The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-05-30

some excellent and interesting suggestions
on the organization Of armies and the
training Of soldiers, as these bear on the
success Of campaign. The writer
strongly urges that It is not bravery but
discipline which carries the day, and that
an army cannot be trusted in the field till
men have confidence in each other. We
copy:
WHAT rs ABATTLR
A battle is after all only pummelling
match on large scale the side which
can beat stand being beaten has the best
chance OF beating.
That men are not afraid while the bat
lie is raging around them, and comrades
falling fast or all sides, is very true bu,
that is nct because they are too brave not
to know what fear means, which ia only
an absurd way Of saying that tbev are too
irrational TO know what their danger is
but because passive emotion Of fear is in.
compatible with the active exerton re-
quired Of Lead. legs and arms. The
commander in chief has 10 think, and the
full private 10 act during the action, and
both thinking and acting are states which
/ pu. an end for the time present, TO the
/ sympathetic emotions. The surgeon am
/ rutaiing patients limb. is conscious Of
nothing but the operation itself. II he
we're 10 give way for an instant he would
be unnerved and uDarmed. During the
trying quarter OF all hour he is being OF
pure intellect, devoid of feeling or emotion
Of any kind. And unless he were capable
of that pure abstraction, unless he could
put his understanding under an exhausted
receiver, and work it for the time in vacuo,
he might give up surgery and had better
adop; the study Of some of the fine arts
| instead.
We would not say that the general that
is most brave will win the day, but ne
that fears leas, q; Eor is the distinction a
mere ,riHng about words. The normal
state OF two armies marching TO battle is
the state OF fear the general is trembling
for his reputation, the drummer.boy for
The lass that he left behind, and tie lips
be kissed so fondly when drawn for a con-
script a lew days before. To all that
mighty host there is the awful alternative,
death or victory it may not be peerage
or Westminster Abbey 10 all, but the
prize is in proportion TO the stake. The
commander-in chief stakes his all on the
issue and so does the drummer boy -
The one cannot hazard more than life
and honor, and the other cannot hazard
less. In such a lottery as this the boldesl
may hold his breath. as the ball whizzes
in the roulette of battle, and fortune hangs
in suspense between The combatants.
This is why many excellent and able
men have been unable TO qualify them
selves for the profession OF a surgeon
They were unable TO master their passiv,
emotions in the operating room ,hei
y nerves were too fine strung, and conse
u quently their intellect never had fai
play; they could never rise to the per
ception of the beauty Of an operation an,
forget the screams and suferings OF ;h
}. patient. A surgeon Is no, heariless. a
= : some suppose. because he forgets the on
Z class OF emotions. If The patient were
, dear relative he would not attempt the op
. eraticn, because he could not trust hi
: resolution. A look might upnerve hum
3 and the more the feelings are compressed
o the greater their gush when once the self
command is lost, and, like waters break
= ing through dam, they sweep all beior
!. them.
n TO apply these remarks 10 field G
y battle. Men there screw their courag
% to the sticking place. They do not tal
y nonsense about rot knowing what fea
= means, but like Macbeth they can do q
J. that does become man-who dares d
J. more is none. Sir Alexander Ball, lha
', whom a braver man never walked Ii
" quarter deck. confessed, that when as
}. boy he was put into the ships launch G
# a cutting. out expedition, he felt the teal
g. rise in bis eyes. and be would have give
10 worlds TO choke down his emotions. Bu
q e kind word from an old boatswaln 500
e set him all right again. and once The fir,
il !. natural gush OF lear was gone under, b
10 felt no more return OF it, and got on in a
cf action as well as the oldest seaman. Th
rs is the real state Of armies going inl
d, action at first the strong sense Of DANCE
Y, is uppermost in their minds, bu: as 500
70 as this is conquered by the sense Of duty
o, there is then no return of these quaim
~ unless as sometimes happens, the arm
finds itself in trep, or a cul- de'sac, vii
cannon on all sides, and then the sens
ton of fear returns with overwhelmir
+. strength, in proportion as it has been ke
n under so long.
DE.a, .HSE anU han had 10 ~