Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-01-12
We are Of those Who sincs Nay, '6l, have over and

We are Of those who, sinos Nay, e. have over and
over again urged the policy Of using freely and yigof-
ously ths military power Of the coun ~ ana striking
heavy blows at the foe The enlargement OF our ioie
And atom of their action Rave been continuity
a. bbrden az our song until many, doubt not have
vs.Sd Of our unp leasaot adnonitons and disagreed
bic predictions Of Consequences to result from oon
trary course Under the pressure of existing circum-
sances We perceive that Congress Is disposed once
to 20 all lengths in striving, by passing laws 70 MI up
,bs ranks Of our armies. But while call Is made on
men Who have furn sled substituted to take the held
along with their substitutes n services and while = y
nronosed TO put in boys Of sixteen and old men OF ni
Ave and all exempts s pertinent to inquire what has
become Of those whose names are on the ros VI our
armies.
toia tia. ,ytv psr cent of the troops are not
in the ranks for fight. We are informed on GOOD 81
thory that 100000 soldiers absent from the nsiu
either az strsggeIs, cachers Of desertes or
men We have alsa been informed that WINE many
ocershavs done their duty faithfully, IN cer'siu
And porons of the Oonfedsraoy conscrpuon mas Deeh
executed so poorly thai there are thousands OF men
loafng about who sro within the present cOhtcP' 's
and neither exempted nor detailed
We would therefore suggest thatt5ere are an aoun-
dance of able bodied men still in the country who can
~ hrooht into the 6sld without Gripping the capacity
of the country for producing food We Jadge
Il no need of apprehension in the army Or alarm IN Oon
v,ess ,rovded the officials Of the Government perform
ther duty with urgent efficiency towards the VI ques
suppressed by discipline in the army and rigid exeSlHoh
of military aw-and provided the public opinion oil the
neonle Al home be Sxered toiToWn down Struggling ana
do5gipg and to co operate heartily with tho eH9rs
made TO detect and bring tie truant The cause Is
danger and all that We have and hope here IS beyond
SonSt at stake Let the Government the officers OF the
army aud the people at home, men and women, lena
every e1ertion forthwith to reestdblish the nnmDer OF
QUE army in the held
We agree with our able contemporary. The cause
is in danger and It is the duty OF the people, not less
than of the Government do all that human beings
can do to restore the stepgthOf our armies Butthere
is another consideration. What avas all the strength
Ia the world it be misdlrectedi The blow OF strong
man MAY fell an OF; bu. il his rs. falls on the air. 1t
|, not merely mislick; 1t is waste of strength, which,
If properly directed mghthAvs produced important re
suits The effect on the man ia the tame as if the blow
had been well directed-perhEp' his strength Is even
more exhausted because the ChAgrned and disappont
ei mind reacts on the weakened arm and Weakens IT
still further.
lis important to aim correctly. Better take long
r,st aud draw Ane bead with ride than shoe! Co
lumbiad a. random. See the shot and shell that have
been thrown awa the powder burnt in vain, during the
siege of Charleston. See the waste OF ammunition In
every battle Napoleons small amy, 10000 strong well
handled in Italy, accomplished more than his quarter Of
q million Of bayOnets in Russia
Again, the WeAp~n must be proportoned to the
wedsr Suppose tire club Of Hercules In the hands oil
an infant. eve Darius million Of men and pit him
AGAINST eonidas with three hundred. Tfuss Holmes
with 100 600 veterans, and what he win do with
tenn. Which was the larger the army that whipped
Hooker as Charlottesville, the one Meade checked
at G.ttysburg' How many men did jackson have in
the VaIeyH How many bad Beauregard at Manassas
aud Shilohs Examine the list of eur victories and see
how much is due 10 numbers aud how much to handling
Take Tor granted, tbaswe have next Spring all the
men we want What assurance il there that some Ste
yenson will not be sent of before another battle OF Muir
freesboro or some Longstreet detached just as the
enemy is renloicin for another Lookou: Mountain y
Ia the beginning of the war, the people gave freely
men and means. The President did not complain OF Q
deficiency Of the one, nor Mr. Memmpger of the other
vat look at the finances; look at Holmes in Arkansas
Pemberton at vicksburg, and Bragg everywhere, ever
at OhickamaugA. We ought undoubtedly to make Oul
armies as strOrg as possible, bat after all the success
of the mex. campaign is question of guidance And
40 of the finances Tho best laws in the world avail
nothing If they are improperly and Intellectually admin
stered. We want guidance more than all things else
| r,ore even than subsistence.