The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1861-01-15

munity
My third argument is, that can make barracks
depository arms for the State The Governor the
Council, and the Legislature know very well that
sums have been expended in the purchase of and
that immense stores of ordnance have been given
the State all of which have been sadly neglected if
permitted to rot for the of intelligent manage
meRt. The n G. NJ. |. has a most accomplished
ordnance officer connected with it, and, if the State
come generously TO it's support, we can from time to
time call in from the Army intelligent ordnance officers
amply qualified take charge of our military supplies
and to give proper directions about the kind needed
and the quantity and quality of each Can any man
doubt that more money would be thus saved the
State than liberal annual appropriation would cost
her? South Carolina employs ordnance officer, a
graduate of West Point, salary of So, 900 per
Several of the other Southern States have made
appropriations for the same purpose. We willing
to dc this work at Institute and will furnish
trained in largest arsenal provided that the
appropriation accrue to the benefit of the school.
All men agree that money may be judciously ex-
pended in order to greater expenditure. Insur
offices their existence this principle. Make
Institute the arsenal of the State, and will
insure the Commonwealth against wasteful neglect and
abuse OF arms when purchased Let this be done anc
the saving to the State will be by thousands by
tens of thousands but by hundreds Of thousands This
plan will bring into Institute amount of ord
nance skill which would enable to prepare the am
muntion fixed and unxed for the artillery and small
arm service of the State. We have already made
large quantity of ball and cartridge for
and could extend abors for the benefit of the State
My fourth argument flows naturally from what has
been said in regard to the selection of West Point
men, Our Institute has better representation of
Army officers than any other Institution in the South
except the State Military School in Virginia We have
an Ordnance officer of SKILL tact and experience. We
have an Engineer officer, who has been employed by
the General Government upon some very important
works, and is well qualified put the State in
diton of defence. We have Artillerist who has
it is and whose experiences at the service
of North Carolina. Having this basis of army officers
Institute without scruple delcacy call in the
hncf fa1o fhap Of tho
Regular Service, resources, through your gene
rous aid will enable to make the call. No other
military school in n c. will feel disposed engage the
services of West Point men, for the simple that
no other has Army men now connected with it, And
if such disposition manifested it must prove
nugaory for there that sort of esprit du corps among
the graduates of West Point, which forbds them from
serving under other than the alumni of their own
Alma Mater. n Carolina then the services
of army officers through our school, and our school
alone. This establishes unanswerable reason for
the cultivation and development of the N. G. NJ Insti
ute. So satisfied am that your intelligent Committee
appreciate the strength of this position. that am
willing to rest the whole issue upon it. WILL how
add two reflections for your calm and
dispassionate consideration.
Filthy, without State aid we will be compelled to
put tuition and other fees high to preclude
the of the poor. But your oaths compel you to
take of this class of persons and to afford them
facilities for every species of education. Hence, pro-
vision must be made for them by scheme of
liberal and enlightened policy. 1t is well known to
your Committee moreover, that the poor being COM
PEELED to labor and to tools, have in consequence
of this use, the mechanical talent fully developed
than the favored classes. And since school
is essentially school of science intended for the
comes matter of the highest Importance that We
should have the of the poor. Grant the power
of engrafting theoretic knowledge upon natural apt-
tude and we may reasonably hope school to be the
nursery of Arkwrghts Fultons, Whitneys, &c.
My sixth and last argument is based upon the subor
dnation ncucated in military schools. The great sin
e fhn and of
sistance to established authority. Higherawism is
practically the law of the land From this have flowed
all the discord and wretchedness which agtate |
this great Republic. The setting up the mans own
conscience superior his duty of obedience and
superior to his allegiance to Government is monsrous
evil, which military schools in great measure
correct Had Mr. Seward received military educa-
ton, he would have devised his diabolical doc
trines. No West Point belongs to his accursed |
party. The Chairman of the Breckinridge Executive
Committee was West Point graduate, born in Massa-
chusets other certainly and think two Others of
that Committee from the same Institution. And all
of the alumni, far could learn belonged to the
three great parties opposed to the sectional candidate
The point of honor of the cadet lies in obedience to
constituted authority. Hence in after life when he
takes his position among men, he is always
tive, law-loving and law-abiding 1t is, therefore,
impossible to estimate the influence of military
schools upon the welfare of society Were it possible
10 train all our young men in them lawlessness would
be absolutely unknown and unheard of in the next
generation. The N. c. NJ Institute proposes to extend
eating one Cadet from each Senatorial District in
'deration of moderate annual appropriation. This
plan offers many advantages to the Commonwealth. Ii
will give her large number of conservative and loyal
;tzens distributed equally her surface. 1t will
rive her body Of youth trained in the practical pur
uits of life and prepared take the lead in all
,rises for the development of her material
t will give her host of Intelligent and reliable Off
ers to command her troops in of foreign
domestic difficulties. The cheapest defence of nation
the training of select corps of young to lead
Ter armies. All history proves that the proudeSt
avies the cosest bulwarks, the strongest fortifca
ions the most magnificent equipments and the finest
oldery all absolutely worthless and inefficient
Vhen the commanders were ignorant and incompetent
men, What could the most splendid troops accomplish
With such leaders Hull, Smythe and Wilkinson
wen during our Revolutionary struggle, the of
cal mark and merit those who had passed
through a preliminary training. Washington had
erved during the French and indian War; and bad long
Experience engrafted natural aptitude Putnam had
cen a soldier for twenty years, and was well ac
uanted with fOrtication be entrusted with the
obstruction of the works around Boston; Gates had
in service in the British Army from early youth
nd had been wounded in Braddocks defeat; Geo and
ames Clinton had been carefully instructed in military
laters and had served in the French and Indian War;
ne same of Phillip Schuyler and Henry
nox-the latter distinguished as mathematician
nd for his mastery of the science of artillery; Greene
ad been expelled from the Society of Quakers for his
ary devotion to military studies; Montgomery had
zen service from early youth and had fought under
Toe at Quebec sixteen years before he fell the
lace; st Clair in like had been in the British
rmy; GansvoOrt had been in the French and Indian
Tar so had Starke Wooster had been a soldier for
lirty years; Prescott had been present. subatern
the capture of Cape Breton Lord Stirling had served
ith distinction in the French and Indian War; Conway
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