Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-20
rnE An.EnlcAN cHIsls anhokp.

War ia Anne ricdis ~ fs----
The following is an extract from the translasfol
i ofsnAneriesne (which appears in tn
Paris L'0papioais Bdtioaals, Of the 19th August I
Is interesting and obtains some lpersanct from TIL
fact of il appearing exclusively in Primes NAroLE
oS's home orgsn--a New York paper going 90 far n
to assert the letter ss written by the Prince him
self or at his dietatiol. The letter is dated New
/ York July 81 ge g esq % 1-s 45E - stEla ~
In the United States the individual initiative
everything lust as IN France the Governments
initiative is everything. And so even the military
Organization rest naturally among Americans Of
principles entirely at variance with those on which
we act. confess that in this respect the systefn5
selfgoYernment resehes almost the entireI lniit d
the possible. W to the present the enrolment o.
volunteers goes 90 pretty well but It cannot be ex
/ peeted that four hundred thousand fighting men can
be raised in that way. Yea know better than any
one that four hundred Thousand fighting men Is no
small affair when they have to be raised supported
paid and made to fight. But vet do not see why,
at the rate az which things go On, the Union might
not re&ssem5e sixty thousand volunteers which
would be quite respectable force. at present or
within few days. when the last Of tbs militia re-
gimentH shall have Withdrawn, there are not and
viii not be, any but volunteers under the standard
of the Union and in the positions that protect WASH
lngton. gu VIII probably inquire among VIA
classes Of the POI alton volunteers are recruited
and what Il the motive that impes the volunteers
enlist-patriOtism or the eleven dollors month q
confess that have seen enough volunteer regi-
ments to hazard an opinion on thzt point. The
opinion Of those who lock upon the worst side of
things is that, contrast with the pers0ane Of the
militia, which represents the middle, Industrious,
honest but not very warlke class Of the population
the volunteer srny will net only present the scum
Of emigration, and viii be recruited among that
floating mass Of adyenturers whom Europe sends
to the United States, and whom work disgusts as
well in the New as in the Old World It IS certain
OnOns side that It ia not the millionaire bankers of
Philadelphia and New York that become simple
Zouaves; and on the other, that foreigners prevail
IN the ranks Of the new corps. --7-----f p
Hence the tendency you must have remarked
to nationalize companies, and even regiueHtss--
France, Scotland. Ireland Germany and Italy have
given their names, varied in thousand shapes to
q great number of corps, the elements Of which
have been furnished BY those countries respect,
lively In the elashing of Earlike natiOnalites,
that which eepses all others is the French natOn-
atty, persoEifed, of course in the Zouave. Every
thi1g at New York is in the Zluave style-fasliions
hRndbils, theatrical spsctaeles. More ZouaTes (he
uniform Of the Imperial Guard) are met in the
streets Of New York than in the streets of Paris
Whole companies are really composed of French
men, who have served less or more, and who seem
70 look down upon al other sUldiers= Americans,
Eaglish, Germans &c, from the top of the tower
Of Solfsrino or the Malak0f. ! should be sorry to
pass rash Judgment upon brave eOmpatriots, who
appear to me TO be very careless, very gay, very
soeisble, but cannot help rejecting upon what
series Of adventure have been able 20 bring these
Parisiaus from the Place Aausert to the shores Of
the Potomac, there to risk there lives for the great
er glory of President LncOln, at the rate of eleven
dollars per month. Seriously, do not believe that
the eleven dollars go for everything. At first with
more elearness Of vision than the Americans, Eng
lish and Germans tiey appear TO Teckonlitsle upon
the eleven dollars, but whist can certify is, that
they quite insef sible to the glory of the flag
with the thirtfour and the fate Of the unfOr
tunate negroes. b. .--s. k...-..s.--, ---l p
You see by this what the weak side Of all this
organization Is it is not an affair Of appreciation,
il Is an affair of arithmetic. The weak side, the
very weak side is the SlI. For 100000 men-snd
that footing, the expense is five and half mil
lions Of francs per month or sixty millions per year
For 100000 men the expense is quadrupled-tws
hundred and sixty four millions per year. And re-
collect that this enormous figure represents only the
soldiers pocket money that the provisioning Of
American soldiers are more abundant and more ex-
pensiye than with Us by nsEriy double that in fine,
the most fre dapidaton and disorder lfess-
eddy reign In what is called the military adminst;
ton, and which is really only continuation Of
measures adopted from day TO day by localities for
the account Of the Federal Government for the pur-
pose of supplying the prime necessities Of the troops
So the North Americans estimate the cost Of the
war at million dollars per day. That is ercr@
nous for country reduced 10 about twenty mil
lions Of inhabitants deprived Of its great element os
commerce. Cotton and enjoying doubtful credit
One thing that is certain Isl that the mtia soldiers
have as yet seen nothing Of the pay promised them;
that st New York there have been disturbances
caused by the tumultuzry demands Of soldiers
wives, to whom the pay Of their absent husbands
should have been handed, and who have made use
less cutlery for even 1t the doors of the City Han
As TO the volunteers, those who are being formed
in New York are well supported, but have not
touched q cent. Icannos sneak of those who are
with the Grmy-because have not seen them-but
am assured that their Wretchsdness was great,
and that the streets Of Warrington were full of
soldiers stretching ont one hand for charity, and
often handling revolver with the other. But ]
repeat I win not see the army for fortnight and
am aaxious not to let that which / have seen be
e0nfoundel with that which 1 have only heard
One thing very singular for q Frenchmsn in this
military system, and which propose TO look at
more closely is the absence Of all organization su
the present, have not been able to realize that re
gimentz form brigades constituted with ttuiar gen
erals that brigades collected in divisions in
corps ddrTnee with generals Of division and corps
dGYBee, and with staff majors that are not change
able. It appears to me- until there is proof of the
contrary, that when it concerns any operation
having character more or less speeial-such IS
the occupation Of frontier, the attack or defence
Of place, even battle-the generalin-chief, and
sometimes Congress, designates general, who
taxes the temporary command of the regiments as
sembed for that operation. II is thus that Ameri
can generals pass and repass before our eyes, with
out the possibility of following them step by step,
in all the places Of war IS we do with our gene
rails whose military destiny Is invariably linked
with that of the constituted fractions Of which the
titular command is cOnhded to them. 1s1s--a
When the great battle of the 2lst was fought at
Manassas Junction the direction Of it was given to
d General Mcdowell, without its being easy to say
Why's and what Is still less comprehensive IS, that
General Scott, the genef slIssimo, very brave,
capable and esteemed soldier, gave the order to the
whole army to attack the enemy, and to engage in
general affair, without going himself on the field
of battle. reserve to myself to write you here
after the strategic position Of the armies as well
on the Potomac as in the provinces, and viii en-
deaYoF to learn the truth the subject Of the bat
tie of the 2Ist which was shameful an affair for
the North. That which can tel yo1is that here
at New York they have taken the matter very
une1ncernedly They have not appeared the least
discouraged or Inundated. The regiments that I'D
abandoning rything guns, baggage &c.-returh
to the city daily because their time Of service has
expired and because they confess they have had
enough Of war. Never mind; these brave people
enter, and are received as conquerors, with music
at their head, PROFESSIONS and aeelamatons of the
people, flowers and Nominations. Il is not that
they disseminate their retreat rather their rOut
They relate to their folow-citizens how they have
been utterly routed, and these stories infane the
imaginations and exalt the enthusiasm of their
hearers. That is, doubtless Of the traits Of the
American character. t1
There is no question about peace or eooeilisGou.
and the public mind in the North is more opposed
to it than ever. The hate between the two parties
is driven to an extraordinary degree. Unjust even
be said that the Northern States have completely /
forgot sn the original emOtiYeg Of the quaPFalta-