Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-02-26

cal Magazine for January, 1868; Total grad
yates in the army, 1860 '6l, $40; northern
graduates disoyal, 1860 81 in the rebel army
Is; sympathiZcrS with secession, 4 total 10.
Southern graduates that remained loyal,
1860 81, 1885, disloyal graduates that resign
ed, &c, 1860 ,-northerners, 10; southern
ers, 49, total, 1877; loyal graduates who re-
NAMED in arms for the Union, Cpl.
These facts show that West Point, instead
of being "a nursery of treason," as charged
by politicians, has been a school of loyalty.
What other branch OF the public service will
show as large proportion of southern men
remaining loyal to the federal government
National htelhgeHcer.
The Integencer's statement of the case is
not complete. 1t does not tell the whole
story. In the first place it is mistaken in its
representation that the Cpl loyal graduates all
''remaned in arms for the Union. Many of
them have been retired lockers on, and 9TH
ers have left the service since the date named.
In the second place, large proportion of
those who remained in the service were more
disloyal than loyal, and it As well known that
some of them were persuaded to remain, by
others like themselves, after having half re-
solved to resign. The influence of these dis
loyal army officers has done much to embar-
rass the government and make the war inef-
fectual. 1t would have been better for the
country if all the army officers whose loyalty
was doubtful had resigned and gone over to
the rebels. Good and true men would have
taken their places, and the work of crushing
the rebellion would now be more nearly fin
ished.
1t was not the circumstance that they were
educated at West Point that made them dis
loyal. Their disloyalty and sympathy with
the traitors came from another source. The
army as well as the military school at West
Point had for years been in the hands of the
southern extremists. Floyd was secretary of
war under Buchanan; and jeff, Davis held
the same place under Pierce, Mr.. Buchanan's
immediate predecessor. Davis predecessor
In the war department was Charles NJ Conrad
OF Louisiana, who was proceeded in that office
by George w. Crawford OF Georgia. The
southern extremists had always, previous to
the rebellion, done pretty much what
they would with the war department.
and, Of course, both the army and
the military school had been subject to
their Influence. Young men naturally imbibe
the principles Of the teachers and Supporters in
position in whom they confde and on whose
favor they are more or less dependent for sue
cess in their chosen career. 1t is not at all
surprising that SO many Of the ''W est-Point-
ers' were disloyal. On the other hand. it is
more surprising that SO many of them were
found true when the trial came.
prejudice against the school at West
Point has been created in some minds by an
unwarranted assumption of superiority on the
part of army officers who graduated at that
institution. Because their training Their,
made them excellent engineers AM artillerists
it has been assumed that they must neces sar
ly be superior to other men in everything
that relates to war. This is a great mis-.
take; but they and others have cherished il
much to the detriment of the service. Not
few of the West Pointers had never seen
brigade drilled until the outbreak of the pres
ent They graduated at the military
school, and then were commissioners second
ieutenants and sent to Join some company
tier, where there nothing to make them
familiar with the business of handling large
masses of men on the field. While they were
every way superior as engineers and artiler-
lists, they were at the same time much inferior
to many officers of tile volunteer militia in
knowledge of field work, and in qualifications
for the business of handling regiments and
brigades. For instance, not many of the West
Pointers, of any grade, were as fit to command
regiment or brigade of infantry when
the war began, as Gen. Duryee who organized
the New York seventh regiment, and who has
been driven from the service by the persecut-
ing superciliousness of the West Point frater-
nifty.
Time and experience will cure all this. A
more intelligent and considerate appreciation
Will regulate the popular estimate of what is
learned or left unlearned by course of study
at West Point The importance of what is
learned there is undeniable, and for this rea-
son we need not hesitate to point out, when
occasion arises, that it consists chiefly OF
specialties and does not by any means
embrace every possible military accom-
plishment. When this is generally I'M
derstood we shall think and talk reason.
ably on the subject and form more
useful estimates of the value of certain militia
ry accomplishments, and of the use to be made
of them. Having carefully trained certain
men to be engineers or artilerists we shall
not stultify ourselves by seeking to have then
leave the work for which they are most fit t
become commanders of corps and divisions
for which they have neither the requisite train
ing nor aptitude. One of our soldiers, named
Sherman, was terrible power at the head Of
his battery, and became famous. They trans
formed him into commanding general, anC
Immediately he was failure; and he will RI
main sad failure, unless some happy stroke
of fortune shall send him back to his battery
ATTEMPT TO AssINATE GEN. BANKS. "A
New Orleans letter to the Boston Journal,
dated Feb. r. has the follo,vinO.