Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-07-19

eff odors be ascribed ETHEREAL affections produced
by impulses proceeding from odorerous substances
seny tastes must have an analogous origin and
influence far az its existence been proved
ly to require ethereal Intervention.
" The CAMPAIGNS OF THE Rio GRANDE AND
OF MEXICO, with notices of the recent work
of Major RIPLEY" by Brevet Major ISAAC 1.
STEVENS, U. s. Army: New York, published
by D. APPLETON & Co., PIP. 1885, Washington,
TAYLOR q MAURY.
The eor and the consciousness the writer Of thorough
acquaintance with the subject give great interest this
review, and fully enss the confidence Of the reader
Major SrEvHss writes from copous taken on the field
and his position officer of the engineer corps gave him
the hest means of knowing. His end and aim in coming
before the public s give his testimony in favor of those
officers who in his Judgment have been deprecated by the
work Of another officer.
matter Of delicscy, and requiring little skill
discuss topics Of such recent occurrence which have en-
tered largely into the controversy Of political paries-to
speak Of still before the public with impaiay which
all will recognise and accede Major STEVENS has out
spoken his judgment with manly confidence the con-
duct Of these campaigns by the Executive Washington
and by the Generals in the field To those acquainted with
the strategy of this brief SKETCH made engineer on
the spot and subsequently carefully revised fail be
regarded as Of great value.
Speaking Of the condition Of the army before the
mencemsnt Of the war, Major srEvrrs says:
son the occurrence Of difficulties with Mexico the
| standing army too small A grave had been
committed in the army reduction of l642 making the
companies skeletons, and reducing the whole
Of bayonets and sabres less than eight thousand This
small force moreover had been disseminated through the
country in small garsons, condition utterly unpropious
high discipline and efficiency. There had been few general
camps Of discipline, where all arms had met together to learn
the military In consequences Of this system Of petty gar
rsons and this neglect of camps Of discipline regiments
deficient in the regimenl drill, and practical instruction in
eyolutons Of the line almost unknown. The officers
though thoroughly educated at the military school, and anxious
master their proession had been allowed few opportunities
of experience and instruction, except in the subordinate details
great body of the artillery served infantry. There
engineer troops. and little nothing had been done
the instruction Of special arms excepting the light artillery
The army had been regarded police force to main
tain forts and guard ourIndan frontier than embodi-
Of the military skill and science Of the country great
portion Of the rank and file foreigners There had been
legislation to bring material into the army comparing
favoraby with that be found n the several trades and
cupations of civil fe The army contemplated in the mill
ay poy Of the country had been cherished by its legs-
laon. Ne system had been adopted considering the army
whole, impressng each officer and each with the
spirit Of his relations to it. and opening to all professional
| career
81 be considered Of the happy chances
of this contest that the troops who kept the flag Of their
try high advanced the baeelds Of the Rio Gande had
been previously in training for this very emergency, in their
six months camp Corpus Christi and thus bad been raised
to point Of discipline and efficiency, which, with proper
forecast the part of the Government might have been i'm
| parted to the whole army.
Grave errors, too committed in the mode Of
lagng the public force, and in not taking sufficiently
tended view the chances and vcssudes of the campaign
There three modes Of enarging the public force ls
By extension of the frame Of the old army, increasing the
companies of the regiments a. organized in three batta
- ali shao
and filing the vacancies at the foot Of the list by selections
from civil life and increasing the number OF men IN COM
pany to $50. Thus would the veteran organization have
been than quntupled regiments and companies have
been commanded by experienced officers and portion Of the
troops have been saved from the prvaions and sunss
arising from the inexperence Of officers who have to
learn the making out of the ordinary returns, to say nothing
of more important matters. 3D. BY adding new regiments
Of regulars. 3d. By calling out volunteers We think the
calling Of volunteers organized in regiments ocered by
themselves, was happy thought in accordance with the
spirit Of institutions and best calculated, in emer
gency, to get troops promptly to the threatened point But
cononed with this we think was an oversight in not giving
greater increase the regular force One regiment OF rifles
and company Of engineer soldiers added to the regular
organizaon and the number Of pryates in company was
raised to hundred With the expansion Of the frame Of
the organization which have indicated and which has its
analoges in foreign services should have provided for the
emergencies which actually occurred and which wise FORE
would have anticipated in embarking in II would
have increased the regular force to odd rank and &
the whole of which, with proper exertons could have been
raised in the summer of 1916 and which, allowing oneth
the depots route for the seat Of war, and one
for the permanent sckls would have left threefhs or
600 regulars for field service at the beginning Of the
healthy season in the fall.
"Bu the capital Of the Government and for which
II cannot be held bmeIess consisted in placing proper
confidence in the counses Of Of the abest military
OF the counrymen who had devoted their lives the mill
ary profession and had service in former fields Both
the President and the Secretary Of War; experienced states
men, were totally inexperienced in military affairs and it
violation Of the panest principles Of administration to
endeavor organize campaigns without reference to the views
Of those who had msde campaigns their special study 1t
unfortunate General Scott altogether the abest mill
ay then known to the country not admitted to the
confidence Of the Executive and the plan of campaign mod
fed to suit his views They did not suit however, the i'm
patient spirit Of Government and people, Results
eagerly grasped and though sound policy approved the
plan Of seizingNew Mexico and California as indemnity for
the war; vet the plan Of General Scott call out the voun-
eers and place them in camps Of instruction home should
have been pursued They would have acquired respeca.
BILE degree Of discipline, have become Injured the privaons
Of the field and have thus been enabled resist the nroads
of disease in unhealthy climate In the ime nfor
nation could been obtained depots established
Transportation collected and plan Of campaign could have
been decided Had this been pursued when
army did move, vigorous blow one onward resisess
march and the contest would have been over. We do
saw this In Jspagement Of the patriotic services of the Pre-
sdent and bis Secretary We unmndful Of the fact
that il is easy write these things after the The
claims Of these high unconnrcs the gratitude Of their
country lies in the fact that they did pursue practicable,
course that they did apply with energy and
the public means the prosecution Of inevitable contest
and that they avaed themselves Of the high Of exataon
of the public mind enlist troops and send them to the field
Il - - -.