The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-07-25
West Point.

REVIEW OF Mc'cLELLAN's LATE ORATOR.
That commanders of armies should be
theoretically acquaiated with the art Of
war, as much as physician or lawyer
should know with accuracy the science of
medicine or the law, need not be POM
pously euunciated. But the application
Intended by the orator is, that such the
oretical knowledge can only be acquired
at West Point, and can only be we'll known
to pupil Of the Academy. With the
memory of Washington the Surveyor. and
Greene the Physician, of the Revolution !;
Jackson the Lawyer, and Harrison the
Farmer, of the latter war with Great
Britain to say nothing of Scott the Law
yer, Wool the Merchant, aud Taylor the
Planter, of the Mexican war; and in
mercy sparing the orator any analysis OF
the achievements of West Point in this
rebellion, only stepping to say that no
West Pointer, including the orator him
self, has achieved any prominent distinc-
ton even in disaster, who had not left the
the army for the pursuits of civil life, how
could Mcclellan, with Ellis worth, Dahl.
gren, Winthrop, Shaw and Wadsworth,
"yet green in EARTH" put on record on
such An occasion, and in sach connection
this taunt upon the volunteer officers oil
the army of the United Safest
What should We say as to the propri
ETY. Of employing lawyer to argue the
intricacies of contested land title cor Q
physician in the more difficult operations
Of injecting the hfe-blood of the young
and vigorous into the veins of the aged
and enfeebled, if he, a "Story or 4 Kent, u
or an Alternately, after having been care.
fully educated in the rudiments Of law OF
surgery, had abandoned all practice Of
his profession and take to the running OIL
q railroad for q livingI Should We no,
rather employ some farmer or soldier with
taste and aptitude for law or medicine
who. in the full application of discip,
lined and vigorous intellect, had chosen
the procession of his love, and spent year,
in endeavoring, to master its theory and
its practicey
SHOW US a man whom God has fitted 4
organize and command, and we shall find
that he will illustrate and adorn any pro
fession.
fla soldier, West Point will aid him
if surgeon, West Point will not harm
him; if a railroad engineer. he will sue
coed with or without West Point. But
if God has not gifted him with intellectua
vigor aud forethought, he will not man.
age railroad nor command an army
either with or without West Point. an,
any better or worse than Mcclellan O.
Banks. 1t is said that the peculiar meri
Of the Academy consists in trimming en-
gineers of ability and resource, fitted fo
the emergencies Of war. This is thei
speciality. But when Porter's feet VA
lmperiled In the shadows of the Red riy
er, although surrounded BY an arm,
swarming with West Point Engineer;
the honor was reserved to Lieute nant Col
Bailey, from the forests Of WISCONSIN,
not even civil engineer-to act vber
West Point failed, and there to achiev
the greatest engineering feat of the VA,
We have no quarrel with West Point
We believe in ii, 10 its proper place, 70
its proper purposes; We would not deer
its merits and uscs; We would have III
country cherish it.; We only desire to RI
cord our belief. in the language of Sanch
Panza. tat West Point sscannot make
ellis purse from sow's ear."-TN. Y
Tribune.
rma xubatttus.