Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-07-07
THE potITIoo MILITARY psosLEx.

very much embarrassed to explain and Justify the
decision of the House of Representatives in 40
suddenly reversing its action upon the proposed
repeal Of the money Communication for military SER
vice. The House having only few days ago de-
cided by vote of two to one that il would not
concur in that policy, and that decision having
been approved by the Republican press without
exception SO far we are aware, the latter is not
little non-plussed to account satisfactorily for
such rapid change of front, and finds much diff
Guilty In the preservation of its consistency while
placing itself abreast with such shifting politi-
cal attitudes The New York Tribune accounts
for the maneuvre by tracing it to the influence of
the Executive on the minds of recusant members.
1t says:
II Is no secret that the chsnge of front n the House
que TO the urgent representations Of the Executive The
system heretofore existing deemed q failure The
uovernuent got money ard not men. Hence The argu.
ment addressed TO members of Congress has been If
you mean tne war shall you must grant the power
to draft compulsory in other words you must give The
the power to fill its armies speedily and to
Keep them iu And the House has yielded to this ur-
gency Dpeed by the patriotic conviction that the Execu-
i've was entitled to the grant of such authority in it's
view was necessary for the suppression of the rebellion
It was believed that wise adm nstralion
OF the law would secure all the needed but we now
have the assurance of the military authorities that it was
insufficient aud since the Executive requires the power
and all the men needed to crush the rebellion must be had
somehow, all loyal men have always insisted The cues
ton of means is less essential
"It. Of course, understood that the power which is
now put INTO the hands OF the Government be ectu
ally used The law is to be put force and there is no
longer any excuse, if there were Tor misapprehen
SION on the part OF the people ndecson the part
the Government I he nation by the voice of its repre-
sentauves, oilers its whole strength tie Executive
What it asks in return is that ts magnificent Gift shall not
have been given in vain
Our readers have been left in no ignorance as to
our views respecting the policy in question, and if
the present Congress shall adjourn, leaving the
Executive unlimited power to draftm but for only
one year, without allowing any Communication, we
think 1t safe to conclude, with Senator Brown and
others, that the "war for the Union," under such
system, is rapidly verging towards decline
which will need no "peace party" to accelerate its
progress in the direction of practical armistice.
For as is well said by the leading Republi-
can organ.of New England, the Boston Daily Adj
vertiser, such system may give us "men," but
it will not give US an "army" It will produce
in the loyal States all the exhaustion of war while
creating the conditions on which vigor and eff
cheney in war are both physically and morally i'm
possible.
We sought to demonstrate this proposition some
days ego In the views we announced under the
head Of the Economies of War"-views founded
on statistical facts of the most rrefragable charac-
ter. 1t is easy to ignore the laws of nature and
OF political economy, but these laws always take
revenge on their violators. One of the leading
Republican journals of the West, the Cincinnati
Gazette, takes the view of this matter as the
Boston Daily Advertiser. In its number Of the
9th instant it says:
The calculation that by exhaustive effort the rebel
and dangerous. The has been conducted that cal
culaton much too long already 1t 10 time to look
to military principles to seneralshp, and to such hus-
banding OF resources will ensbe the country
nue the effort From the frst there has been an idea
that should take Richmond the Conederates would
be conquered and in the third year of the war find
the ideas governing the campaign and governing the
calculations for another draft whose exhaustive operation
to be compensated by the that it will be but
brief and the last effort that will be required
But, in the first place. year drafted men will not
make such army ash required TO carry war which
has continued three year, and has made veteran army
on the other side. Secondly, drafted army cannot be
put into the field ia time to operate in the present cam
pagn against Richmond TIL rdly mortal man can say
that any drat however exhaustive, will close the war 10
year Is it safe to exhaust the country BY brief spas
mOdic effort when the result is not within provision
The campaign against Richmond must be decided by
the army In the field II unsuccessu, military ge-
MUS find way of bringing Lees army battle
fair terms We have army abuDdanty large to defeat
it such terms and have right to expect that it
shall not be sacrificed in attempting positions which neu
tralize its superior numbers Even if it shall be- no draft
change the result
But the must longer be conducted upon the
idea that the Of the country are
that the effort will be brief and therefore if it ex
haustve it is the last and that with triumph the country
will 1t is likely that the result will depend
as much on exhaustion on battles therefore it is requi
site that be used with to continuance
to any extent that may be necessary to final triumph
ln this war the loyal people have largely
the number oil men that population put in the
field without Gripping to such an extent
to make the effort exhaustive In the apparent pros
perty which has grown out of the of paper money
and with the light burden of whose expenses were
paid loans have also the extent of our
financial and have hardly taken into account
the destruction of productive industry Under the same
influences the Administration has also called for more men
and carried greater number Of scattered
than consistent with economical expenditure OF
resources with view TO continuing the effect for an in
definite period.
time to change all this AMI to conduct the war on
comprehensive principles Of ateey instead of looking to
single point and regarding any sacrifice and any degree
of exhaustion wisely expended to attain that We must
have well trained soders to fight veteran army and we
and ess TO the prodga sacrifice mep for military reults
No nation in the world supply well trained soldiers 10
be sau Uttered unlimited numbers in indecisye action.
Our finances must also DO organized for continuance NJ
the indefinitely, instead of looking all the while tn
speedy victory to save them from prostitution