Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1852-08-17
General Picrcc's Military spirit and
Services.

The Democratic Review for July speaking
ofGen. Perce's bearing onthe battlefield says.
he fought with "courage, amounting Ia perfect
innocence Of danger" We believe this ia
strictly true. Upon a careful examination Of
the official dispatches, Gen. Pieree's included
we have not been able 10 discover that he
placed himselfin any position during the Mex.
lean war, thai was not innocent of danger"
and we do not doubt that he bore himself with
courage corresponding
The whole history of General Pierco's con
nection with military matters is interesting as
exhibiting new traits in hcroism and develop.
ing unknown accomplishments in soldier
ship.
His first connection with military matters. so
far We have been able to discover, was his
vote in minority Of siny.sir nays 10 oac Inn.
dredand thirty sir ayes against resolution oil
inquiry. proposing to embrace in the provisions
of the pension bill for 1892, 'Mosc acho ,ecye
engaged az Tie acotS against The Ixifans. sub
sequent to the close of the revolutionary war,
and down 10 tie treaty of Greenvillc."
lis next appearance in this connexion was
in 1891, when the House had under consdera
ton bill granting a bounty in land 10 the
organized militia men, mouated militia men
and rangers, who defended the frontier during
the late war with Great Britain" This bill
Gen. Pierce voted for sitting, by laying ii on
the table. Here we have two specimens of
the way he would reward those " ho peril their
dives fortunes and sacred honor" in defence Of
tho country.
Now let us see what he has done towards
the military education Of our people, aud quail
flying our Citizens TO meet The exigcncics of war
In 1886 he was member of committee Of
Congress appointed to inquire into and report
upon the expediency of abolishng the military
school at West Point. A report was made in
favor Of modifying the systcm-which the
House refused even Ia print. AT tue succeed
ing Congress he was appointed upon similar
committee and bill was reported, but the
House took no notice of It, On the Both 9ay
oil June 1896, lac made speech on The subject
IN which he pronounced the school ian anoma
ly among the institutions of this country, and
at variance with the spirit if not the letter Of
the constitution under which we live" Oh.
lection having been made 10y some of the enc
mics of the school, that many Of The graduates
did not enter the army, but went into civil life
II was replied that they inculcated among the
people military know ledge and stood ready to
contribute their services in case of war. Gen.
Pierce sneercd at the idea of their fitness for
command in the face Of the enemy latter the
laDse oil ten or fifteen vaarau ,lavot,d uto ,Lo
bar,or ii may beto the pu pit" Yet Gen. Pierce
undertook to command, I'VE will not say I'm
the face OF the enemy') after more than fifteen
years devoted o the bar, and without any pre-
vious schooling in military science SO that,
we have his military life commencing by re-
fusal to pension the old soldiers, and continued
hostility to West Point--the nursery of heroes
and commanders-and by rdiculing the idea
that man was fit To command after ten or
fifteen years of life at the bar! We have only
to say upon this latter point, that his own ex-
perience has furnished the most striking Illus.
tration of the correctness of his conclusion.
This was Gen. Pierce. the soldier in theory,
When we regard his exploits in service and
look upon him. the soldier in practice, we find
an admirable consistency. The man who
would not reward the mounted militia, in Con-
gress. exhibited his contempt for them, on the
field, by iumbing from his horse. He who
ridcued the training and discipline of the
school, for the tolls of the campaign, showed
how unnecessary it was, by fainting,in the fight.
Shade Of Napoleon-what a soldier
The Crops N the Y aIIev "A rpnresentet as