The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-24
Thinking BayoAets.

ships and suffering which broke down and
disabled those who were actuated by no
higher motive than personal courage or stern
necessity.
Wars of conquest are contrary to the
spiritof the age and, when battle is joined,
is always endeavored to be shown that the
struggle is for the salvation OF the country,
or to obtain, by force Of arms, the power to
continue the noble works Of industry and
peace. The contending rulers seek to enlist
the reason OF their subjects upon their side,
Land to convince their battalons that the
ends to be gained are, in truth, worth all
the bloody sacrifices OF a relentless war;
But lliterate men cannot comprehend, in its
fullest sense, O national necessity. Educa-
ton, therefore, as much as bodily strength,
is required to form the successful soldier,
and where the soldiers are the people, as
was the case in the South, and, in less de-
gree, in the North, and, as is the case in
Germany aad France, that nation will be
the conqueror which has in its ranks the
larger proportion OF men whose minds have
been quickened and refined by thought.
Book-knowledge will not enable thousand
men to defeat ten times their number; nor
will the humanities or vulgar fractions su-
persede discipline and tactical skill But
where numbers and discipline are about the
the same, experience teaches that victory
will perch On the banners OF the nation
which educated its people, and has, there
FORE in it's ranks preponderance of thought
!ul men who do their duty not as machines,
but as patriots and citizens.
The German War is living example of
this truth. France is miserably behind
hand in the matter OF education and her
peasan.ry are ignorant in the extreme.
When the Imperial Government fell to pieces,
the heart OF the country was broken; not
because it cared much about Napoleonic
dynasty, but because it was deprived OF its
head, and could only beat according to es-
tablshed rule. Napoleonism was repres-
sion OF individuality. The French, us q
people, worked like machines spoke like
machines, and voted like machines. And
they had no more power 10 change their
formulas OF action than locomotive has to
reverse it's running. Trochu and Gambetta
and their colleagues may succeed id mould
ing the inert mass into shape, and in max
ing it capable OF independent motion. This
is very doubtful, and, as the case stands,
France is defeated as much by the ignorance
Of tho people rs by the crushing weight of
the German battalions.
Germany, on the other hand, weaker than
France In present population, has both an
elaborate school system and q compact mill
tary system. First; the citizen is taught his
duties to himself and to his country. Que
of these duties is to give his life, if.needs
he, for. the common defence. Every citizen
is held to have direct personal interest in
the maintenance OF the strength and inle-
pendence OF his country, and every citizen
is put into the army that he may serve her
well, when the time comes. There are no
exceptions; rich and poor are treated alike.
The result is that, when war comes, Ger
many puts into the field au army Of think
ing bayonets.
This is shown, in its periectness, in the
present war; Many Of the professors of
Berlin, G0ttingen, Halle and Kiel and near
ly all the students tit to bear arms, have be-
come soldiers. DR.. Sintenis, d.. Elder, Herr
Won Seebach and members Of the Cologne
Chamber of Commerce, including the
wealthiest and most noted merchants of
Rhineland, have also entered the army.
Herr Won Gersdorf, the former Prussian
Consul General in Egypt, is q landwehr cap
tain in the same brigade in which at least
one of the six Sanscrit scholars is serving.
During the battles about Metz, the only son
Of Secretary Count Itzenputz was killed
while serving as . private. Count Bis
marck's two sons were present at the same
engagements. The one who served in the
ranks was severely wounded. The son of
the Minister of War, Won ROOM has also
been either killed or badly wounded. States
men, fnanciers and men of science, the
leaders in every walk in life, are fighting for
Fatherland. Among those now serving in
the Prussian army are DR.. Beneke, OF Koa-
igsberg, a distinguished microscopic; DR..
Gruenhagen, Professors Wagner, Burow,
Mocker and Jacobson,oof the same Universe
ty. Rueoh nf Rom. .Willens of Berlin and |
Jacobson, OF Tabinyen. These last are
enumerated by correspondent OF the
Nation.
Well may the Pail Mall Gazette acknowl-
edge that san army OF thinking bayonets,
''oficered by men OF liberal as well as pro-
OCCASIONAL education, who belong to the
''higher ranks Of their country's society,
"and have been brought up with habits of
command, is as nearly irresistible as the
"elements OF what is falsely called chance