New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-07-15
& is magnificent proportions, and 50 fearful in ts
xocompaninents and possible results.

q is magnificent proportions, and 50 fearful in iis
Accomplishments and possible results.
Exactly interpreted, this lesson Is 'rnism. That
commanders OF armies should be theoretically &C
qusinted with the at Of war, as much az ply
siciaa or a lawyer should know with accuracy the
science Of medicine or the law, need not bc pomp-
ousiy enuuolsted. But the application intended by
the orator is, that such theoretical knowledge can
only 30 acquired at West Point, and can only be
gel known 70 pupil OF the Academy With the
memory Of Washington the Surveyor and Greene
HE Physician, Of the ReYoluton; Jackson The Law
yer, and Harrison the Farmer Of the later war
with Great Britain 70 say nothing Of Scott the
lawyer, Wool the Merchant and Taylor the Plant
or, Of the Mexican War; and in merry sparng the
orator any analysis Of the achievements OF West
Point In this Rebellion, only stopping to say that
no West Pointer, including the orator himself, has
chleyed any prominent distinction crcn IN disoste,
who had not left the army for the pursuits Of civil
live how could Mcclellan, with Ellsworth, Dahl
.sron. Winthrop, Shaw and Wadsworth yet "green
ia earth" put on record on such occasion, and N
such connection, this tsant upon the Volunteer
officers Of the Army of the United States
What should we say as TO the propnety Of en-
pioyiag lawyer TO argue the intricaoies Of a con-
sosted land title physician in the moro difficult
operations Of injecting the hfoblood Of the young
and vigorous into the veins Of tho aged aud en-
feebled, IL he, Story or Kent" or an Aber-
Dethy, after having been carefully educated in the
.rGdimenss Of Law, or surgery, had abandoned oil
practice Of his profession and taken 10 tho running
railroad for liyingl Should We not rather en-
poY some farmer soldier with taste and aptitude
FOR law or medicine, Who In the full application Of
disciplined and vigorous intellect had chosen The
profession OF his love, and spent years in eDdeaYor
ing 70 master It's theory end its praetice7
Show us q man whom God has fitted TO organize
and command, and we shall find that he viii illus
trate and sdorn any profession.
II SOLDIER West Point viii cid him. II
surgeon, West Point will not harm hun; if rail-
road engineer lac will succeed with or without West
Point But if God has not gifted him with intel
iectual yigor and foretnouga, he viii not manage
railroad or command an army, either with or with
Oh West Point, any better tgn oClelian
or Banks. Il ia said that the peculiar merit Of the
Academy consists in training engineers Of ability
and resource, fitted for the emergencies Of war
This 10 their speciality. Bat Wien Poners fleet
SaS l1npered In the shadows Of the Red river al-
though surrounded by anormy swsrming with West
Point engineers the honor was reserved 20 Lt.-Col
Bailey, ffom the forests Of Wisconsin-not even
civil onglneer-to act where West Point failed, aud
thero 81 achieve the greatest engineering ioat Of the
war.
We have no quarrel with Wosipoint: we be-
eYe In it, in its proper place, for its proper pur-
poses; we would not deery its merits aud uses we
would have the country cherish III we only desire
forecord our belief in the language ofSancho Panza,
that West Point "cannot make silk purse from q
sow'e car"