The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-09-29
October Magazines.
HarDer's,

Harper's.
Each succeeding number of Harpcr's seem.
to increase in the affluence of its illustrations
The October number contains 10j, and is 9th
erwise exceptionally attractive.
The opening article-Mytown--by Rosc
Terry Cooke, is no less perfect in point of elc
giant illustration, than in the quiet loyelincss
it porrays of typical New England village
Hunting the Walrus--by w. L. Alden, is an
other instance Of fine illustration Another
article, no less spiritedly written than attract
lively illustrated, is that by w. H. Rideing de
scriptive of the Life Of New York Fireman
And lastly in this wealth Of pictures is the
article of Mr.. S. G. W. Bcnjamin,-From
Brusa to Constantinople-n which we have
not only lovely succession of Oriental pic.
lures, but Il succient and lively sketch of the
origin, progress, aud elimination of the Otto.
man Empire, upon which just now the gaze of
the civilized world is riveted
The most important article in the present
number is that of Gen. Mcclellan on the Regu-
lar army of the United States. There is GER
tainly not man in the country better qualified
to speak intelIgently on that subject and his
suggestions are in apt time, as congress is so
soon to meet in extra session to take that pre-
else matter into consideration. Gen Nice.
does not forget his democratic instincts so far
as to favor large standing army in time of
peace, but is decidedly of opinion that an in
crease Of the present army to twenty or twenty
five thousand is dictated by considerations both
of expcdiency and economy. He enforces this
by variety of arguments "Too great re-
duction of the army" he says
Often results IN an Increase of the transporta-
ton expenses more than sufficient IT, -.
a much larger number of trc .xwalhlaii
cases this deficiency an rs Nh Y, II Shss
.' i which res nT Tipping IN ihc bud diff
sui n wh,cm rcSu. led in long and costly wars
re ' ,hn w. Wv iientations of tRr armed forces
ho y" M ,he hrst class of cases We NAY mention
U' war, VINCE the expense Of bringing
,ostS ,oo',,a s,hail attachments from distant
,U,' , Wilt -ee maintained f}r e+rs force
nve " alI nave prevented nc trouble and
nav " the valuable live, cost. The same
- SdlW w iHt IFftHL DlOuA WdT, anu tIldl
& In progress IN Idaho, where the like
ding has occurred This difficulty arises con
stantly, and forms one main element in the
large charges for the transportation of the
army.
OF the second class of cases may be mention
ed the wars against the Creeks, the Seminoles,
the Sacs and Foxes, which would have been
certainly avoided, or at least brought to an i'm
mediate conclusion, had the regular army been
somewhat larger.
When the Mexican war broke out, the &C
tual strength of the regular army was about
$500 The force with which General Taylor
reached the Rio Grande was 5000, and that
with which he fought the battles of Palo Alto
and Reseca dc la Palma only POO, There can
be no doubt but that if the strength of the army
had suillced to enable him to move to the Rio
Grandc with 10000 men, the Mexicans would
not have crossed the river, and in all human
probability the war would have been avoided.
The cost of maintaining the 1000 additional
men during the whole period from the close Of
the war of 1912 to the commencement of the
Mexican war would not have amounted to two
thirds of the direct expenses of the latter war;
not taking into account the large cost of the
Seminole and other Indian wars, or the heavy
losses by disease and in battle, or the indirect
losses inseparable from all wars
But the most instructive case of all is that of
the civil war. We do not doubt that $1,000
regulars ON the field of the first Manassas
would have insured the complete route of the
raw Confederates, and in all probability put
an end to the war They would certainly have
enabled us to drive the Confederate govern
mcnt out of Virginia, and have cleared the
eastern portion of the state as completely as
the work was accomplished Il little earlier in
West Virginia The cost of maintaining these
$1,000 additional troops from the close of the
Mexican war to the commencement of the war
of secession would not have amounted to one
fifieth part Of the war debts of the general
government, the states, counties, and munich
palilies Should we compare it with the total
amount of direct and indirect expenditures by
both parties to the war, the losses of the two
sections in lives, in property destroyed, bust
ness ruined, and capital sunk, we should he at
a loss To express the relation, so absurdly
small would be the relative cost of those addi-
tional troops'
No less apt in point of time is the very clev-
er paper by w. l.. Stone on the Campaign of
Burgoyne, the centennial anniversary of whose
surrender at Saratoga occurs on the 18th prox.
There are several nicely illustrated poems,
and in fiction, Blackmore's Erema approaches
its conclusion, while two very readable short
stories are given. The editorial departments
cover their respective fields as comprehensively
and satisfactorily rs usual.
Scribnei's.
The same richness of illustration character.
lies the October us the preceding numbers of
this popular magazine. The eye alights first
on A Yankee Tar and His Friends, and finds
il very entertaining sketch of Capt f. f.
Morgan, commander of one of those New York
packets that were still considered the perfec-
ton of ocean travel quarter of a century ago