The Portland daily press., 1899-03-24
THE REGULARS.
4 story General sherman Used to Tell.
(Army and Navy Journal.

kAfmy anu NAVY JuufuaL
In considering our regular army, 1t
must always be remcm bered that 1t is an
army Of volunteers Tho only difference
letween it and the m ilitia Is that IL is an
army OF trained volunteers disciplined and
controlled by men who have made life
study Of the art Of war Let us not lose
s. 5ht Of this fact because CT our senti-
mental regard for men who came nearer
to our hearts and homes, who more nearly
represent civilian IDEAS of war.
The prejudice against regular troops is
| largely an inheritance from cor ditions
that no longer prevail; from the days
whcsl he business of fighting was farm ed
CIT ana mercenaries were gathered from
every quarter to fight the battles of arts
tocrati hostility 10 freedom.
Our regular army is "a carefully selected
body Of Amer lean young men whose good
character is certified to and who are as a
rule of excellent habits and honorable
ambitions. If we enlarge the army we
should take care to see that Its standards
are not lowered or its morale lessened by
the introduction of alien elements. Is
the manhood of the American people 30
little 20 be depended upon that they must
tremble with alarm because they entrust
arms and discipline to a body of men
numbering one-tenth of one per cent OF
[ he whole?
Popular hostility to the regular army
has gone so far in the past as to resist the
attempt to found and maintain the single
school we have for military instruction
at West Point We remember hearing
General Sher man tell story which illus
tato the hostility 10 the military acad-
emy in the days Of bis cadetship-the
period from 1887 to 1880. In his class was
cadet from Ohio named Job Lancass ere
j oh was a good natured fellos o. such
immense proportions that no one ventured
TO assault him. and he was accustomed q
settle the quarres of other cadets by hold
ing them apart with his huge hands,
iNrasping the collar Of either Delligerent.
One day Job went home on furlough, and
as he was tao poor TO buy civilian suit
be wore his cadet uniform. While AT
home he attended political meeting
where a local orator was deolaiming
against the extravaganza of the admins
tsGtion at Washington. Among otter
complaints he alleged that they rain
tAiuod ut West Point Useless institution
for educating an aristocratic set of wasp
wasted cadets
Jobs companion took 10 his bulk. with
waist that il would take surciugle to
span, and hurried him TO the platform,
where he lowered head and shoulders
al owe the orator, who was an lnsignitt-
cant tile fellow.
81 eutlemeu," he said. turning to the
c.owd ''let me introduce you To one OF
tho wcsp-waisted cadets from West
Point
Ihe result was a shout of laughter and
applause in the midst of which the orator
denlrted discounted from the stage,
Not all of the graduates of tne Military
\ Cademy are Job Lancaslers in size. but
all Wha know them will coneede that they
AFRO as fine body of eduratea soldiers.
phy sicallY and maDtuliy as are t. be
found anywhere in the world. They ARE
fairly repre- sentative OF the regular army
nnd It's high standards OF duty and honor.
40 San Juan General hamilton Haw-
kins had upou his staff two of the yourg
graduates He sent one of these aides,
Lieutenant Niche, 10 hold the men on
ore OF his TANKS up 10 their work, AMI
the other. Lieutenant Ord was ordered to
the other flank. They never returned, for
in II few moments they had both yielded
their bright young lives TO the demands
OF duty.
Roth young luen would have gone as
! lresiy as they did had they known that
! they wef5 never To return. Both were TIT
I sons Of soldiers of the regular army, anc
| han been taught from their cradle that
/ their lives belonged to their country
whenever it hat need of them. Both wer,
| trained in the cult of the regular army
| which Ter ches men that selfish interest.
N lst have no place where honor and duty
are concerned. They hal been taught
! from their childhood to salute the Stars
aud Stripes whenever they passed them
and to remember that devotion to the
| flag, the symbol of the country, the com
mon mother Of us all must with them
| dominate nil other sentiments.