Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-06-28

A few DAYS ago the Adjutant General Of the
State Of Missouri. In calling for more men. said
''it had been officially intimated. by the highest
authority. that 900 more troops will be re
quired by the General Government The Ma
tionAl Intellgencer regards this statement with
surprise, coming 80 soon after the assertion Of
Mr. WILSON chairman of the military commit
tee that the country has within the last eight
months put 200 900 troops into the field. and that
We have about million OF men at present in the
service
IL appears from the report Of Secretary Came
ron. made on the lst of December. l-6l. that
II SIS men were raised during that year under
the first call made by the President for three
months men, Immediately after the attack on
Fort Sumter Aud under the legislation OF Con
gress at the extra session, which opened on the
4th OF July IN that wear, the number OF 66O,J1l
men had at the date OF his report been enlisted
fOf three years.
On the LIT OF July, 1862. after the repulse of
Gen. McClellan's attack ON Richmond, a new
call for $40 900 more volunteers, to serve three
years, was made by the President aud answered
10y the people.
Then. on the 9TH of August following. under
an order Of the President 800 900 militia were
summoned TO the field for nine months. The
summons received prompt response from all
the loyal States.
ON the 18th of June. 1853. shortly before the
invasion OF Pennsylvania by Lee. call Was
made upon the militia of certain States for lOO,-
600, which number was Afterwards increased TO
l20. 900 men
In the month OF July, 1863. drait for 800
| 600 men 20 serve Tor three years. was en-
| forced We have never learned how many men
| Il Yielded.
Under the sails that have been made since the
18th OF October last, aud which are fresh in the
memory Of all. by reason Of the exertions made
a. meet IL. We are informed that about 100 600
men. exclusive of negro soldiers, and exclusive
OF Zone hundred days men" have been put into
the field.
In view Of such statistics, Il becomes mat
ter of curious interest 20 know what disposition
has been made OF the forces not actively engaged
In the armies Of Grant and sherman, the two at.
/ mics which doing most towards the suppress
sion Of the rebellion.
We showed a few days ago that force OF
| 700 600 drawn from the population of the loyal
State implies the diversion OF one IN thirty three
from the pursuits OF productive industry rate
considerably higher than that which obtained an
der the conscriplions OF the French army during
the period when Napoleon was waging war
|
be such an overdraught on the energies OF the
people that Alison directly attributes the over
throw Of Napoleon To the violation of the physi-
cal laws which regulate the bond Of prudence IN
this "a in all Others matters OF human conduct
Aud IL Napoleons absorption Of one in forty OF
the whole population in the profession OF arms
was judged 90 be 90 injurious To the vital powers
of the French people. in view of the fact that
''it has never been found, by experience, that Al
empire, how powerful soever, can for any length
| OF time flourish with more than one in hundred
engaged in such pursuits" we may surely begin
20 profit by the lessons OF history on this score
Nothing so tends to impair the strength OF a ma
ton as any excessive strain on It's powers; and u
MIR. Wilson could Justly say, as he did, in the
month of January. that 1--WE had more to ieai
from want OF money than want OF men, tbs
time has now come when IL behoyes the peDpl,
To consider as well the dictates of political econ
omy in the wise expenditure OF their blood as oil
their money Ii is not a question whether the
men or money which the government needs shall
be furnished or not. but what these needs really
are, and hsw they shall be most availably met
We know IL is considered by u certain class o
persons very ''disloyal, To cite the laws of Con
gress or the injunctions of the Constitution II
| opposition 20 anything which it seems expedien
or necessary for the military power 10 do, but w
hope it may be permitted us to cite the laws o
nature and the njuuctons of political econom,
for the instruction OF our authorities without
coming under any such reproach. The follow
Ing prudential maxms under this head may, w
think, be affirmed without fear of successful con
| tradiction:
/. As in the case of individuals, so in the cast
of nations. nothing so enectually exhausts th'
physical power of nation "a a spasmodic over
straining of its energies.
, That from population of % 900 600, no
more than 100000 can be advantageousy di
verted from the pursuits OF productive industry
To the profession of arms, and that even this pro
portion was found excessive during the Napole
onic wars
,. That nothing speedily tends to exhaus
the military strength and depress the militar,
spirit of people successive calls for men IL
exaggerated numbers under the promise tina
each will be the last
4 That when the maximum number of meI
who can pro6tably be diverted from the pur-
suits of productive industry has been reached
the secret of military efficiency must be sough
in wise generalship. in the careful outstanding o
resources, and in the concentration of forces
rather than in the multiplication of troops.