The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1864-07-02
Strength Of our Army.

In the course of discussion which oc-
Cured in the Senate. on 7the 9Th instant,
while the bill modifying the Consumption
act was under consideration. Mr.. Wilson,
of Massachusetts, the Chair1han OF the
Committee on Military Affairs, referred as
follows to the number of men at present
composing the Army of the United States.
He said
"As I listened to the earnest, intense,
not to say passionate words of the Senator
from California, (Mr. CONFESS, almost
wish that I too was man of courage-that
/ too had this confidence, this hope, and
this boastfulness. The Senator from Cali
fornia, speaks CT the spasmodic action of the
administration Of the Government in rails
ing men during the last few months. Does
the Senator know that we have raised or re-
cruited since the 18th of October last six
hundred thousand men, not to count black
men, and that within the past year we have
put in the field seven hundred thousand ;
that we have made an exertion such as few
nations ever made and few nations can make;
that wehaye spent 1895. 900, OoOin boun-
ties that we have drafted that we have
used the whole power and influence of the
Government to increase our military forces
Sir, We have put forth an effort that excites
the establishment aud commands the admi-
ration of the world yet the Senator from
California, whose constituents are not draft
ed nor called upon, rises o-day and rebukes
! the administration, rebukes us, and talks
! glibly of the timid counsels of men who are
| quite as hopeful, determined, and as brave
! as himself.''
The seven hundred thousand men put in
the field during the last year are exclusive
| of those whose previous term of enlistmen!
! for three years, dating from the summer
and fall of 1861, has not yet expired, ant
are, we suppose, exclusive of the hundred
days men recently added to our present for
ces. The vast aggregate of the troops nov
under arms in our service, and on the pay
rolls, can therefore be easily conceived,
not accurately known in the absence of stat
istics The number can fall but little
any below a million of men, and certainly
touches height which justifes the state
ment of NJ lson when he says that tn
country can exertion" to fill II
the ranks tile army ''such as few ma
tons ever made and few nations can make.
Rome, in the time of Augustus, with
population of 100, 900, 600, had an army c
|. only $50, 900. When the French Empire
in the year 1913, under Napoleon 1, EN-
braced within its limits. the territory an
people of Belgium, Holland, the Hans
Towns, the Roman States, &C.. comprising
with that of France, population of 40
600, 600, the army numbered at the highe:
point about million of men, thus implying
as Allison states, the absorption of one
forty of the whole population in the profes
sion of arms, whereas it has never bee
found by experience, that an empire, ho'
powerful soeYer, can for any length of tim
, flourish with more than one in a hundre
: engaged in such pursuits.
f The total population of-the loyal State
E cannot much exceed %, 100000, and
force of 700, 900 drawn from such populs
ton implies the diversion of one in thirty
three from tho pursuits of productive il
dustry-a rate considerably higher tina
that which obtained under the conscriptio
for the French army during the perio
! when Napoleon was waging war again'
combined Europe.
We have adverted to these facts becaus
of the confirmation they lend to Mr.. Wi
; sons statement when hesays that the ''e!
e:tion made by the country in putin
} 700, 900 men into the field during the la
] year, is one 'few nations have ever made.