Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-02-03
. ROE 5 TER:
MONDAY, FEBRUARY ., 1862.
OUR ARMY OFFICERS.

If our present war on treason should l2ii OF
success. the disastrous result would chiefly be
due TO the disloyaIty and incapacity of regular
army and navy officers, and TO the treachery OF
men employed in some of the departments at
Washington 1t was unsafe for the govern
nent 10 assume that every man in the public
sesvice was sufficiently loyal who did not re-
sign office and openly join the rebels. Those
who lett were, of course, defiant traitors but,
it does not follow that all those who did not
resign were ardent patriots, ready with heart
and hand for a quick, earnest, and successful
wir against treason. 1t is now very well
known that many of those who remained be-
hind were disloyal at heart, and that some of
them have been lar more anxious 10 favor the
rebels than to put down treason.
The chilling influence of their disloyalty
has been made greater than it otherwise would
have been by the Difference paid them in the
organization of the volunteer army, They
have been allowed a preponderating influences
and regular army officers" have been select
ed as far as possible Tor all the chief places
Not merely at Washington, but all over the
country, this disastrous mania for "West Point
ers" has prevailed, and the regiment that could
get one OF them to be its colonel was supposed to
have attained the supremest condition OF favor
and felicity. There has been prevalent kind of
insanity on this subject which could not see a
possibility Of military science or faculty out
side the West Pointers, while, on the other
~ hos rrartipallyr hpa,, aSSuD,aI tbnt
to be West Pointer was 10 be qualified for
any OF the higher places in the army. Thus
the business Of managing the army and con
Quoting the war has been placed for the most
part in their hands.
Some OF these men are loyal, earnest, and
capable; but many Others have neither the
loyalty nor the capacity necessary to success
in such work as they have in hand. Some Of
them have served as rebel spies, it is said
some have shown warmth and zeal only when
drawn cut to curse the government and apollo
gze for the rebels 1t is not surprising that
SO little has been done to break down the re-
bellon Our armies had no substantial sue.
cess in the last war with England until most
Of the old army officers were swept out of the
way. Will it be SO now ! When mans
heart is not in his work he will not
do good service; and much more will
failure occur when the sympathies and
social affiliations OF officers employed tC
put down treason are more or less with the
traitors. The truth is that the ocular army
officers, the West Pointers, 10 not represent
- 10,
were trained under the influence OF the SLAYER,
extremists-who spared no pains to make tn
army their tool and exclude from it all thos
not likely to take their opinions and becom
their creatures. And now most Of them ar
backward 10 fight those slavery extremist.
but, nevertheless, accept and hold places il
the army which should be occupied by me
Vi different stamp.
he importance OF ii military educatio
should not be moderated /; but it cannot SUP
Fly the lack of either loyalty or natural ca
pacity; and it is quite possible to give Yves
Pointers credit tor more military science ant
capacity than they possess. 1t does not FOLLOW
that an army officer is well educated becuas
he studied at the military academy nor tina
man is fit to lead an army because he is
good artillerist; nor that army officers withou
experience in handling large bodies of mer
are much more fit for the business of military
command in the field than civilians who by
study know quite as much of that matter
as they. Most of our army officers have
spent their lives at forts, Or in police
duty among the Indians on the frontier
They have training in some speciality, per
haps, but are quite incompetent in other re
spects. Ii is well known that more than on
of them on being appointed bligadier was Ell
tirely incapable of handling a brigade an,
we could name one of them who quietly wen
TO school to volunteer colonel to learn hi
duty.
If this war goes on to successful con
cusion, it is probable that the officers VIII
gain distinction in it will chiefly be those VIII
never studied at West Point; and certanl
those who are not at heart traitors to til
government.