The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-01
orr 10 WAR;

Fsrewei.-one of the saddest words in
cur language because II IL 80 ccmrreeen-
siye. covering both in action and expires
sivensss an the blessed conditions OF fne
heart-has been said. and the first o.
washington's offerings 10 the God of War.
precious treasures OF many households.
have gone forth with prayers and hsne-
drc,ions clustering On the flags they car
ried, to do battle In q righteous and heay-
eniy-blest cause
Wherever they may go the young men
who have given up home. loved ones and
much of pleasant life 10 osfer themselves
UP, II need be. upon the altar OF liberty.
will be watched with eager eyes, for they
have touched q responsive chord in every
heart that vibrates in unison with the mu-
sic OF this great land wlen touched by the
fingers of patriotism.
There is nothing new In this exhibition
OF devotion 20 the flag whose colors are
OF the sky: nor in the patriotic grief that
SELLS up from the fountains of love, nor
the patriotic God bless your and the
mighty enthusiasm that has marked the
march from the Armory to the depot and
reached IT'S greatest climax as the IRON
horse Of peace plunged from our midst in
to the distance in the direction OF war.
1t was so in ZIG. In 1872. in the Mexican
war and in the war OF 1s6l-5. The young
men who have gone and the loved ones
who have been left behind them. as wards
OF the city and state. have simply repeated
history and given an additional iilus,ra-
ton OF the love of country and the sacri-
fees II is prepared to make.
OF the men now. rushing from ali quar-
tiers Of the .nation to maintain the majesty
Of freedom. certainly not one-third were
alive the day Fort Sumter fell and the
nrst call for succor was sounded by Presi-
dent Lincoln, and most of them first saw
the light of day after Appomateox. To
them the story of the daring OF the boys
IN blue and the boys in gray has had all
the attributes Of romance mingled with
fiction.
The volunteers of 1898 in one sense. and
very important one. are superior as a
mass to those who stepped in the breach
at the beginning OF the war in 1851, that
Is, the volunteers now en- route TO the
front are better armed. and infinitely bet
ter drilled and disciplined and are gener-
ally speaking, fine marksmen. Very few
regiments that fought at Bull Run, or In
the first battles in the west, could COM
pare favorably with the First regiment
now preparing fer the front. or with a
thousand other regiments in process OF
formation in other states. This is not
because the men are any better today
than they were thrty-eight years ago. but
because our present volunteer service has
dental to active service and become thor
oughly disciplined and considerably hard
ened TO service They have been, through
careful drilling, prepared for the very
contingency that confronts the nation.
This applies with equal forces to all
branches of the service. and the result
of this intelligent application to the duties
Of the soldier will be noted just so soon as
the clash comes. The volunteer of today
is not very much removed from the regu-
lar. and after little more seasoning in
camp, on the march and on the battle field
it will be difficult 70 distinguish any Diff
ference.
The young men who with flying colors
passed-out of Seattle's doors on their. mis-.
sion of patriotic endeavor were not unlike
in age and appearance to those who
marched toward the South at the begin
ming OF hostiiities in 1861. Slender strip
lings many of them were, nearly all Of
them beardless and some pale-faced. The
idea of this class ever becoming soldiers
of note was secuted at by the learned
fools who fought all their battles on pa
per. But these were among the striplings
that carried the old flag in honor to glory.
This peculiar heirloom. bequeathed to
them by revolutionary sires, often bit the
dust when struck by shot and shell, but
stripping hands quickly raised 1t aloft
again and bore 1t forth In triumph. The
striplingc of 1888 are not unlike those of
1875 as will be shown should opportun-
ity present.
The militia, previous to the war of the
rebellion, were organized. partially drilled
and very poorly disciplined. There may
have been exceptions TO the rule, but they
were few and far between" There was
some pretense of learning tactics and the
manual. especially to attain enough eff
cheney TO make a respectable appearance
at dress parade-but that was all. The
str;plings OF 1861 learned their lessons In
regmental tactics in active service at the
front. but those now stepping forth have
only TO learn the rougher usages OF. war
and with the first baptism OF fire Will be
sufficient to that end. w. 5. II.