The record-union., 1898-06-03
THE VOLUNTEER AND THE REG
ULAR


aness and efficiency of volunteer and
sensible of this than the militiamen
themselves. 1t is very gratifying to
learn from the Eastern press that the
strongest advocates of permanently en-
aarging the regular forces and main
tanning them at the highest possible
level, are the officers and men of the
volunteer army.
These men are patriotic enough to
subordinate personal pride to their con-
Nictfons Of what is best for their coun-
try. We can now well understand that
If General Merritt did not say what
was attributed to him, that he would
have been justified in declining to go
10 the Philippines with a large body Of
volunteers hastily called together, un-
balanced by a considerable body of
regulars. To do so would have been
cruelty to the volunteers themselves.
For they are conscious that they are
mot thoroughly taught as yet, how to
take care of themselves and preserve
AiiC0 vi iSdIlZdllOLS, dIlQ liIt 1l1Olf luQdl
units thereof at the best
This is no reflection whatever upon
the organized militia and the raw VOL
unteers, because they have not had the
schooling in military arts that the reg
afiar officers and privates have enjoyed.
soldering in truth, is business, and
SO jealous a mistress that it brooks no
rival The thoroughly efficient officer
In an army must be that and that only,
and it is equally true of the highest
type Of the private soldier.
But, happily for Americans, there are
no people on the face of the earth out
of whom good soldiers can be so speed
ily and we'll made. Because there is
behind the man intelligence and the
sense of independence and manliness
that free citizenship gives. The levies
of Spain are drawn from a people more
than 90 per cent of whom can neither
read, nor write. and who have been
raised IN the belief that political equal
ity is a fantasy and dream
Between the peasant lad Of Spain and
the young American volunteer, there
Is as broad a distinction in the matter
of material for the soldier as can well
be imagined. The former is made a
soldier because from childhood he is
taught that he is a part of the mill
tary system; because submission to q
class is bred into him, implicit trust
In his superiors and unquestioning faith
In the divinity of the ruling power, with
the choosing of which he has had moth
Ing to do
The American youth who enlists, or
the contrary. is perfectly conscious thai
his officers appointed to make him ar
efficient soldier. are superior toasShin
only In technical knowledge and ex-
perience of the art of war He submit.
and obeys because it is his privilege
as well as his duty as a sovereign il
his own right. He becomes the efficient
soldier because Of his native pride and
his devotion to the country in which ht
Is just as important and powerful uni
as any other man in It,
He knows that the regular officer:
given to command him are men edu
Gated and trained by the Government
at a cost to which he has contributed
and he Is, consequently, personally in
terested in the manifestation Of the
ability he has right to expect Of them
But the volunteer service is far more
attractive than the regular, and be
cause it Is, the enlistments to raise tbs
regular army to 81, 600 have been slow
The volunteer surrenders his individu
Rlity temporarily for specific purpose
and with perfect understanding tha
he is not to remain a soldier. The reg
nlar surrenders his individuality abso
Iutely for the whole term Of his enlist
ment, with the understanding that ad
yancement for him is unlikely, and tha
he may be called to other duty than th'
specific one in which at present en-
gagged. He knows that by reason O.
the necessities Of discipline, his socia
level is not that of the officers; that h
Is set apart from them, and that ther
IS no stepping over the line.
The regular is the hired warrior, th
volunteer on the other hand, gives
to be understood that the nation is hi
debtor, and that his pay cuts no figur
whatever in the motive for his service
But the regular makes the better sol
der. because he takes upon himself n,
responsibility 1t is given to him sim
ply to obey Discipline, training, obedi
ence are his parts. He is spoke il
the wheel, and he has nothing 10 do
but to fit into the place allotted him
and be a stout and trustworthy spCne
The volunteer, realizing that he is ais
a spoke. feels and gives it to be under
stood that he has to do with the Who'll
wheel and the motive power that turn
It,
He does not lose his social equality
because he, sinks his individuality 10
a specific purpose only. he hold
always in reserve the fact that whe
he lays aside his uniform at the clos
of his term, he is one of the masters Q
the men who have had the molding O
such as he to transform them into goo
fighting material. He has submitte
himself to this molding process becaus