New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-10-24
THE ATLANTIC.

The reader is confronted at the outset of
iii. number With powerful and conclusive article
dcf,uce of the American Army. maintaining that any
ATTEMPT To reduce military establishment below
the pre-. nj ngcardy e,tmates chould be discoun'e-
nauc,d as the # an unprincipled or foolish Ccua-
roeue .u the OPINION of tue writer. fore, OF thirty
five or forty thousand men l. not more than we could
probably cmpoy normore than II would be ir1e wisdom
and frugaly 60 support. The ie"n-ss OF our troops
So far from being an uumxcd saving compels an OUTLAY
in transportation sui, nt 10 keep several thousand
additional soldiers. The mricoucy o. militia IN actual
service Is illustrated by sores OF portrnoHs facts
taken from the Ia ary history ~ tnis country Il II
narrative Of deplorabe failures relieved by sc"'ccly
single success Ia the Revolutionary War, ai.er Lex
insioa and Bunker Ill., the provincial militia almost
invariably turned tail To- the enemy. IL the same IN
The war with Great Britain ia 1872. The volunteers
present b.igu.cr record. In the admirably
managed WIKI Mexico there were Thirty
volunteer regiments. The excellent behavior Of this
new force estab shed revolution IN The prevailing mill
tary methods. In every campaign the volunteers
marched and fought by side of tie regulars with
patience Obedience. and adincss wholly unknown to
militia They rccogniz that they were United states
troons aud proved that the Amer can citizen needs Dut
irregular military organic tOn 10 become ia short
time AL excellent soldier Ihe civil war. as Is well known
was mainly fought on by Some Two millions Of vol
nnfccr After the first year the great of the vol
untecr officers were brave men, of honorable character
and already military their character and ideas But
the chic sIcngtA Ot tc volunteer forces lay an The very
superior character OF the RANK AMI nlc. they were
brave. intelligent, scircspeciing citizens, determined
toma.tcr trir new duties AID determined 20 win sue
ces. selfrespect. nODl, feeling oi cOmradcship ear
nest purpose. aud common ,euse supplied ln great
measure e lack of conf et, discipline and Of framed
rcsimcnta off The writer presents tho eis OF his
article in tn rcc,mm ndation 10 DO away with the
militia or troops Of the States and substitute force Of
National volunteers organ ed hy the War Department
and comm tudcd 10y the Pre- dent A. The same time he
insists ON the maintenance at an Efficient regular
army wiki officers competent To furnish instructors to
thr ycluutcci. time OF peace aud commanders OF
liah grade Ia time OF war, aud the es-
taDlishmcui OF system Of popular in-iiuc-
ton ia tue elements of the ait and science
O. war In " The Prospect OF Moral lutcrrcsuum" Air
Goodwin Suth di-cu.s the Influence 0f the decline OF
religious belief the NORA coudlt on q society.
inc that the di religions which have prevailed Ia
The world have not been merely primitive and unscien-
tir attempts 90 explain the origin Of things, bat
of them IN ITS has been the basis Of the moral fo
of The community especially this true oi Christianity.
which is stucty ehort 70 improve morality to give
4, ,n,crated tyne and divine foundation. not cx-
plsin phenom .ns Whatever they may be-. " - may be-
say. MI smith, that moraty'is now about 10 olsen
gage itself finally FROM religion. aud 10 find new basis
in science the past II mas rested on religious he
lief ana the collapse Of religious BELIEF has Accordingly
been ALWAYS followed 10y sort OF moral interregntln
In fact hc expresses the opinion that collapse Of
il apparently now al hand. 40 one can DOUBT be DE-
c!ares that in the minds those views hEey
20 become the views o. society at large, belief IN
Christianity as reveal ana supernatural zion has
given way. Science and criticism combined have de
stroycd the free Iuqurrs IN the cOsmoSauy Of
Moses he ins praon OF the Bblc and tie
Of many books in tue Oh aud New Icstameuts.
"In fact" SAYS Mr.. Goodwin smith, In almost
any book written by learned man, who
feels himself at liberty to say what he
really tLiuk. you viii nnd The miracles abandoned.
though II my be with evident reluctance, aud with
falterlnc lips Mesmero-miracu sucn introduced
into some popular lives OF Chrsi. l. papabv enough
for the purpose Of breaking the fall" TIE writer de-
Vsops cherries argument AZ consider able leng b.
III it, application 10 the political and social questions Of
the Gay depicting the prospects OF The future IN the
uost lurld cOor- Whether he shares the unbc.c.
he afrius tue order OF the dav declared tao
trc e. but his position may he Inferred not clearly
acnncd as Of hopeless despair. OtLcr paVcIs g..