The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-07-20

A few days ago the AGjutant General Of
the State of Missouri, in calling for more
men, said ''it had been officially intimated,
by the highest authority, that 300, 900 more
troops will be required by the General
Government" The National Intelligencer
regards this statement with surprise, COM
ing so soon after the assertion Of Mr.. WILL
SON, Chairman Of the military committee, }
that the country has within the last eight
months put 100000 troops into the field,
and that we have about million Of men at
present in the service.
1t appears from the report of Secretary
Cameron, made on the 1st OF December,
| 1861, that n, 1916 men were raised that year
| under the first call made by the President
| for three months men," Immediately after
the attack on Fort Sumter. And under
| the legislation of Congress at the extra
session, which opened on the 4th of July
in that year, the number of 66O,971 men
had at the date of his report been enlisted
for three years.
On the list of July, 1862, after the re-
pulse of Gen. McClellan's attack on Rich
mond, a new call 800, 1000 more volunteers,
to serve three years, was made by the Presi.
dent and answered by the people.
Then, on the 4th of August following,
under an order of the President, 100000
militia were summond to the field for nine
months. The summons received prompt
response from all the loyal States.
On the 18th Of June, 1868, shortly be-
fore the invasion of Pennsylvania by Lee,
| q call was made upon the militia of certain
States for 100, 900, which number was after
wards increased to 10000 men.
In the month Of July, 1868, draft for
| 800, 900 men, to serve for three years, was
enforced. We have never learned how
many men it yielded.
Under the calls that have been made since
the 18th of October last, and which are
fresh in the memory of all, by reason of
the exertions made to meet it, we are in
formed that about zoe, 900 men, exclusive
of negro soldiers, and exclusive of lone
hundred days men," have been put into
the field.
In view of such statistics, it becomes a
matter Of curious interest to know what
disposition has been made of the forces not
actively engaged in the armies Of Grant and
Sherman, the two armies which are doing
most towards the suppression Of the rebel
lion.
We showed a few days ago that force
Of 100000 drawn from the population of
the loyal States implies the diversion of one
in thirty from the pursuits of pro-
ductive lndustry-a rate considerably high
er than that which obtained under the con-
scriptions of the French army during the
period when Napoleon was wagng war
against combined Europe, and which was
held to be such an over draught on the
energies of the people that Alison directly
attributes the overthrow of Napoleon to
the violation of the physical laws which
regulate the bond of prudence in this as in
all other matters of human conduct. And
if Napoleon's absorption of one in forty
of the whole population in the profession
of arms" was judged to be so injurious to
the vital powers Of the French people, in
view Of the fact that ''it has never been
found, by experience, that an empire, how
powerful soever, can for any length of time
flourish with more than one in a hundred
engaged in such pursuits" We may>surely
begin to profit by the lessons Of history on
this score. Nothing so tends to impair the
strength Of nation as any excessive strain
on its powers; and il Mr.. Wilson could
justly say, as he did, in the month Of jan
uary. that 1--WE had more t. fear from want
of money than want OF men," the time has
now come when it behooves the people to
consider as well the dictates of political
economy in the wise expenditure of their
blood as Of their money. 1t is not ques-
ton whether the men or money which the
government needs shall be furnished or not,
but what these needs really are, and how
they shall be most availably met.
| We know it is considered by certain
class of persons very "disloyal" to cite the
laws Of Congress Or the injunctions of the
Constitution in opposition to anything
which it seems expedient or necessary for
the military power to do, but we hope it
may be permitted as to cite the law of
nature and the injunctioLs Of political econ
without coming under any such reproach
The following prudential maxims under
this head may, We think, be affirmed with
out fear of successful contradiction:
/. As in the case OF individuals, so in
the case of nations, nothing so effectually
exhausts the physical power Of a nation as
a spasmodlc overstraining Of its energies.
2. That from population of "a, ,O0O, ,OOC
not more than 100000 can be advantage
ously diverted from the pursuits of pro
ductive industry to the profession Of arms
and that even this proportion was founG
excessive during the Napoleonic wars.
8. That nothing so speedily tends t.
exhaust the military strength and depres.
the military spirit Of people as successive
calls for men in exaggerated numbers unde
the promise that each will be the last
4. That when the maximum number o
men who can protitably be diverted from
the pursuits Of productive industry ha
: been reached, the secret of military effici
ency must be sought in wise generalshir
in The careful outstanding of resources, an
in the concentration Of forces rather thai
in the multiplication of troops.
. Sketch OF Captain John A. Winslovy
u. s. A.
Capt. John A. Winslow entered the nav