The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-24

oil, WOulu HaNc """S -"
of the more methodical b
sturdy Greeks but surer OF victory. we t
ire not treating of armies in regard to1 t
heir actual effectiveness, but merely OF ]
heir magnitude, and all thai we nave I
to do with the mythical Persian most ~
to allude tot as the greatest army men,
in history. Asia has Always
been able from the superabundance OF
her fighting material to put more men
in he field than Europe. Her untold
millions of population make the work Oh
the recruiting officer comparatively
easy, and to this cause, we suppose
we may attribute the very sio"
propres made i'm the East In the ar's VI
war. A battle in that ancient quartz
of the world was nothing more nor less
| han an indiscriminate slaugh'er' anu
tho side that could hold out the longest
and had the most men was pretty sure
To win. When Greece was settled, now
sver. the Hellenic squatters soon. discov-
cred the necessity of fighting their bat
tles with the sacrifice of as few lives as
possible. Theyexperienced III dement's
arising from outstanding their strenglh
andsavinig their population. They were
in other words, forced to economic III
the expenditure of human life. ms
gave rise to new discoveries and lnveh-
lions IN Tie aIU VI woi, w "v""s VT
which battles could be fought with
much more decisive results, by compar-
atively small forces, and without in
volying such heavy losses in human life.
With the progress of civilization, which
commenced in Greece, and spread over
the new world of Europe, improvements
and Innovations in the art of war have
been constantly introduced, until now
it has been reduced to a science,-and
although the theory still holds good that
victory inclines to the side of the
heaviest battalions,-i is certain that
the ameliorations introduced by art in
Europe and America, and which are
t still comparatively unknown in Asia,
and which have grown out Of the neces-
+, stiles of weak nations combating against
the stronger,-have exercised a wonder
fully saving influence in shielding
human life, and aiding in the growth o.
empires. Had the same reckless dlsre'
gard for life been manifested in Europe
; that marked the Asiatic and African
> wars, Italy, Germany, France and Eng
land would still be in their primitive
savage condition. But "Xerxes the
= great did die''-and so did his grea
army. European civilization was no
demolished by the Persian invaders
and westward the star of Empire took it
way, until we find it fixing itself owe
:, the banners of q host almost as numer
- ous as that of the Persian monarch-bu
presenting as wide adherence, in all tn
elements that make up a perfect CIVIL
as cation, from the semi barbaric hordes
lie those days, as it was possible for tn
T. humanizing and progressive influence
81 of thirty centuries of gradual enlighten
he ment to produce. This mighty hos
OF of modern times, was the grea
he American army, which, after fou
re wears of as bloody warfare as W
a have any accounto of in modern history
ID and as i~ntelligently and heroi0ally con
Quoted, finally succeeded in crushing OH
in q signal manner, the most pow
Id erful and best organized revoluiionar
ATTEMPT that the world has ever see
successfully met and overcome. 1t ma
vs. not be uninteresting to h geners
reader to know the exact dimensions {
=. this "grand army" which has preserve
"a the nation by its heroic devotion I
Id principle.
- A tabular statement has just bee
- published from the wal office, by whic
.,o we are furnished with the necessar
= data, and i'm which we behold the almo'
= fabulous estimates Ofthe number of me
- called into active service during tn
continuance of the war to put down til
rebellion. From these statistics "
- learn that the aggregate number
- troops actually furnished by the sever.
:. free states during the war, was tw
million six hundred and eighty -eigl
;. thousand five hundred and twenty-five
:. and reduced to the credit for three yea
=, service, we find that the number of eli
,o zens of the northern states who volul
teered to serve their country faithful
for three long years, and encounter I'll
dangers of the field without hope
by reward, was two millions one hundre
he and ffty-four thousand three hundrt
- and eleven. We have not the data
". hand, by which to compare this wi
an any of the large armies gathered I
,r, getherin France or Austria during Il
re past century, but do not think In al
OF war of four or five years duration, eth
CHI ofthose nations, with twice the popul
a ton from which we drew our levies, ev
ut, called into the field one halfthe numb
is of effective men. To this too, we mu
il add our navy of owe fifty thousand alb
ed bodied seamen--and taking all thin
n into consideration, we think, the sho'
Oh ing highly favorable to the concluslf
cir that we are eminently a martial pc
ed ,Ja-on nation ready Mt all times for W