The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-12-06
lFroa the Continental Monthly
OF. AND TO DO.
BIZ c. 9. HENRY, LII. d.

The Presidents order for a drafi--asid
from its immediate purpose-hss an impoI
tant bearing ia more general view on th
e. education of the public mind. Il is an iul
presslve enforcement Of the great prncipl
!, that every able bodied man in the nation
owes military service to his country a
Sacredly as he owes obedience to his God
This is a principle which probably few per
sons will hesitate to admit when plainly
confronted with it. But the conviction o
I. it has slumbered 10 the mind of the people
during the long years Ct peace We have
enjoyed. There hiss been almost nothing to
remind us OF il for fifty years past. The
draft is an emphatic proclamation of it. Ii
brings it home to the conscience OF the ma,
!, ton !; and thousands, who IN ght otherwise
e have scarcely thought of il, will be led to
r recos snize and to feel it.
Ii is to be hoped that we shall go further
-tha, the quickened sense Of obligation will
: make us consider what we must DO to make
the discharge of it Of the greatest service to
the nation that we shall learn the lessons
OF wisdom which the present struggle en-
forces on u, and see to 1t. that in the future
by better military organization and instruc
ton, the able bodied men OF the country
are rendered more capable of effective mill.
tary service at moments call.
Or military system. and the enrolment
OF the people under il, goes indeed upon
this principle Of the obligation OF military
service Of every able-bodie citizan-and so
is a constant testimony to it /; but in point
Of fact it has done comparatively little to-
ward cherishing the military spirit. cultvs
ting TIE military virtues, and securing an
effective military force, ready at any mo-
ment for active service in the field. Dread.
ing nothing from foreign nations on this
side cf the ocean, counting on the obvious
policy OF the nations Of the old world to
keep the peace with US, and never dreaming
Of such a rebellion as has broken out in our
midst-we have not only neglected but dis
countenanced the cultivation Of the military
spirit. Our men of education aud high
social position. instead of contributing
to make the militia system respectable
by the personal performance of milItsry
duty, and by using all their influence TO
give high tone TO the service, have evad-
ed its requirements on themselves, and done
all they could to sink it into disregard and
contempt; dereliction of duty as unwise
as wrong.
IL is miserable thing for a country to
have to get ready Tor war when war is fore
ed upon it, This was the case when the
rebellion broke out. We were not ready
for il. There was indeed no lack of men
Hundreds Of thousands responded to their
counIry's call !: and the great body OF the
people were carried away with the delusioa
that men with arms in their hands are sol
diers, and that massing them 10 great mum
bers makes them great army Wise men
men Of military jud .yment and exp-r ence
know better. But the popular clarnor
FOR onward offensive ope atoms prevailed
with disa Ious result in the first instance.
Not on the whole perhaps to be regretted.
1t did what nothing else could havs doue-
it dispelled the popular delusion. Ii did
something toward teaching he ration a les
son indi.pensably necessary to be learne
that million men with arms in their
hands without discipline. are nothing but
alone makes an effective army. implies a
great deal more than is gotten in company
trainings and regimental parades under our
| old military system.
cipline-discipin pine--discipliDe these
| are the first, second. and third requisites to
make men into soldiers. Wi h il the poor
est materials can be made effective. Napo-
leon made good soldiers OF the Italian lz.
sroni-and a poorer material can scarcely
well be conceived Ii is Napoleon that
said discipline is the first requisite for a
soldi.r-bravery is only secondary In
deed tie more there is of bravery in an
army composed of such men as the New
England STATES and the rural districts of
New York S. nd TO the war reasoning
bay onets. as Napoleon called them, bayo-
nets in the hands of men with heads on their
shoulders, and heads that have the habit Of
thinking-the more there is Of bravery 10
such a soldiery. the greater the need Of
discipline. Not only thorough training in
the use Of arms. but a habit of implicit
obedience is Indispensable TO make good
soldiers.
There can be no doubt this war is des
tined TO make US a more military people
than we have been before. And good
reason we should be- In the FIRST place.
because the prevalence of higher military
tone and the maintenance of a more effect
i've military force are indispensable for the
national security and defence Until the
millennium comes we shall slways be li.ble
ID foreign invasions or internal rebellion
In either case there is nothing before us but
to light, and nothing but successful fghtipg
can save us But how can we tight sue
cessfully il We have only rsw recruits or an
i'll trained militia, and officers better skilled
to handle the yard stick than the sword. 10
marshal . column o. figures than q body of
menl In the next place. because the mill.
tary virtues--coursge. for,ituds, endurance,
subordination. and obedience the military
habit ,--promp i'ude. vigilance. order. at
ten ion to details and the phys al desel-
opmen,s--hsalth. strength, and heightened
muscular activity. which come from military
discipline--all these are no less valuable as
elements OF the morale or general character
OF nation than indispensable, 10 merely
military view. TO nations security and
success in arms.
To form disciplined army WAS the frss
thing we hal to do when the rebellion broke
out. 1t vas great pity. and sad neces-
si,y TO have to begin to do it then. We
have paid dearly for our folly and neglect
II We hsd been as well prepared for war IS
the Swiss always are. it would have saved
US millions OF treasure. and many score
thousands OF lives. Let US at least not now
fail to learn the lesson Of wisdom for our