The national Republican., 1861-12-18

ample time 10 prepare such troops for effectiv
service. Prolonged inactivity will finally dis
outrage his zeal: The prospect of action mus
70 ever present as an Incentive. Inaction /
The baue Of the volunteer. .
These opinions express with confidence
for have had, large personal experience II
'he management OF volunteer soldiers. Tn,
training Of two distinct regiments during th,
Mexican war, with subsequent labors in Kan
sas, aud the campaigns OF the last spring ant
summer in Missouri, have given me u practica
tnoal' dge on this subject entitled to consider
| ttiuu
l The regiments that fought aud won the battle
ni Buena Vista, We're not as we'll provided a,
Ihe Army of the Potomac, aud not bet er drill
ed. Sir, have witnessed the drill Of tha
army: and l am satisfied that 1t has reached
the maximum Of discipline attainable by vol
nn'eers aud that every day OF insctinn now
tends to its decentralization.
| While, also. as regards discipline, we are as
fully prepared for action as we ever shall be
We have the advantage of superiority, in tina,
respect, to the enemy. Every unprejudiced
observer during the Mexican war, will testify
that the regiments from the North Ia the ex
cclleuce of their drill, far exceeded those from
the States now in rebellion. Our opponents
are formidable, only when their individuality
can be shown while fighting under cover-as
at Manassas, Springfield, and Balls Bluff. On
Grating in mass on the open field, We can
always conquer; as at Dry Wood, where four
| hundred Kansas troops checked and drove
back ten thousand rebels Aud of these facts,
the Confederates are themselves fully aware.
Recently, at Spring River, eight hundred Kan
| sas troops encountered six thousand rebels
covered by that stream and six miles of timber
This handful of heroic men offered a fight on
the open prairie, which was declined by Il. E.
enemy; either because they exptc;e us to re
peat the folly of attacking them in their timber
'ronghold, or feared defeat without its pro.
| tctlon. twill require on our part, rapidity OF
them into a battle on the open field.
So much for efiicieCcy. That heroic veteran.
the late Lieutenant General OF the Army now
forced by age and infrmity into retiremen
| made glorious by the memories Of a long life
OF patriotism and triumph, announced the fact
| that HE ides OF October would see his columns
prepared o move. Hence, it is impossible no,
| to believe that they are by this ti:ie complete
in arms, equipm mt means of transportation,
and every other physical appliance Of service.
Why, then, do they taFry? IF Napoleon.
with sixty thousand undisciplined recraits.
scaling the frozen fastntsses of the Alps, and
avoiding their hostile fortfcatons. could, In
I'VE weeks, reach the plains OF LOmbardy,
pierce the Aus ran lines, aud annihilate the
army OF Melas, a hundred and twenty thousand
>'rong, on the field Of alengo thereby eman
c'pating the whole of Italy, shall il be said
that we cannot surmount the hills of Virginia
aud Kentucky, in spite Of their defencos. and.
penetrating to the heart of the rebellion, strike
In detail their armies, Inferior TO our own IN
numbers, arms, equipment, discipline, and all
taat constitutes the true Soldier, aud stretched
along lice OF over Two thousand miles in
notwithstanding the heterogeneous hosts a,
we g.. or scattering them 10 consteruati N. and
es,ore to the rule of the Republic, those fair
regions n w cursed by u usurpation more in.
tolerable than that OF the Austrian. aud which
mods In bonds OF terror even those wretcbed
m N who are committed to it's support9 Mr.
President, TO doubt cur ability il disgrace'ul
Let II not be said thai the SHOWS of winter
are upon ia II Washington could march his
barelooted sold ers over the ftuzsu roads of
New Jersey, their footsteps marked with blood.
"nd, IN the middle 0; winter, cross the Della
ware, FILED With floating ice, eau we not, at the
sane season, move cur wcll-clad legiops to
w'rds the mild valleys OF the South. TO re.es.
tablish that freedom which their sniF.ripys SO
cured?
VIII you wait till spring, when the roads, If
"ver, will become impossible or till orr
troops shall have been dccimated by the dis
eases OF summer" No. Clear th. war of the
doubts that surround its purpose give to the
volunteer battle cry cherish that en- tbusi.
asm which IL Indispensable to success, and
winch ntrved the oonscrip's OF Naroeon to
the achievement Of victory without reference IN
disparity, of nuTNr.s. See that your volunteers
are net thrown upon artillery without prepara
uon they must see the guns, count them. hear
the whistle OF their balls and thus prepared no
strength OF fortificatlUns Can resist tfem tbey
are the most effective troops on earth. He
who doubts this, or undertakes them IN rom.
parison with others, knows but little of their
energy Of purpose, and their devotion to their
country and their flag. Where such another
victory ever gained upon the open field as that
OF Buena VIsta! Twenty thousand well disci-
pllnea troops, amply supplied with artillery,
oVerthroWn by forty six hundred ragged Amer
can volunteers. Thtss who witnessed that
cohnIct, well know how TO appreciate the in.
domtable lighting qualities OF troops like ours
The occupation OF the rebel States by our
army Is o military necessity. laugh to acorn
the poilcy OF wooing back the traitors TO their
allegiance by seising and holding unimportant
points III those States. Every Invitation ex.
tended to them in kindness, il an encourage |
ment 10 stronger resistance. The exhaustinp |
poiicy Is id'ure. 80 long as tn y have four |
million slaves t. feed them, so long will this |
rebellion be sustained. My word for it, sir,
long before they reach the point of exhaustion
The people OF this country will lose confidence
IN their rulers. And it ia unreasonable TO ex. |
pect the loyal citizens of the rebel States TO |
manifest their desire to return to their allie |
glance, while their homes al d families arc in |
the power Of their opprcssors Did the Itai
lans welcome Napoleon till he bad expellc d |
their tyrants, and thereby proved his ability
to protect them So with the people Of the |
dlsloyal States: march your armies there: en- |
hn inpa 81 L..
somebody; evidence ylur ability TO protect |
the loyal citizens, their homes. and families: |
and then, and not till then, will they rally to |
your standard by thous tnds and tens of thou |
sands.
have alluded, Mr. President, to the slave
population of the rebel S ates. 1t is claimed
by the friends of slavery that the institution is
a source OF military str, myth. Tn" slaves ar.
made not only to feed and cl the their oppres
Sors, but to build Notifications Tor their delence
and even 10 some cases to bear arms in tbejI
service. The Shareholders are right-and tbey