New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-08-01
should be spdedily re-enforced, and the best
OF doing so is the principal question to be considered


and acted on.
From long experience in the profession of arms,
which embraced 30 years since, am emboldeDed
to give my ideas on this momentous question: Oh the
success of which tie ,afciy OF the Republic would
now seem entirely TO depend.
First then, i have-with all due respect TO the
opinions OF others-O SAY that All in favor OF I'M
mediate drafting from The militia, masse and the
filing up Of our shattered regiments now in the field,
SO much reduced 10y The iavages q war, in prefer
cnce to raising new regiments, wlcD canUot be pre-
pared for the field III less period than six months
Ii would be most uuwlre 10 tend these regi-
meLis, without Drill or III cpinc, even if they can
be recruited III line ens bic the armies in the
field TO assume the Offensive TO meet the Rebel
regiu cnts OF trait ed and valiant troops who may
be ranked among The best soli ers iii the world, as
ali our army eau testify who have met them in the
recent great battles of the Peninsula.
Tie best composition of \ regiment in the view Of
military men, Is probably Onr-lourth of old soldiers
ana he rest recruits Tor the latter then learn their
duties from the old soldier, both by example and
| JreceIt. Thus constituted, the regiments of the
nr.Dy of the Potomac would be irresistible and its
force and power iii Wax lar superior 10 any force
the Rebels can bring INTO the fed
The officers Of that army bave now been educated
in the best schoo-Le field of wai--and any lack Of
them can be easily supplied from the ranks of the
volunteers, when contain plentiful supply Of ac
tlye Intelligent, ana ambitious yOuDg soldiers, i'll
nIod 10 The baTdsAiis OF campaigning aud mbued Ill
4 great measure with he spirlt Of mil tary instu-
lions. Besdes we rave the traditions of tine regi-
ready 10 excite tue ambition and prlde oI the
new recruit, who would much ratLor belong To IL
regiment which inscribes "W ill.ansburg," Fair
Oaks Malvern, &c, on lis COLOR, than to new
one entirely unknown 10 tame.
Tie superior advantages already acquired by drill
and disci line 100 apparent 10 be recommended
while the saving 10 the Government IL every way Is
| something enormous, as one regiment OF veterans
filed up with recruits III the pro, Oition OF one III
tLree or four Of old soldiers represents military
rover Of as 10 " at The leh-i when compared
withi force conn entirely, new regin' lite
cannot fail 10 be, Of officers and tcidiers entirely
unuuGed 10 war, and who have not received the
| Ial tsm OF fire.
The saving Of the number Of officers is also to be
taken into the account, unless the country Is more
| plcthorc Of is wealth than would seem 10 be- the
case al present.
| Oh tie twelve essential conditions to the perfect
efficiency of army aid down ty JOnini, tie very
first Is 10 have q good system Of Tccrultiug. ' DcS
Institutions M.hia,res.'O Nearly all tie remaining
ones We have III progress or accomplished, while
ihis the most erseptis OF all ls, al present, entirely
dC hceDt anG most faulty.
Oar JTeseni mode lis to receive companies at the
several d,lOss OF the States, filed up to tie etand
ara bv zone one WHO receives, as "A reward for
bringing Il company OF recruits to ORDER stains
conmi, sIOn the Ieutenants rec mpenscd III tie
same way; and the hi ST saldard of an officer Is
thus diminished to the qualifications for rec utilg
sergeant.
Ills may answer very well as long as the supply
Of recruits ID plentiful, and small Inducements are
enough 10 insure such supply; but IT bas already
begun 10 show tXhaustioD and has The additional
Oement of beng eXpehtlVe 10 tile Government sld
the recruiting oil Ger, and volu eeis too rio
IN for tie leeds of the country and the army, and
tie absolute Necessity OF IteniOf ipg our armies III
the field 10 tie threatened existence OF the Re-
public
The Confederates have adopted the plan which Of
all others is shown by tie experience OF nations 10
he the best in time Of national danger-that OF uni
ver cOnscriI Of all persons within the military
ages. They have thus concentrated a numerous
army and IN the late battles were enabled 10 pro-
duce AFTER successfully, and precpi
tat- their fresh troops upon the lines OF our ex-
Laused baitalions.
Two naxims of war il wonld be well for every
one TO remember: Always be the strongest tie
roint Of attack" and Victory IL H. the General
who can produce The last reserve Tue hrSt OF
these maXims has been recently illustrated snd ex-
empliiei tie recent battles OF the PeuInsua, par
icuIary in that Of tie 2sth Of jane, by the Rebelo
who were at least three 10 one against our brave
right wing, Which, however, only lost ils ground
alter h.roIc and desperate resietance.
Many OF our brave troops bit the dust, but
much larger number of the Rebels fell, AID tie
conteet was one Of tie moot tanguinary OF mod
ern times. 1 &c man object OF the attack, how
ever, WAS not accomplished by the Cohiederatef,
ard our rightS flank not being turned as they
eguected the safety Of the Army Of the Poio-
mac with tie immense trains OF siege and held
artillery and wagOus conveying enormous stores OF
material oil all saved by RAPID and well
conceived and executed flank march 10 new bs,e,
still however, at the cost OF abandoning the oiien-
slve and assuming tie defensive Hgainst the nuner
Gus aud desperate hortes cougregned nj tie seat OF
war by he seepets and ever active COniedcfsier.
Upon this army rests the hopes OF the country
and It's pri eless cause. and surely every means
should be used iDsi aIeonsly To repair previous
errors and 10 u against the attacks OF the
vigiant enemies tho encompass 1t about with
the hopes OF crushing il before II can lie rc-enforced
IT, this terrible conflict splendid LEI New DER
sey B, ade, organized and disciplined TO the hghest
uOut OF efficiency by the IuGouii able kearney, and
deservedly acknowledged as tie EFT brigade in the
army by al, brought into action against vastly
superior NUMBER and after lighting for hours III The
Uo.t gallant manner, wan completely cut uI-ohc
entire regiment having teen all killed, wounded, or
captured with Tors Of cOlOrs.
To question which If al present. under discussion
AS to whether or tie blacks can be made elective
in thIs war. having seen upd examined personally,
in the course OF my experience Sepoyr, Maays, the
black tro0Is Of the Mohalnmedan princes Of the
East and those of the French III Algeria, and the
British West India regiments, ! ray, that leaving
the question OF policy 70 men who may be far better
Judges sGd in q military DsJect alone, they can.
Ihe main stay and backbone Of all military organ
ization, the very prop and saH Of efficient arues,
the true Ttrert hiatNt Oh tntI ttfeHtlH anu ""'ii
ia DScipine. The serIied baitahOus of tie French
Kepublc in their CONTEXT with coslesced Europe,
under Ioche, Marceau, and pichegru in the North,
and in the most brilliant campaign ever made by
loleon--the fret campaign of ltaly-in the South,
Ueiore they we've illustrated by the names OF the
haiti q they bad won, bore upon their folds, AZ
the bert motto that could be adopted, " Vaieur n!
| Ufscipi,ne" and, as a necersary sequence To We
close adherence TO this precept, every succeeding
cs.mlaigu If the Republic and the Empire added
\ ct haf tlsSf A
won that the silk Of their standards prefented such
~ -. ~ nnId-a embroidered el ter. TINT the spendd