The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-05-21
EUROPEAN MififxaY xpvoAftoM

pursued 6y tho principal Continental Pow.
ers, have reported their proceedings, and the
result appears in tho form Of Llue.bovk,
said to be one Of the most valuable ever is.
sued. They state that in every country
tlicy have visited, higher value is attach
cd to the scientific training of at least con-
siderable portion of the officers of the army
than in Great Britain, their system of cdu-
cation being more comprehensive and colm-
pletc, and the sums expended therefor mucl,
larger. France expends annually for this
purpose f4s,0oo; Austria, fl27 900 lrus-
sia, $4,000; while the yearly expenditure
Of Great Britain IS only f5,s54, and until
very recent period was only Gl,3OO. In
the Continental countries named above, and
in Sardinia, military education is made the
business Of special department of the Gov
ernmcnt. The report thus speaks of the
various systems:
"When we turn to the particulars of tho
working of their system, the first object
which strikes us is, undoubtedly, the large
sums devoted in every country to the sup
port OF military pupils, point distinct from
the mere fact Of large expenditure on cd
ucation. We have cndeavorcd to bring out,
in our general outline, the strong contrast
presented between the principle on which
support is given in France, on the one hand
and in Prussia and Austria Oh the other
In France no qualification is either required
or allowed for admission to military school,
except tile ability of the candidate as shown
i'll the competitive entrance examination,
and this once secured, every student is en-
titled 10 entire or partial support from the
State, i'll proportion to his want Of means to
support himself. In Austria and Prussia
an almost entirely opposite system is adopt
ed. lIore the merits Of the father toward
his country are the measure of the claims
of his soon, and according 10 the different
proportions or nature Of their parents SER
vices accurately drawn ou) the sons of
military officers and other State servants
have the first claim to admission and to the
free or semi-frce places in the military acad-
emies."
1t is thus apparent that in Austria and
Prussia the system is aristocratic, while in
France it is democratic but the Commits.
sioners observe that both tend to Introduce
talent and energy into the army. They
add:
In France free courses at the Polytecll-
mic School and at the st. Cyr are given to
nearly one-tl'rd Of the pupils, and the whole
amount Of money thus spent may be rcck-
oned at little less than 100000 year; in
Prussia, Kings cadetships cost about els
600; and in Austria, $4,000 year are
devoted to the education of officers alone.
while, If we take into account the very care
full training of non-commssioncd officers,
(the most striking point in the Austrian
system,) the free, or partially free, exhbi-
tions will amount to an expenditure of more
than 100000 year. An analogy forces
itself upon our attention. In countries
where tile army is regarded as the most i'm
portant OF all institutions, it is obviously
considered desirable that the same assistance
should be given toward supplying its picked
officers with sound military education,
which in England has been heretofore only
devoted at the universities to the civil pro.
fessions."
In every foreign country wbicl. the Com
mlasioners visited they found that this rule
prevailed The entrance TO tho staff schoo,
the prerequisite to entrance into the pener.
nj stab, is gained by competition. In all
these schools the education is solid and ex-
tons've; and everywhere the pupils entrance
into the staff is gained by his distinction at
the school. In France and Prussia q sound
ordinary education up to the age of sixteen
or seventeen is made tlle foundation upon
wllloh to build special military tcacl,ing.-
This rule is not so strictly observed in Ans
tria. But in all three countries emulation
IS encouraged, and all the arrangements,
even g 70 the healthy location of the schools.
nro designed 10 promote manIiness and ca
sRacity for steady labor. Of the Contincn-
sstal siystem sc or education for special arms"
sand artillery, the Commissioners thus speak
Tue education for the special arms is
sbegdt md ended in France and Prussia at
- later ago tAan, amongst ourselves. The
5ttuqles are nursued iu eocb cou,tr,, ,:u
;.seoat the eage 3of twenty-five, and the ex-
stssslie care bestowed upon them in France
combines with. other causes to place the
ssPsclal asns inn far higher relative position
sai it.ss Erencil than in the Prussian or Aus
ssgaansersiees, though this position is hardly
sglgilsr than they occupy in our own and in
Sslle saTalnian army. In Austria the special
sspdsss gre finished earlier, at nineteen !; but
= = serlot dePsrtnants has already begun to
work. We iavs remarked that this senior
a.,