Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1859-08-29
Modern Warfare.

As in the progress Of modern SCIENCE the
effectiveness Of firearms and implements of
warfare increas, in corresponding pro-
portion, will battles be less destructive and
sanguinary. A statement Of this kind seems
almost paradoxical, but the history Of the
world proves it to be true The contests of
the Persians and Greeians were always at'
tended with the slaughter of hundreds of
thousands while in modern times, a conflict
is thought to be unusually severe if fifty or
sixty thousand are slain. During the fa-
nous retreat Of Napoleon from Moscow,
scarce as many men persisted, as some times
fell in a single day upon the plains of Asia
The deeds of valer enacted in our day show
that soldiers are yet possessed of as much
valOr aud physical courage as was ever man
ifested 10 ancient time, the Mimic rifles and
Armstrong guns are thousand times more
destructive than spears, iayelins and other
simple implements of warfare were then
but no campaign Of the past century has
been marked with as great a loss of killed
and wounded as is related in the accounts
Of the battles Of antiquity. One reason OF
this singular fact is, that at the present day
e much less number of men are brought in.
TO actual contact In the days, when the
fight was hand to hand, where every man
singled out his man, and victory depended
in great measure upon personal strength
aud powers, the tide OF the battle generally
turned with the side which could muster
the greatest number Of soldiers, and conse-
quontly every monarch or military COM
mander drew out upon the field as many ad.
herents rs he could summon. Ii was on this
account, that great bodies Of mercenaries
were then employed, species of soldiers
which would be worse than useless at pres'
ent Another reason is, that the modern
system of warfare does not afford the same
opportunities for acquiring military honor,
as that of former times If all the wars,
which have arisen in the world, could be
traced TO their legitimate causes, more than
one half would be found to be due to the
desire for martial fame and reDOwn on the
part Of the different kings or commanders.
Military heroes have always ranked fore
mosE Gmong famous men and their names
are eforever:embalmed in the memory oftheir
csRatrymen. The heroes of the siege Of
Troysbfth early history of Greece, of the
Roman 4 ablio and of feudal times, are re-
msmbsredsnOt on account of any great BEN
ehts which they conferred on mankind, not
because their exploits produced any mark
cd effect upon the condition of the world eli
ther at the time they lived or subsequently,
bat because they embodied in themselves
that idsa of courage and glory, which is in-
nate in every hnman breast The teachingl
Of Socrates, Plato and that class Of men have
sxorted far mightier influence upon man
kind than all the achievements Of the valor
GUS OF antiquity, yet they were despiSed il
their day an d the world has not yet metet
out TO them their share Of honor T,
be a soldier was an ayocation iu Rome NOR
honorable than any other employment, AM
no matter how ex<itsd a man might becom
in any Oivil pursuit, be could never cOnman'
ono half the respect which was rendered ;
a victorious general returning home iadel
with spoils Of the vaDqdished The sam
spirit exists at the present day and il We in
ouisb Tor the famous men Of any noder
nation, Nc arc invariably pointed to the lis
OGGensralS
when such sn avenue 10 glory and homo
Il IsiS OpsO, b % bus sSipESl thai man,