Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-31
A SOLDIERS TRAINING.
Compulsory Military Service as n Factor In
Education Opinions of Great Writers
ON an Important subjecf-Physicai and

Mental Development CLOSELY heiateo'
From an editorial article in THE DISPATCH
of July 26, headed Popular Military Train
ing" learn with much pleasure that "hun-
dred military companies OF Georgia nave pre-
sented memorial TO the Legislature OF that
State, asking for the enactment Of law pro-
viding for one years compulsory military ser.
vice to all the male population of that State.'
Although you observe that compulsory mill
tary service is generally regarded as foreign to
American institutions" you comment most Ju-
diciously and favorably upon the proposition,
and every patriotic, public-spirited ana aole-
bodied man in the country Will promptly agree
with you upon the subject. But the immense
advantage of such military training. not only
as an instrument of national defense, but also
as great national educator, is not yet prop
erly understood in this country. The military
terrorism of some of the European powers Is
the awe-inspiring bugbear that holds the iree-
born American citizen in mortal rear OF any
thing pertaining to compulsory military educa-
tion. However, there is not mucn Danger OF
the severe Russian or German military discip-
line ever being introduced or adopted In TINS
country. As it is, neither the militia, National
Guard nor the volunteers are run on strlctiy
military principles.
At present it is not my desire to point out the
advantages of years compulsory military
service for the purpose of national defense,
but merely to draw attention to the lncaicula-
BILE benefit of such training and discipline upon
the mind and the body Of the young men OF
this country
Huxley strikes the keynote to the ideai OF
manly education when he says:
THAT man, think, has a liberal education
who has been so trained in youth that his body
is the ready servant of his will, and does with
ease and pleasure all the work it is capable Of;
whose intellect is a clear cold logic engine,
with all its parts of equal strength and In
smooth working order, ready, like steam en-
gine, to be turned to any work, and spin the
gossamers as well as forge the anchors OF the
mind; whose mind is stored with knowledge
of the great and fundamental truths OF nature,
and of the laws of her operations; one who no
stunted ascetic, is full of life and hre, but
whose passions are trained to come to heel by
a vigorous will; the servant of a tender con-
science who has learned to love all beauty,
whether of nature or of art, to hate Vlieness,
and to respect others as himself"
Every scientific thinker will readily admit
the importance of what Charles Kingsley re-
marks concerning the people of ancient Greece:
ITO produce health-that is. harmony and SYM
pathy and grace in every faculty OF mind and
body-was their notion of education"
50
On the subiect of manly excellence Plato
says: Everything that is good is fair, and the
fair is not without measure, and the animal
who is fair may be supposed to have measure.
Now we perceive lesser symmetries and COM
prehend them. but about the highest and great
est we have no understanding, for there is no
symmetry greater than that of the soul to the
body This however, we do not perceive, nor
do we allow ourselves to reflect that when
weaker or lesser frame is the vehicle of great
,airlf nr a
soul is encased in large body, then the whole
| animal is not fair, for 1t is defective in the
| most important of all symmetries; but the fair
mind in the fair body will be the fairest and
| Ioveliest of all sights to him who has the see
| ing eye"
| Martin Luther characterizes his countrymen
| as "it and always prepared for joining the
army and for battle. For verify our boys viii
have to defend land and people, and to be war.
riors"
Milton pays a most exact attention and de-
votes much meditation to the subject OF mill
| tary training for the young. He says: 1.-The
| exercise which first commend is the exact
use of their weapon to guard and to strike safely
| with edge or point. This will keep them
healthy, nimble, strong and well in breath; IL
| also the likeliest means to make them grow
| large and tall and to inspire them with gal
| liant and fearless courage, which, being tenn
| pered with seasonable lectures and precepts tc
make them of true fortitude and patience, will
| turn into a native and heroic valor and make
| them hate the cowardice of doing wrong. They
| must also be practiced in all the locks and
grips of wrestling. wherein Englishmen are
| wont to excel, as need may often be In hight &c
| tug, to grapple and to close. And this. per
haps, will be enough wherein to prove and
heat their ngle strength"
In addition he proposes shat, having II
sport, but with much exactness and dali,
muster, served out the rudimen:s of theil
soldiership in all the skill of embattlng. march
ing, encamplng. fortifying. besieging and batter
ing with all the helps of ancient and moderr
| stratagems tactics and warlike maxims the,
| may as it were out Of a long war, come fortl
renowned and perfect commanders in the ser
vice Of their country"
80
In Sweden, during some hundred years, mill
tary training has been introduced in all public
schools as part of the daily curricul IN. Whei
20 years old every Swede must serve as soldie
for a short period, during two years In succes
sion.
In the United States with all their libera
schools, institutions and seats of learning, YER
little attention is devoted to the physlca! de
velopment and the mental discipline of tn
young. With the rare exception of few cracl
regiments. college athletes. clubmen. base
ballers, oarsmen, bicyclists. runners, jumpers
trapeze and parallel bar men, the young mai
of the time receives no physical training what
soever and all these pastimes. fascinating a
they may be for the youth Of the period, d
not replace proper physical education by an.
means.
Such an education. be 1t military or othel
wise, should have only one aim in view. viz, t
develop all the organs of the body harmoniously
Far from dong this, the prevailing pastime
and gymnastics carried on to an excess as gen
orally done, have unexceptionally directl
opposite tendency, and most unsatisfactory
viz, to develop certain organs of the body a
the expense of other parts. We get no hal
mony or symmetry out of it, and whether it
| conducive to health or not is at least question
able One thing is at any rate certain: Tha
athletic training Of long durance and customar
rigor aiming at one feat, performed at tn
highest pitch of physical endeavor, is mos
ruinous to both health and mipd.
80
Proper military training and discipline exc
| else the best and greatest influence upon tn
individual physically and mentally 1t is moe
crate in its demands, resorts not to hot-hous
forcing, but keeps the physical faculties of tn
individual in wholesome balance. The yout
of military training is easily distinguished
|, his manly bearing and graceful stature. Con
! radeship eradicates seltishness and meanne.
! of character The service under the flag of th
. country fans the fire Of patriotism and love {
the Union. Such a military education not onl
develops the personality of the individual, br
also consecrates him TO tine state, to Il
country.
The liberty and the welfare of the Union al
inseparable from that of the individual Scum,
strong courageous, determined and unselfs
| individuals are needed for the preservation
the former and constitute by themselves Il
sole condition for happy. social and politics
development. A. Q. II.