Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-12-07
i = "a - e. "a
wHATcoNsTITUTEs HE CHEF STRENGTH
s. ~ p OF AN sARMYf 4 "a

skilfu leaders? No: witness Saul against the
Phstines Hannibal against the Romans, Santa
Anna, KoSsuth Is it superior military equip
rnentsP No: look 1T the Revolutionary strnggeand
the recent battles Of the present war. These are
excellent elements in well constituted army but
It's chief strength consists in the high moral cour-
age the good discipline, the Intelligent patriotism
of the common soldiery. Without these our armies
may be sweed with funess of numbers; they may
he led on by the ablest generals; they may be ur-
nished with the most APT roved equipments, and yet
our efforts be unavailing. With these, the want OF
numbers may be supplied, the mistakes of unskil-
full leaders may be corrected, and the disadvantage
of inferior equipments may be overcome
How are these sentiments to be best cultivated
among the soldiery? By military despotism? by
total disregard of the individuality OF the soldier
as thinking being and free moral agent? BY
the yrannical exercise of authority and indulgence
in abuse? By degrading the common soldie: !?
Most certainly not 1t is mistaken notion that as
soon as one becomes private soldier he IS to lose
his individuality and become mere piece of mech
anism, to be wound up at 5 o'clock, A. Nj, and to
run down at ST o'clock, p. NJ lie may be- and Of
ten is an intelligent gentleman, and should be treat
ed as such. man by nature true gentleman, is
always and under all circumstances gentleman,
whether he be the King his throne, or the peas
ant at his foOStool; be he the leader or the pri-
vate the Senator or the constituent
1t is claimed for armies that they possess bet
ter material for soldiers than is to be found at the
North; that are superior in courage and en-
durance. And it is So not because We have greater
numbers, or better generals and equipments, but
because we have in our ranks more genuine gentle
men-men of high moral courage, who fight not
for the love of strife for pay, but from sense OF
duty. Many of these gentlemen OF education
and refinement brought up in the hig hest schools
of honor and independence. And because the num-
Der great they could not all obtain places OF
prefcrment, (nOr did they all seek them) many of
hon thart than MT firth heir
vidual aid to the of their country nobly took
their places among the rank and file. This is diff
ferent material from that which usually constitutes
the armies Of nations, and should he treated differ
emily. IF we superior to northern enemies
because of higher moral courage, lo(tier patr-
otiSn and refined sense of honor, then ought
these sentiments 20 be cultivated not only in the
schools and Senate hall, but in the camps also
| Aye. especially in the camp; for the camp is the
school Of the soldier.
In camp the soldier should learn that he is to
some extent individually responsible for the issues
of his country's battles Not that he is mere au-
tomaon to he blndly moved by invisible hand bnt
that he is an intelligent instrument in his countrys
hands to he used for her enfranchisement-and
| thus used because Of his intelligence.
Much of the success Of our armies depends upon
the soldiers selfreSpect. So use him to destroy
that and yon have destroyed the main pillar of our
| strength And yet with regret | say it) the
duct of some of officers tends to this end. For
while many, perhaps the greater number "mse their
authority not abusing it," there are others
fitted by nature for places of power and trust who
either because they do not know what is right, or
who knowing,
"Still the wrong pursue"
| seem to esteem themselves absolute monarchs
those placed under them and that the latter are de-
void of all sensibility. These petty cahp tyran:s
arc to he found in every place from the Corporal to
the General unnecessarily abusive to those below
! them; fawning sycophants to those above l will
| describe them so they may be known. In the low
er grades Of Office they are heard giving commands
! in loud abrupt torres accompanied with OathS and
froth-they great fellows to find out little petty
mSdemeanors among the privates, which they re-
port to their superiors. If they are Lieuenants or
! Captains, they are constantly inlicting some de-
| grading punshmentS upon their privates for very
trfng offences. Should they grant a favor, it is
! done with so i'll grace that the benefit conferred
loses one half its charm-shOuld they refuse favor
| the manner makes the disappointment double
They are famous for condemning in others things
which they practice themselves Strong teachers
they are by precept-weak ones by example
In the officers of higher grade these wOuld-he
tyrants may be generally known by their utter
want of military skill and all the accomplishments
usually supposed to be necessary to great CON-
mander, by their habit of making their authority
conspicuous OH very triting occasions. Some of
these in what | shall denomina;e the stay at
home military advances. They are in var-
Gus situations of the circumOcution office and they
are noted for never knowing anything exactly, and
for never giving the necessary information at the
right place. They send applicants on business from
one post to another until they out before
they learn that nothing is to be learned from those
who know nothing themselves. These Llliputian
giants affect tone of abrupt austerity-they frown
heavily and stamp with the foot and by these and
the like subterfugeS expect to impress ignorant pco-
pie with superlative idea of their courage and I'M
portance. But let me assure these epauettc gentry
that one who has tasted of genuine gentleman will
never swallow them down even by mistake, for any
thing but n coXcomb. The contemplation of such
characters reminds of the excellent concep-
ton which Shakespeare must have had of them " hen
he penned those remarkable lines in measure for
measure" beginning
"Oni excellent to hare giants strength,
But tyydnnOUS to use IL liza giant" De
But let me turn to the contemplation of charac-
ter more pleaSng-I mean that Of a sensible gen.
tlemanly commander or officer. He knows that his
superior rank is temporary and accidental-that
though raised for while above them, he is in fact
but the equal of the soldiers Of the ranks. He re-
members that though he is the commander he might
have been the commanded-that he was chosen to
place not to Cypress but to protect his men. He
willingly relieves them from all hardships that he
can, and knowing that their burdens at best are
hard to bear, he lightens them whenever he can do
so without injury to the service But notwithstan-
ding all these things, his discipline is always strict
when necessary, because he knows that subordlna-
ton is necessary to our great undertaking, as we'll
as for the good of the men themselves. He is a
humane man; he knows that cruel and frequent
punishments degrade the soldier, by destroying his
selfrespect and pride spirit-that loss of these is
loss of courage and patriotism-hence, loss of the
main element of strength in army. He has
learned that mlldnesS and frmness may 60 togeth-
er-that wholesome subordinaton is not insepara.
bic from gentleness, accompanied by frmness
soldiers obey none the less cheerfully because the
order is given in kindness. .. o..
The good commander officer is always patient,
knowing that it is the fate of those in place to be
greatly tried. He is courteous and obliging to in
nl,u