East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-03-04

active power IN gcncral. tries tho tem-
pr aud tcacles dechion in seillug &C
casions f,r pcung olfsnsively with effect,
and deiensiyely w.th eoolness aud reso
luton -, Above all, as the whole power
of infantry is IN lis FIRE and tho bayonet,
let the soldier be perfected in the use OF
both Let him have practice enough to
become good marksman,- quality !
soon acquired 10y Americans, and OF \
which the Importance Is greater than It
over WAS I.ekhin be taugbtto use tile
riils and bayonet as a CedPoa Of offence
and defence, to parry and counterthrust
with il; to attaek, u. prime, =" rterce,
carte, and every Other thrust tAau can
DO made with it, springing at the same
time forward, right OF left, as clreum.
s,nnccs MAY rcpuito Teach the soldier
these things, ana You will restore 10 him
hi, individual valho and se!f.reliance, OF
Which the Prussian system has stripped
him. Iii, activity, skill, Intelligence, his
personal strength ana bravery viii again
become available. A
Some persons may suppose that the
pew systom ofarns ADMINISTRATION may
do for light infantry but not for troops
Of tho linc This is an error All in.
fantry must adopt il, and IN a very few
years none other viii be used Nothing
eau be lost by it; for If troops can psr
form evo,utionI in the accelerated man
ncr which we have described, they can
perform them, yott,oro, as slowly as
! NAV be desired. So that the maatinets
Of Inc old school may yet indulge COCA.
1 sionally in tho common time" ii they
think tho "doublc quick" or "Shanghai
trot' too undignifed for their years and
pouderosity. -.
1t will perhaps be urged as an objec.
ton 10 tho new system, that it will be
much moro difficult and will require
much more time To- form soldiers under
1t than uuder the old ono This is IN.
loubtedly true. But If the soldiers
take longer time to become perfect, they
will be worth ten times more; and, be.
sides, there is no option Europe is
now at our doors. Tie ocean can'hardly
be caled an obstacle, and it would DO
easier so far as mere transportation is
concerned, to throw large army on our
coast than in tho Or mea. If we arc
attacked by foreign foe, it will be with
troops drIl,od under the new system =
We must therefore keep up with the
rest Of the world in this de partment as
well as in all others 1t is true that the
new drill cannot ne learned from the
: book; and that even volunteer companies
can never learn TO perform it with the
little practices that they can have The
onlv Sure tway to obtain supply OF
efficient officers, ableIn time of Necessity
t6organizo and instruct troops rapidly
and properly, is to establish and encourage
military schools. If soldiers can no longer
be made in a month it is only by reg
ular and daily training Of a year or Two
that thorough officers can be formed
and this the volunteer organization car
never afford
The new. system is especially suited
to the genus Of the American people
II is in fact the bush fighting of tn,
American ridenan, rendered ten tnc,
f more effective by the regularity o
action which discipline produces, by the
improved weapon and its bayonet, anG
, by the capability Of the nen to perform
+ the battalion cvolutions WHOM necessary
The Importance Of adopting this systeT
becomes still more evident when We re
fleet that the progress Of civilization
and the Disappearance Of the red men
have eausol tho almost complete ex
} tinction Of that hardy race of pioneers
r skilled IN Indian warfare, which render
/ cd such efficient service. 10 the early
, days Of the Republic The cxtirpation
, of large game in tho old States mus
! also diminish the aptitude to the use O
firearms, which our people formerly
: possessed IN such a remarkable degree
@ The skill which was once acquired from
t childhood from the necessity Of tho case
s must hereafter be taught IN tho camp
Il But withal, Americans, taking the mas
V Of the people, arc infinitely superior a
!. marksmen to any other civilized nation
). If tho French have derived such al
G vantages from the new system, wha
IS could not be expected from American
y trained in the same way? If the Yves,
o crn rflemen have acquired such q repu
/. taton for craftsmanship With a weapo
whose extreme accurate. range is los
a than three hundred yards, what coul
! they not do with the Mimic? We hay
IF no hesitation to say, that a battalion re
d cruited from our border population, an
4. instructed and equipped BY the neN
N method, would surpass in efficiency an
a troops that the world eyer saw. fifth
Q. Arabs of north. Africa, formidable in a
Q. the means of offence, could not stan
\. before the Freuch Cbassenrs, bow niue
h more quickly would the Indians giy
IS way before tho AMERICANS! f..
N The effect OF the new arms upon th
;. tactics of the battlefield must be- in
ID portant If what SAKE and Frederi
1t the Great said in their day of regus
u marches, slow firing, and methodici
1t warfare, was. uuia that the power {
is the soldier is in bis legs it is more ev
le denly so at the present day. .a.. 80.
al ,r Incr, ased. rapidly must characteriz
n The movements ,of, all, arms of the SCI
d vie. Troops viii be deployed as ski
70 misherS to greater extent than eve
q, As t.. cayqlry, Of .ccms', all its value
'1l.fN tif4, = t-ltN Ii 80 III LN L