The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-09-09
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True Soldiers.
The following is from the Methodist,

The following is from the Methodist,
As the war advances, the necessities of the
crisis become gradually more and more appar
ent The men and boys who enlisted under
the influence Of mere holiday patriotism
have found out their mistake. The war
which, in the preparation, was thing OF mu.
sic and parade, and gay uniforms, has drop
ped its merry aspect amidst the realities Of
the field, and now appears in garments rol-
led in BLOOD it's face begrimed with the smoke
and smut of battle II ) "The ro-
nance of real life is fearfully misunderstood.
In the reading it affords joyous exhilaration;
in the acting, its chief elements are sorrow
and labor. But young and ardent minds arc
apt to fancy that where shadows are so grand
and noble, substances must be infnitey moro
SO that if battles are so fine in the reading,
how much finer in the fighting. They agree
with Alexander, that it is better to be Achil-
les than Homer And SO do we, for the rea I.
son that labor and sacrifice, and especially
death, for the right, is better than the hig hest
gifts Of genius" Holiday soldiers must un-
learn their early lessons, or suffer shame for
their folly.
Ruskin has lately said that the high es-
TEEN in which the world has always held the
soldier, results from the fact, that it is his
busiuess-hs trade to be killed. Killing
others is work which he does in common
with the hangman, but he becomes a hero,
though unnamed as soon as he sets himself up
as mark for the rifles of his country's ene-
mics. just there is the ug y reality and yet
the real glory Of the romance ofwar In the
same spirit, Sir Thomas Browne says -"
cannot honor the man who fears death and
for this reason I love soldier, and honor
those tatterod and contemplate regiments that
will die at the command of a sergeant
Another thing to be remembered by our
soldiers in the field, and by those who may
enter it hereafter, is, that they belong to the
service until their valor shall re-establish peace
They should make it their study and care to
frame themselves for soldiers, and Danish from
their thoughts every hankering wish for home.
Let them send their prayers and their letters
home, but we who love them and sigh for
their return, submit to the dire necessity Of
their absence, and cease not to pray that they
may be content and happy in the company Of
those noble thoughts which led them to be
soldiers. If they would be true to the SOL
dier's oath, and successful in the strife, they
must regard military discipline as a religious
duty. Each individual must allow himself to
be absorbed into the aggregate life of the
army, must feel that he is only part OF
great vital machine, whose successful work
ing depends on completeness Of combination
and facility of response to the touch of the
chief engineer.
Another point which is clearer now than
before tho late shameful battle is, that the
moral character of an army is a matter of the
Importance. Where much was
expected aud boasted, the country found moth
ing. This was true in more than one instance
and that precisely where moral character was
wanting. Let the government agents look to
this, especially in procuring officers, and as
much as possible in recruiting the rank and
file. And let a chaplain DC procured tor cvo-
ry regiment whose character Tor intelligence,
picty, and physical endurance shall be thor
oughly looked into by the authorities, and
then let him be strongly indorsed by the de-
nomination to which he belongs 1t were
far better religion should be unrepresented
han misrepresented, better no watchmen than
that they should be "dumb dogs" If man
If Cod a true minister, is needed anywhere,
1t any time, it is in the hospital after the
oattle, to catch the last word of the dying,
md to give in exchange the consultations of
he Gospel, ard if any congregation needs
moral and religious training for its duties,
reeds to be built up, armed, equipped, with
oly motives and incentives, it is regiment
,athored together on purpose to bo exposed
0 DEATH