consent that their commanders should take
all the glory, and feel themselves f1attered,
to have their superiors raised still higher
above them.
But our object in noticing this Puff of
Cushing's was to express our disbelief in its
correctness. We do not knoU of course, how
far it may or may not be generally true. But
we will give one instance which we believe
is a fair sample of how such things are done.
No charge, during the whole war has been
received with more eclat, than that of Capt.
May at Palo Alto. He is described in the
papers and the Autographs struck to his hon.
or, as rushing like a mad man, in aduance of
AIS company, upon the guns of the enemy
We have received from a private in his COM
pany, who was wounded in the charge, a de-
NAL Of this statement. He says that Capt.
May was in The rear of his men, and only
rode up to Gen. La Vega and received his
sword after he had been really taken by a
private. This statement we believe, because
we have known the private from childhood
and know him to be an honest and upright
man. Still we do not call May a coward
He is without doubt, for a military man,
brave. True courage is not expected of a
professional man-killer. But we only men,
ton him to illustrate the way in which a re-
p~utation is created by war, and further to show
the aristocratic feature which distinguishes
our military system. One Of the chief OBJ
jects of war, is to create a lame for officers.
They are not expected to be the chief recipi-
ents of bullets. These and the glory too,
would be more, they modestly think, than
they deserve. Hence they are generously
willing to divide, taking the glory to them
selves with only enough of the bullets to make
this secure. The charge of May is a fair spe-
cimen Of the way in which honors are gath
cred by officers, from the energy and courage
Of the men. Should not the latter at least
share in the glory i-Eiyria Courier.
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