The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-04-15

Inc hdWs
A military nation can rely upon nothing
but CONSUMPTION TO counteract the continual
wasting away of armies in the field. This has
not been a military republic during all the
long years Of peace and growth within the
memory of the present generation. No rude
alarms of war have been brought to our doors.
The Mexican war was remote, as Indifferent
to the majority of the nation as the Crimean
war. Politicians made the same use of the
trappings OF our victorious generals, which
they had made of Harrison's log cabin and
hard cider barrel. These emblems served to
arrest the popular attention, and were used as
charms to conjure success out of the bubbling
election caldron.
All that has passed away, with the smoke of
the guns aimed at Sumter by rebelious hands
two years ago. The war in which we are
now engaged is terrible reality. Now for
the first time we begin to realize the duties as
well as the privileges OF citizens. We have
lived under the protection of our government
all our lives. Now the government claims
onr protection, with arms, at the expense Of
life, If need be. How readily was that claim
allowed two years ago. How literally has
the debt of men and money since been paid.
Freely volunteering, our young men have
marched to the front, wherever the flag Of the
Republic led Freely giving, those who re-
NAMED at home have not spared their sub
stance, to maintain the just laws Of the Re-
public.
But this Is not the way, in which great wars
are conducted. l. is a sublime spectacle of
patriotic self sacrifice; but war is not an af-
fair of emotions. Rome was a military pow
err; and the Roman CONSUMPTION respected
neither high nor low. France is a military
power, and we owe the word CONSUMPTION, in
its modern sense, to France. We too have
been led, step by step, to military status.
Our armies have been organized and tried I'M
der fire. What difference between the mag
nificent army, which lies now opposite TO the
fatal hills of Fredericksburg, and the rabble
rout which marched from Washington to Bull
Run, and ran back. After organization came
the perception, dim enough at first but now
clear TO all eyes, that an army must not only
be raised, and equipped, and disciplined, but
continually recruited; and this discovery was
followed by another. The recruiting must be
systematic. There must be some means OF
furnishing troops just as they are wanted
neither too many nor too few. Having be-
come for the time military nation, we found
ourselves in the end. like all beginners, obliged
to 90 back to the traditions and precedents OF
the art of warfare, constrained by the same
laws by which other nations have been con-
strained.
Do those journals, which shadow forth rs
boldly as they dare the secret counsels of
Democratic leaders, such counsels as Lord
Lyons reported and Earl Russell published,
counsels looking only to peace andignominious
failure, too shameful to be publicly uttered
do these journals doubt that the people see
and know that the conscription law is neces-
sity OF our condition? This war is to be
pushed forward to victory. The movements
in the field are slow. The players pause,
when the game reaches critical stage Meth
er party is disposed to risk too much on sim
gle move. But suppose our present combina-
tions fail in part-fora general failure is incon-
ceivable; suppose they fail in part, and what
then? Shall We I'LL up our armies, or not?
How will the people answer that question?
They will answer it with one affirmative voice,
like the roar OF many waters, SO loud and
unanimous as to drown the feeble, timid hiss
~ rc,os;ttan ,,,t ~ haar;nc