, 1861-12-06
Tht Ttthunt.


3Akt &tft&H LAtAkh <AhA1AA As
Aside from the question touching con
trabands,'' and the duty Of the Government
in relation thereto, Mr. Canncrons Report |
which NC printed yesterday, contains rec
nmmcndation thu: will challenge tic atten-
Inn of the public. Wc alludc to the pro-
,,osed removal of the distinction now made, |
IN the usaces Of the service and the army
rcc,slations, between Regulars and Volun-
teers, He suggests ulat the barriers which !
hare divided the two branches Of the armed |
force be broken down, and that rank alone |
shall hereafter he the officers right to conf
mand. The suggestion is a good one, and
at this time Will be peculiarly acceptable to
the people, who, if We know them, are scru-
.inizing with jealous eye, the conduct Of
The men whom their bounty, in many Ca
ses reaching through half century, has
educated, fed, clothed, and elevated to de-
sirablc social starus- We hear nutterings
Of dissatisfaction that are but The prelude
to the coming storm, and we arc glad that
1hc Secretary Of War steps forward, at the
opportune moment, with his 1ecomme nda.
tor, which, if adopted, viii be sure to pro-
mote the prosperity and increase the eff
cheney Of public service.
The truth is this: The Army is yet, as
it has been heretofore, All Aristocracy III
the heart Of Democracy It's members,
voluntarily or hr q sense Of professional
mi. r. or duty, have generally held them
selves aloof from close communication
with the people. They have rarely had
the inclination or opportunity to master
the political questions that hare divided
tle narties. Educated in q specialty re-
moved bv their duties and br the certain
excIusyeness which all class men feel,
from the cares, the pursuits, the hopes, the
ambitions Of the masses who employ them;
il, the sure receipt Of sums sufficient for
their gcntcel support, the officers, especially
those Of higher rank, have come to believe
that they have little in common with the
masses Of their fellow countrymen, and
that their duty is fi1ly discharged when
they 90 through the forms which the rcgll-
lations prescribe, and-get their monthly
nay. Again, as might have been expected.
the tendency Of this -1ristocracy has been
to form close affiliations with that Oligar-
chy which is the csusc Of the war. AS a
rule. army officers have had, if not I'M
disguised admiration, at least 4 quiet and
respectful tole1ation Of Slavery. Mainly
they have belonged 10 the dominant party
which has been, from the Missouri con
royersy down to the Inauguration Of
Lincoln, the party Of Slavery. They have
welded to its influence, not because they
cared for or understood the issues involved: !:
but because it is natural and Inevitable that
their opinions should be, in greater or less
measure, shaped by the authority Of
those to whom they have looked for staff
appointments or promotions in the line
An Anti Slavery man in the army has
been a rare exception to the rule; ant
Republicans have been far too inrequent
They viii fight. The traditions Of the pro
fession and the necessity of earning thei
pay. warrant that, but the suspicion is ex
cited by facts which are too ela1ing to b
overlooked, that they have little heart in tn
holy cause. Theirs is an obedience to au
thori,y, which comes Of discipline, not tha
ftryid love for the Union-for the fag-ffo
tl,e principle Of free goycrnmcnt-whic
impcls men to glorious deed. Ther
are honorable executions to the fact
which we state The Army Register col
tains the names Of men to whom the abom
nations Of Secession and its parent, SLAYER
are as hideous as to any lover Of his cou,
1ry in all the land. Gen. Hunter is one
these, and the gallant md lamented Lyc
was another, With what energy and ze
and skill the latter did his share-how l
struck the enemy whenever he could fin
bim-how lie used III the wcaDons oflceit
mate warfare IN crush and destroy. ar
how he fell in frb,;nr a battle whic
for exhibitions Of desperate and selfsac1
fcinp 7alor, is without rara1leI in our mil
.arx xanna]s-history viii delight to rela4
How Hunter plunged with undaunted fro,
and tbc coo]ness Of g veteran into the fiji
at Bu1I Run. and how, in Ill human prob;
bi1itv- he would. if not early stricken dow
bv a r,,sket hall. have saved the cav AZ
7,ronebt Victory ~ our standard. We ha,
p, mad tn tej1 We mention the
as the tvnes of tAe earnest men whom ii
aristocracv of ac1nv life had not spoile
Cen Sumner is another, When he is call
to lead his men to action. he will ro ri
ri, HE o,-.-;c+;r,e If r;ri,+ f,,,t,~ anil r
1riotism nuslIine him on. and viii conou
or die. But the LYONS, the Hunters a,
,he Summers in 1hc rcg11Iar army arc fc
The cor,,,ntinc Influence of slavery has do
its work in many classes. hut nowh.
more efFertua]}v thsr 1,non the men
whom the country for eight months I
been anx;ous}v looking as the orgauiz
of victory, What they have accomplish
nc ali know, Mcdowell at Bull Run, 81
man at Beaufort, Gen. Smith, at Paduc
the other Sherman and Thomas in Z
lucky, and Stone at Balls Bluff; were
more anxious to vare war so that s|a
ry should not be hurt than SO that Tn
victories might he won. We sav this
crettullv. hut what re saw is true.
Now it is time for Congress- to act. T
war is A business Of wonderful earnestn
Jtdcmands mt a7onn o1ad;once IN orders
,hed;anoa nth o,;,tnass and za,1 II
ra,as rao, 49, ,ra ;,,,,nad -z;+1,
sn;-;t of The vo,,,ntasrs ~ whon t1e de
,na ,nn;h;,o,;on - +,o o,an,~~ - 49,