The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-12-28
An Intelligent Army.

The world has unquestionably nev"r before
seen an army composed of such materials as the
presen. immense volunteer force in arms for the
protection OF the Constitution of this Country.
Most of the common soldiers in the great armies
of which history gives US account did not come
from the educated, or even intelligent classes
among the people from which they were taken.
They may have been differed by men of learn
ing, or reputation, Or family distinction, but the
ranks have been mainly filled by poor, OBSCURE
individuals who were not much missed at
home, except as 60 much bone and sinew taken
from the labor Of the Country.
But Democratic institutions like those through
which this Country has come to its greatness in
population and prosperity, especially as these
institutions have been kept in their purity in
the free States Of this Republic, have served to
put away caste and distinctions Of birth or
blood, and to leave 1t with each individual to
aeilinVc his own order of nobility. The door to
"ca,Sh, to position, to popularity, to power,
las been open alike to ALL and while it has
cccn unfortunately true that real melit has no.
always seccived its just reward, and been put
in authority it certainly never has been exclud-
cd irom ii by any thing except the accidents Of
popular Institutions.
One Of the excellent fruits of such insitu-
tlons is the general education and intelligence
that they encourage and stimulate. The pco-
Mo lt,iatr tho nientorc tba oF
and the rulers being chosen from them and not
limited to any class or caste, the advantages,
and cvcn the necessity of an intelligent and ed
ucated community are considered, all through
the free States, as of the first importance, and
81 the school-house, and the school-naste-, and
Ihc newspaper ao found everywhere, except in
tic domain cursed with that relic of barbarism
cmattol Slavery. And thus it has come about
that tie belt Of free States from the Atlantic 10
Inc Pacific is peopled By generation of educa-
red, thinking, reasoning men and the army Of
600 900 that this portion Of the Country has
now raised to defend cur liberties, is IL fair rep
Iesentatiye of the wealth, intelligence and edu-
cation Vi the people OF the North.
That the Generals who have the command
may ind themselves entirely mistaken if they
.o'HA ~ make mere unreasoning machine out
of this immense host, is very likely. 1t is mol
easy TO make u machib" sf al educated and
thinking man, though it IL lssts possible to
make a very good soldier Of him. 1t is nc
doubt Il soldiers business to obey orders, blu
mis- duty is similar to tho duty OF citizen L
obey the laws, and in neither case is Ignorance
or solid Indifference of any service to the in
aiyidual or the State. 1t is true that an edu
Gated army, like an educated people, may b
troublesome to manage IN bolstering up an un
lust cause, or in lending their aid either to op
,ress others or themselves, but in righteou
cAusc-and it ID only in such u cause that 80
dier ought ever to Eght-thc educated an
thinking man must always make the best so
der, rs he always makes the best citizen.
We know that there are some in the arm.
and very likely some in the counscis ei the 10
ernmcnt, who regret very mach that the arm
of the Republic is DOT like the army oil Bingham
ar France, or Austria, or Russia, piece OF w
ad;usted mechanism that moves only in obed
ense 10 its handspring Much Of the delay
the progress of the war has been charged to t
necessity OF taking time to make an army
If Nh aggregation Of town meetings. Ana
Il certain extent this is all we'll enough, 'nasmu
-, disciplin, order, method, just utord'I