Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1865-01-12

It was once said g. uratisey OF course, that every
French soldier carried 10 bis knapsack the baton of
Marshal of France that is, that promotion in that
army was free to all, and that the humblest soldier
might aspire to the highest military position which bis
sovereign could confer This doubt had and still
has ito iIfueDee in stimulating the ambition firing tie
courage and enlivening The genius OF the soders of
that NEST military of nations OF duty is no
doubt the highest and most enduring Of motives and if
man was perfect,-if his intellect was uncloudtd and
bis feelings uswarped it would be the only motive re-
quired. But is not perfect-he is not abstlac
ten. he is complex being with numberess springs
OF action. The suggestions bdton of the French SOL
ders touches one Of the most powerful Of these springs
The desire of distinction the hope of hon
esty won the ambition to Lave behind him an honor
able name are all assistants to the abstract Of du
ty-a stimulans to the pursuit OF the cuas to which
the path of duty leads There are few botOns and The
few there are, may not when gasped confer mu hap
piness upon the successful aspirans But who can tell
how many the bare possibility OF acquiring them may
not have stimulated to honorable ef,rt-may not have
made wcrthier and betermay rot have raised to high
and honorable positions even if not to the highest p
Above all, VINO can tell what benefits may not have
been conferred upon the service by the elevation of its
Our military system is not of course equal to the
French We have not had either the time or the means
to perfect it, bat may initiate its spirit IN matters
open for imitation. Prominent among these is the
prompt recognition OF mer;t-the marking OF signal
service By deserved promotion AS for insarce, Brig
adler General Hoke captured Plymouth, and was
Moior General from that date. That was illustra-
ton of the spirit to which refer. 1t was merlted
advancement But If the capture of Plymouth entl-
tied General Hoke to promotion, does not thu dsfence
of Wilmington equally gallant, and lnhoely more I'm,
portaut entitle its gallant defenders to THEIR step p?
Among the gallant officers in Fort Fisher or at Sugar
Loaf are there not these who have nobly won their
spurs? Wonld any begrudge the able General who
planned, and was 10 general command Of defencss
at the mouth OF the Cape Fear, any step that might
be conferred upon him While his own command
would rejoice over, would not the whole country ap
prove of the promotion of The gallant Colonel under
whose immediate superintendent Fort Fisher has
grown up, and under whose more immediate command
1t was fougbtf Do not all his officers and men deserve
promotion, were that possibei 3ut since it is not
possible, there not exemplary cases to whom
promotion might be extended with the double IF Of
rewarding merit. and of stimulating honorable ambi-
ton bove all, there not inst ances in which pro
mouous may Oe made from the ranks :? Shall it be
said With tru that 1Dperial France is liberal in
this respect tpan Confederate America
Shall General rktand and bis brave men pass with
only sual notice or the operating naval be
forgotten, if it compelled to be welded On
land? Shall any, in fact, be forgotten even although
all meritorious soldiers cannot be promoted.
We, Of course, merely glance Lightly over matters
which will appear more IDLY in the :ial reports of
| commanding GeeEs. We adduce Instances by way oil
'asraicn. snd not of enumeration. The inclusion Of
those have ba, not, therefore, to be understood
IN any way nssLded to mean thu exclusion of Others
These considerations have suggested tbtmselvs to Us
without consultation with anybody, and 30, without
,nsuiting anybody, We have given expression TO our
visws. For them, whether right or wrong, we are
alone to be credited alone to be held Responsible.