Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-06-30
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
TIE MILITARY CONSUMPTION.

TIE MILITARY CONSUMPTION.
The Boston Daily Advertiser, in advertins 70
the recent action Of the Senate reducing the term
Of military service under future calls to one year
and abolishing the provision for money coniliu-
tation, expresses the belief that the decisiOn "A'
been reached under the influence o. ERRONEOUS
views, which lie much deeper than inc supelnciai
question whether it is wise to enforce personal ser
vice rieidlv under the CONSUMPTION. This latter
Question our contemporary thinks is lndeeu impor-
tsnt. but something of much more consequence Is
brouebt M by the proposition to couple with the
rareal Of the commuatiJn provision for drafting
men for short term Of service. To enforce ser
vice for three years. it adds "would be harsh, but
it would at any rate give us an army. TO make
the service hold for short term only, however
will not give us an army, although it may give US
men"
The views we have enforced in demonstration OF
the impocy of acting on the mistaken idea that
the vigor of our military operations depends, be-
yond certain limits, on the mere number OF our
armies are thus corroborated by the observation OF
the Advertiser. 1t says:
mart of the House been led astray by fundamental
error as the true method of carrying on war with sue
GEES They have fallen back upon the plan OF sustaining
sr nv simply throwing into il ~ enormous masses
tha method which characerges the infancy but not the
maturity of the military art Their error s akin TO- indeed
tsdentica with that extraordinary folly winch mas caused
man even in Congress- talk Of calling out million Of
man for the special purpose OF taking Richmond The
public felt and So believe, did Congress that such
propositions betrayed an entire ignorance the 10
geperashp be relied upon TO do the work and not
the CATION OF men inysst numbers 10 SEEK 10
surpass the obstacles Which genershp fas Conquer o
i've mere macs the force hurled against IL is medieval
flv xphch every body derstcod 1t applied
TO definite undertaking ike the capture Of Richm, nd
But how does the principle involved in the acton Of
the Senate differ from that of the proposition just
,iced II is fit that something must be done Ia strengthen
tbe army and sustain the The Senate, grapng about
10 ASCERTAIN this something should be, settles upon
= nlan which simply enables tn military authorities to
throw into The any time hsf million Of m4n Tor
short period Nothing done to secure al accession of
disciplined strength, or to compel the more ethclent use
and concentration Of what forces we have The Senate
rae upon numbers merely II hopes to have discharged
i. duty when it has proVi ed the means by which the
army nav have it's rolls amion Of men the year through
men who coming and going discharged as soon as they
lose the rawness of the fresh recruit
We can assure those who adopt this crude notion that
40 far from dschsreipg their duty by adopting such
measure they have only incurred heavier responsibility
They do what lies in their power TO fix upon military
administration system which Will give army as large
indeed but weak the army Of Xerxes, system
which 10 strongly Inc JucsLchl VI
men By tire precedentp Of history and by the
sense Of the country They undertake to set military
establishment upon foundation which will tax more
severely than ever energies of the Treasury and which
so sr from diminishing must inevitably increase the inrosds
made by the wealth and resources OF the nation
We will not seek to destroy the hope which this action
is founded of an early triumph the rebeon but we
must say that in that hope il not well founded the
risk which taken paPaby such as no sound Statesman
would encounter
We are not led TO these remarks BY disappointment
at tho hla
mutation clause. Strong as our own CONVICTION ~ OF the
impolcy Of such repeal aud clear il the public judg
ment against it, could recognise in the repeal If il were
the prelude vigorous conscrphOu msrk Of energy and
determination at which the patriot should rejoice But
il is obvious that there such real exercise OF ygor in
the minds Of those who act in this matter. 1t Is plau
that the repeal s favored in the expectation that by
press direction Of Congress by the decision OF the
xtcutive, will be called out only for short terms Of
service such action is not strong but feeble and pro
ceeds not from confidence and energy, but from deusion
and tmidy Such action il is that this pc pie to
look with dstrust aud dissatisfaction upon those who
should be the opponents Of Its faith and the agents Of its
will"