The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-07-16

80 Americas aud 30 benevolee., Stat necessity is
there for secrecy: Why inmate the Order u
the Dark Lantern? Why should not the Soma
Of Malta let their light so shine before men that
tie world may admire them and their father
whoeVer be may be--aad that every body may
join what is SO coed. 1t seems that ia the
most free county la tie world, where every man
can openly proclaim his scntimenta without fear,
We cannot get on withou secret societies-int
we had the ancient Masonic Society, then the
odd Fellows, then the Lone STAR then the Da,k
Lanterns, and nov we have the Sons Of Malta.
The French ard Austrian military systems-
Insr influence tho Affairs or Europe.
Inc present war in Europe Is giving palpabIe
evidence OF the effect which The cultivation of 4
military spirit In the masses of the nation. ara
the adoption of democratic system in it's ar mics
produce On the affairs of the world.
France and Sardinia are now arrayed against
Austria, in what is not war Of conquest, but Of
principles The burden of the fight is sustained
by the two great military empires with forces
nearly equal in numbers armed with like wea-
poss skilled in similar tactics and neither inferior
in courage Yet the chance Of battle has uniformly
been in favor of the French armies aud their
Italian allies. In seeking for the causes of this
continuous result we are constantly carried TO
one great influence. The military system Of
France Is democratic one, and opens to the
meanest soldier the paths to the highest houors.
Every man knows that courage, skill and enter
| prise will bring promotion, and therefore ambi-
ton pervades all the ranks and stimulates to the
highest effort. And 1t does more than this Merit
being the test that carries the soldier to the
highest command, it fills the posts Of leaders with
men superior in their Glass; and secures the great
| est efficiency among the officers.
| Austria, on the other hand, excludes the demo
cratic system from her military organization
r ,nB is there conferred only on persons who eau
claim it through the accident Of noble birth
Her officers are highly educated men, but edu-
cation alone cannot make superior generals, aud
merit has no hope to rise from the Austrian
ranks. Her armies are thus deprived of the spur
of ambition, and though they fight with courage
and determination, they are deprived, by the very
system under which they are organized, of that
ek'll in leadership which different system has
given to their opponents. While the French
generals have shown their merit and attained
their positions in the schools of the wars in AL
geria and the Crimea, the Austrian rolls show
only officers who have been parade soldiers Of
| services rendered in the saloons and the ante
chambers Of the Court.
The democratic system Of promotion from
the ranks has been introduced by Victor
Emanuel into the Italian army, and
as natural consequence the Italians
are swell ing its ranks with great
rapidity, stimulated by the double motive
of patriotism and ambition. The sons of the
noblest families eagerly enter the ranks to learn
the art ofwar in the daily practice of soldiers
life, and to vie with merit Of every class in the
contest OF emulation. This system will secure
to Italy in future years skill in command and O
noble spirit Of enterprise in the act of obedience
1t is the same principle which animates our own
mighty arm; Of volunteers, and which secures to
us in time of war the certainty of an abundant
supply Of good soldiers During the piping
times Of peace our little army is converted into
a sort of police corps to guard our Western from
| tier, and promotion lags; but when the blasts of
war ring in their ears each mau experiences the
feelings so CURLY expressed by one who rose in
the campaign Of Mexico:-"A yellow sash or six
| feet of earth"
| Such system is continual promise to the
soldier, and spurs him ON to triumph. It is the
great secret which enabled Christianity to tri-
umph over the most enlightened of the systems
| Of paganism. The assurance. of q mastership in
| Heaven enabled the Christian neophyte to
| cope with, and finally to overcome, the pagan
philosopher 1t was seized upon by Mahomet,
and strengthened his followers to overthrow
| many Of the barbarous nations Of Asia and AZ
RIGA. In every cline, and among all men, the
confidence of promotion has stimulated to exer-
! tion and led TO the Development of merit
which secures success. In Europe it is destined
| to exercise powerful influence on the present
conflict Of political systems The old feudal
theory that excludes everything but birth from
participation in council and leadership secures
its own destruction by leaving to its opponents
the greatest stimulus that can act on men. To
France it will give continually increasing
sway over the affairs Of the Old World until
other governments break down the barriers that
would exclude merit from the hope Of reward;
and when this is done merit itself will soon
change the antiquated systems that now enfee-
BILE society and government there.
The BILLS FOR THE QUARANTINE WAR-A
CURIOUS 1TEM.-A day or two ago we published
list Of the bills presented to the Board Of Com
m'ssionerssorganized under an act of the last Lie.
gislature to adjust the claims againt the State
for expenses incurred in the foolish Quarau-
tine war. These bills, amounting to $3,453, were
all allowed, and among them wss one curious
item of medical stores" OF which the details
are the follo,vinC.-