The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-08
A Sharp Military Lesson.

1t is reasonable to expect that one Of
the indirect and unforeseen but valu.
able results of the war will be gen.
eral improvement in the quality of the
National Guard. For it has been be-
coming more and more evident since
the first call for volunteers was issued
that the citizen soldiers on whom great
sums of money have been spent, who
have been regarded with pride and
confidence, and who have been praised
far more than was good for them these
many years, have all the time been q
frail reliance for any sudden and grave
emergency. When the demand for
their enlistment in the service OF the
country arose the gratifying announce
ment was made from various headquar-
tiers all over the country that they were
ready. 1t is remembered that pleas
ant feeling of exultation was produced
throughout the State of New York by
the swift and proud assurance that
fourteen thousand men could be mobil-
lied in few hours in condition to
march away to combat and glory, and
similarly inspiring reports were sent to
the Government from many other
states. The manifestation of loyalty
was splendid and thrilling. In other
respects the response to the Nations
demand was far from satisfactory, as
events have clearly shown.
In reality the revelation of military
shortcoming in the National Guard has
been distressing. When the soldiers
had pretty fully reported for duty it
was discovered that large portion of
them were without uniforms or arms,
and thousands were actually sent to
Southern camps in that condition. 1t
has been combination of opera bouffe
and tragedy, of which there is no &C.
casion to rehearse the details. OF
course, there have been creditable ex-
ceptions to the general rule. Some
of the separate New York companies,
the Pennsylvania organization as
whole and regiments from other States
have approached the standard which
was commonly supposed to prevail.
But we venture to say that not only the
mass of the people, who are not expect
ed to possess an intimate knowledge of
military affairs, especially in time Of
peace, but most of the Guardsmen
themselves have been disagreeably
astonished by this demonstration of in
efficiency.
1t is true that during recent years we
have had in this State not little reason
to fear that the National Guard was
not what it ought to be, either in re-
spect to discipline or equipment, but
such evidence to that effect as came to
the surface was overborne by the smart
appearance of the troops that turned
out on show occasions, when there
were guns and uniforms enough to 60
round and the physical quality of the
men on parade was not open to obser-
walton. Moreover, there have been re-
peated exhibitions of soldierly spirit
under the exactions of serious service,
which have tended to obscure the fact
that the Guard, as an organization, was
not prepared for grim work on large
scale, nor capable of being quickly
brought into condition of thorough
competency. The sharp lesson of de-
ficiencies not even yet supplied might
have been well worth learning If the
course of events had rendered the
general muster for the Nations service
unnecessary. 1t certainly ought not
to be forgotten, and we believe it will
not be for many years to come. This
generation will probably never see an
other Governor Morton dismissing an
other Inspector General McLewee for
telling wholesome truth. The people
as we'll as the military authorities of
this, and we hope of every other State,
will hereafter see to it that military
virtues are as sedulously cultivated as
social qualities throughout the military
establishment, to the end that peace
may be prolonged by constant proofs of
preparedness for war, and that in case
of unavoidable necessity the final re-
sort to arms may be taken with the Sc
curity which country like the United
States is entitled to feel.-New York
Tribune.