The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-08-28

4
Ha1se rs large or small quantities
MurAny ENERGY able English
ess.vist remarks that ''energy, under the
guidance Of judgment, seems to be the
most important Of practical qualities,
and that . critical examination Of his
tory and life would probably show that
energy is more essential to success than
most other qualities put together" In
illustrating his position by examples in
the leading pursuits Of public life, he be-
Gins with the soldier, and maintains the
proposition that energy and its cognate
Qualities excel more directly professional
a;fts and acauirements-that is, activity
and resolution. with moderate military
abilities, produce greater effects than the
highest strategical and tactical genius
without them. Turenne, and Montecu-
culli, those acknowledged masters in the
art of war, are referred to as striking
instances Of the fruitlessness Of .fruitless
conceptions unaccompanied by CORES
pontling vigor Of action. Nothing could
be superior in originality and boldness Of
design, in scope and scientific combina-
ton to Turenne's plans of campaigns, and
some Of his marches are ranked with
those of Napoleon and Marlborough, but
when the hour of decisive action had ar
rived. he was as destitute OF name
and moral resolution as Mcclellan.
i distinguished military author remarks:
.ej'hc campaigns ofthe Rhine are marked
by tsle same vigor Of conception and
fruitlessness Of result We cannot refuse
to admire the refined subtletry, the willy
devices Of Turenne and Morteeuculli !;
but their attitude reminds us rather Of
two expert fencers at all assault Of arms,
playing with buttoned foils, and exhibit
ing their easy grace and elaborate science,
than of men really bent on the stern Blu
siness of life and death. They advance
and retreat, they feint and parry, march
and countermarch, manGuvre and out
mannuvre, with tedious caution and per-
severance but we wait in vain for the
fatal stroke. We miss the eager eye
and the ready head of a Cromwell or a
Condo, inspired by their soldier instinct
when to launch forth their strength, and
stake everything on the result of a single
blow"
The examples of Caesar and of Hanni-
bal are cited as proofs Of the precminent
importance Of energy to the soldier, for
although Caesar was great in everything
he undertook yet his military skill was
not as remarkable as that Of some others,
but, as DR.. Arnold remarks, it was Cn-
sar's rapidity that often secured his sue
cesses. 'As General" says that his
torian, st is needless to pronounce his
eulogy, we may observe, however, that
the quality which most contributedto his
success on several occasions was his
great activity" Energy was also the
leading quality of Hannibal, and whenever
great results are attained, will be found,
though not the sole, yet the dominating
quality, whether in civilized or barbarian
war.
Energy was the prominent character
istic of our immortal jackson, and fur
nishes the solution Of his whole mystic
rious and magnificent career. In mill
tary genius and science he may not have
been superior to other Generals, but in
promptness, perseverance, rapidly, de-
termination to secure success, he has had
few equals either in America or Europe
His was the "Action, action, action" Of
Demosthenes, which ia not less the source
of success in war than in orat0ry.
These observations are by no means
designed to underrate the value of scien-
tific military educations. jackson was a
West Pointer, and one of the most indus
trious students Of that celebrated insti-
tuition. Now and then a great natural
military man may be found, born sol
der, as some men are born mechanics,
but such cases are exceptional. We
should in general as soon think of call
ing upon carpenter to make us apair
of boots as man Of any other training
than that Of arms to head an army
Perhaps one Of the most splendid illus
trations on record of the combination Of
great genius and energy was the famous
movement of Gen. Lee, by which he
compelled Mcclellan to raise the siege OF
Richmond Certainly the wars of this
continent have never produced its par
allel.