The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-05

sea on kind Of brilliant guess that hi
could communicate with the fee
there. Behind him the rebels were
invading the North, passing almost
through Tennessee. Sherman die
connect end the affair looks very bril-
liant on our psgee, but no precise
ma hematical minded general woulC
indorse a movement Ike that. OR
tsiniy Won Mot would not"
The question arose about religion l.
the army, AID | was surprised to heal
that quite a series Of our most emf
nent officers had become converts tC
the Catholic Church. One party pres
ent said sit is a singular fact that
nearly all these men who go over to
the Church OF Rome are OF a very
worldly character; soma Of them are
Incorporate; others are gamblers and
never have a cent; others politicians
lorkiug for advantages"
The name OF a very prominent gen.
eral was given TO me as on the verge
OF the Catholic CEuroh, but not going
over because he thought he might yet
be President OF the United States.
Talking over the late war, an officer
remarked: at was one Of ths most
wssteful wars in all history. l knew
one agent who was sent to Europe
near the commencement Of the war
to buy blankets for the soldiers, and
he bought an enormous number at a
very high prlce, and they were all of
such shoddy stuff that you could pick
them to piec9,."
But" said /, suppose we had
kept standing army from the COM
mencement of our history and paid it
all the while, would we not havespsnt
more money in the aggregate?"
Hardly" faid another officer. ga
good siz3d regular army is the only
sure defense oil country, ard but for
the nucleus of our regular army the
host OF volunteers c5ud not have been
got into order at all. The wasteful-
ness OF our war was especially in the
matter OF raj ing privates. The gov
eminent gave $400 for private SOL
der, and the towns, counties, etc.,
added to this sum until the cost
of a private soldier at last
was something like 5000 or
$4,000. Now, for this amount Of
money you could almost keep q regi-
ment in a county like Germany.
Besides, the army became filed with
mercenary material which struggled in
time of battle, and bad but scsnt
sense Of its responsibility. There was
enough good stuff among the soldiery
to amount TO something, but in the
end the result of the war was won by
disciplining, just rs We might have
done at fist. Had we been pos essed
of an army Of 10000 men there would
have been no rebellion at all. 1t WIS
the mere want Of material which
brought about the conflict"
Said l: "What ia the opinion in
the American army OF the German
army2"
why, it is first rate everywhere.
That army is divided into corps an
swering to fixed districts; they have
everything on the spot down to blanks
for issuing telegrsphic orders. In
hours they can mobilize
any one of those corps and throw it
over the French frontier or over any
other frontier in Europe. The highest
degree of competition exists in the
German army; besides, there is
the sentiment of security among
the soldiers. When a man
goes out of the service in Ger
many he has open to him the
whole railroad system OF the country
and many other OCCUPATIONS. He is
also sure Of pension il he has served
his time. The American people may
have 10 come TO that system of PEN
sions yet il they expect to preserve
the military character of their nation.
We enlist men who constantly desert
because they have no point to look to
in tha futuYaD