The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-07-07
Prudential Maxims i'm War.


That cautious and courteous journal, the
National Intslligencer, whose "loyalty" IS
we believe unquestioned, in treating on
what it calls 1.-THE Economies of War"
draws some very logical conclusions from
h.story. Wequote valuable and thought
worthy portion Of its remarks, with this 5.
one reminder-that instead of 100000"
the number of men already called into the
war by Lincoln is more than three times
those figures, great as they are:
"We showed few days ago that force
of 100000 drawn from the population of
the Loyal States is diversion of one in
thirty-three from the pursuits Of productive
industry rate considerable higher than
that which obtained under the CONSUMPTION
for the French Army during the period
when Napoleon was waging war against
combined Europe, and which was held to
be such an over dranght on the energies Of
tae people that Allison directly attributes
the overthrow Of Napoleon to the violation
of the physical laws which regulate the
bounds of prudence in this as we'll as all
lother matters Of human conduct. And if
Napoleon" 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 cit has never been found,
by experience, that an empire, how power
! full soever, can for any length of time -four
ish with more than one in a hundred en-
gagged ir such pursuits" we may surely
begin to rroft by the lessons of history on
this score. Nothing SO tends to impair the
strength Of a nation, as any excessive
strains on it's powers; aud if MIR. Wilson
could Justly say, as be did, in the month
of January, that "we had more to 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 this wise expendi>
ture of their blood as we'll as of theft mon
ey 1t is not question 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.
The following prudential maxims under
this head may, we think, be affirmed witha
out fear of successful contradiction
l. As in the case of individuals, so In
the case of nations, nothing so effectually
exhausts the physical power of nation as
a spasmodic over strsining Of its energies
2. That from population of 100000
not more than 100000 can be advantage
ously diverted from the pursuits of produc.
tive industry to the profession of arms, and
that even this proposition was found ex-
cessive during the Nspoleonic wars.
8. That nothing so speedily tends TO exr
haust the military strength and depress the
military spirit Of the people as successive
calls for men in exsggered numbers under
the promise that each call will be the last.
a. Th t the maximum number of men
who can be proftably diverted from the
pursuits of productive industry has been
reached, the secret of military efficiency
must be sought in wise generalship, in
careful Outstanding of resources, and in the
concentration of forces rather than in the
multiplication of troops. .'.