The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-07-31
Props d Increase of the Army


II is Understood in official circles that the
Secretary of War, tie Hon. J.. PorE WALXER,
hss recommended 50 Congress All addition 70
The Southern Army OF about three hundred
sni City regiments, or such number IS,
,ddcd to the force already organized. will
make an aggregate Of fye hundred and sixty
regiments. Estimating eaca regiment al Il
thousand men, th.s would give = force Of i've
INJURED aud sixty thousand, rauk and hle.--
The white population Of The Confederate States
being, III rouGd nun oers, Ave millions SIX
hundred thousand souls, the proposed army
would amount to just tel per ceh;. Of tAe
whole, or one soldier 20 every ten white feo-
pie.
The two principal questions connected with
1his Recommendation Of the Exccuu7e is,
whether this ratio of troops TO population &
too large to be afforded by the country; ana
whether the force called for is disproporioned
to the demands Of the service.
In respect TO the Grst question, We have the
practicable demonstration, in various parts 0.
Virginia, of the perfect feasibility of sparing
ten per cent. of the white population tor the
war Richmond has furnished more than this
ratio. Petersburg, Lynchburg, the counties Of
Halifax, PIttsyiyania, AlbeInarle, Augusta,
Tazewcll, Washington, Patrick, Amherst, and
as many a. a dozen others i'll the State, have
also exceeded this ratio. Except in tie disat-
fectcd region Of the Northwest, there is not
A county il Virginia that either las not fur-
nished, or will not furnish by volunteering, the
full amount of this quota to the Confederate
ranks. The white population OF the
whole Commonwealth, including the North
west. is about eleven hundred thousand
Strike of three hundred thousand for
the Northwest, anu the number OF
whites in the residue of the State, is eight
hundred thousand. Eighty thousand soldiers
would be ten per cent. Of these, and it is a No.
torious fact that, including four thousand five
hundred men in the FLoyD Brigade, and fully
three thousand in the WISE Brigade, Virginia
has now, organized and for the most part III
the field, force Of 6ixty-five thousand volun-
untoers. The other fifteen thousand can at any
time be raised in d week. We doubt if the
number will not be made up by voluntary ton
der Of services in two or three weeks, as the
spontaneous action Of the people, without any
call of Government. Another strong fact
connected with the subject is, that, although
Virginia has more slaves within her borders
than any other State in the Contederacy, the
proportion Of volunteers to white people fur
nished by her slaveholding districts, exceeds
tan per cent.
What proportion of their white population
has been furnished by other OF the Conted-
Grated States, we do not know but what Viz
gtnia can do those States can and will all DO,
and the volunteer movement in Virginia con-
clusively demonstrates the fact beyond dis
pute that a ten per cent ratio Of soldiers to the
population is perfectly practicable throughout
the South, and can be furnished with little in
terruption to the agricultural and industrial
operations Of the country.
Indeed, ii has always been considered in Eu-
rope that levy Of seven per cont. of the
population was entirely practicable; and if
this be so, where all the labor Of the commu-
nifty is performed by the race from which the
levy il made. much moro is it true, when the
great bulk Of the labor is done by distinct
rAco forming no part of the class from which
toe conscrirtion ID taken.
II may be assumed, therefore, with perfect
safety, that The South can bring i've hundred
and sky thousand men into the iold, with
out pcroeptibly embarrassing Der agriculture
or her industry of any sort. She may spare
this number Of soldiers from her population,
and rtill raise five millions Of bales Of cotton,
worth two hundred and 6fty millions Of dol
lars, her usual complement of tobacco, rice
and sugar, ana cereal crops and meats in %d-
d!tion, more than suftic ion; for bCme con
sumption. II the worst should come 20 the
worst, she could even ada four per cent N ore
70 the army ratio, raising her force to one
sevebth the white population, and adding a
reserve Of two hundred and twenty thousand
troops to the ten per cent. CONSUMPTION. The
thing is not only feasible but tacile.
The remaining only question presented by
Secretary WALKERS Report is, whether pru-
dsnce and policy demand the force of FIVE
hundred and sixty thousand men. Under
tAdN INC MISREPRESENTATION VI lao OS-
cretary is, not that such force shall absolutely
be called out; but that it should be authorized
and 1t be left optional with the President to cali
for 1t or not, as the public emergencies may re-
quire, We see everything to recommend and
nc,htng 10 forbid the adoption Of the measure.
Fol- ourselves, We are convinced that at
least three hundred and fifty thousand troops
ought to be enlisted, and either kept in the
he'd before the enemy, or placed in camps of
obstruction for thorough training and orgapi-
ration. The remaining two hundred and ten
thousand might be allowed to be organized
Mt home, drilled weekly, and be held as minute
men, TO answer the call Of the country when
their services should be required. Nothing l.
moro certain than that the operations of our
Generals have everywhere been crippled by
the great iniefority OF forces they have had
IT, oppose to the enemy. The disaster of
GARNET? was due to this cause alone
1T MAS the simple want Of troops that pro-
dncei has unfortunate discomiture. There il
no suni'ient reason Why this disparity OF
force should always attend our military ope
xations. The war might have been ended on
the day after the great battle Of Mspassas, if
our Generals had not been 20 limited ia force
ne 90 render an advance no better than an act
Of criminal and puerile temerity. The army
should DO promptly increased to . strength
shien would relieve our Generals Of all the
smbarrassmsnts which they have been lsbor-
ing under frow inferiority Of force, and to en-
l.. a. a.. At.