Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-06-23

| 100000, which number was afterwards increased
to 40, 900 men.
In the month of July, 1868, draft for 800, OOO
men, to serve 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 them, we are informed that about 700, 900
men, exclusive of negro soldiers, and exclusive OF
[" one hundred days men," have been put In the
field
In view of such Statistics it becomes matter
of curious interest to know what disposition has
been made of the forces not actively engaged In
two armies which are doing most towards the sup
preston of the rebellion.
We showed few days ago that force OF
700, 900 drawn from the population of the Loyal
States implies the diversion of one in thirty-three
from the pursuits of productive industry rate
considerably higher than that which obtained un-
der the conscriptions for the French army durn 6
the period when Napoleon was wagng war against
combined Europe, and which was held to be such
an overdraught on the energies of the people thst
Alison directly attributes the overthrow of Napo-
leon to the violation of the physical laws which re-
gulate the bounds Of prudence in this as in all
other matters Of human conduct. And if Napo-
Icons " 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
r IL - L.. haa
found by experience, that an empire, how power
full soever, for any length of time flourish with
more than one in hundred engaged in such pur-
SUITS" we may surely begin to profit by the lessons
Of history on this score. Nothing SO tends to i'm
pair the strength of nation any excessive strain
on its powers; and if MIR WILSON could justly
say, as he did, in the moath 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 we'll the dictates Of poll
tical economy in the wise expenditure of their
blood as of their money. 1t is not question whe-
Their the men or money which the Government
needs shall be furnished or not, but aohat these
needs really are, and hoW they shall be most avail
ably met
We know it is considered by certain class of
persons very disloyal" to cite the laws of Con-
gress or the njunotions of the Constitution in OPP
position to any thing which it seems expedient or
necessary for the military power to do but we hope
il may be permitted us to cite the laws of nature
and the injunctions of political economy for the
instruction of our authorities without coming under
any such reproach The following prudential
maxims under this head may, we think, be affirmed
without fear of successful contradiction
/. AS in the case of individuals, so in the case
of nations, nothing SO efectually exhausts the
physical power of nation spasmodic over
straining Of its energies.
2. That from population of 23,000,000 not
more than 500 600 can be advantageously diverted
from the pursuits of productive industry to the
profession of arms, and that even this proportion
was found excessive during the Nspoleonic wars.
8. That nothing SO speedily tends to exhaust
the military strength and depress the military spirit
of people as successive calls for men in exagger-
ated numbers under the promise that each call will
be the last
4. That when the maximum number of men
who can be pro6tably diverted from the pursuits
of productive industry has been reached the
Of military efficiency must be sought in wise gen.
eralship, in the careful outstanding of resources,
and in the concentration of forces rather than in
the MULTIPLICATION of troops