The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-31
shav,. w,nthrops and Higglnsons at

Shaws, Winthrops and H~igginsons AT
the front, ran to aristocracy as much
as any State in the North. but Nelson
A. Miles, who made quite as surpris-
ing progres as any of them. was a
clerk In a country store in Massachu-
sets when ne went out as a lieuten-
ant In 1851.
A striking example Of the way In
which personal ability and character
put men forward in those days Is at
forded by the case OF the late General
Joshua l.. Chamberlain OF Maine.
This distinguished soldier. who Is
credited by the Count OF Paris with
saving the day at Gettysburg by his
counter attack on his " RESPONSE
bility at Little Round Top; who was
twice promoted on the field OF battle
for distinguished bravery and ability,
and whose services are highly praised
In Grants Personal Memoirs" was a
professor Of rhetoric in Bowdoin Col
lege when the war broke out. and
enrolled himself on the first call as a
private.
No doubt the country muddled
along a good deal in getting It's OIL
GERS for the civil war. 1t accom-
plished the feat with good success at
last. But It had four years to do II
in. In a war now with a great for
eign Power the miracle would ave
to be worked a good deal sooner than
that. Some way must be found to get
the best blood OF the nation and the
most commanding ability into line as
quickly as possible as officers of a
great force Of volunteers.
We shall need something besides
drill masters, something that Is about
as near to being an "aristocracy' as
we have In this country. That IS
what they had, at last, in the Union
and Confederate armies.
The United States Government
which would have full authority over
the volunteers In case Of a war now,
Is evidently making an honest effort
to accomplish, In advance Of a pos
sible emergency, what the country
had to accomplish in 1876 as 1t
fought. The War Department is al
ready preparing n list OF all the men
OF the crack militia organizations
who have had the fullest mount OF
experience and who at the same time
are Of good character and possess a
fair education. This elite list Is not
an elite list In any social sense. Young
men who have had a good training in
the private military schools and in
the land grant colleges" under regu-
lar army officers are also listed.
The P~lattsburg camp, with its Sc
lection OF men Of position. character
and demonstrated qualities of some
sort OF leadership. is another step to-
ward providing a list of officers for
a great volunteer army. II is not
probable that the regular army Off
GERS who are In command at this
camp expect to fit the men for COM
missions in six weeks. The expert
ment assumes. however, that the men
at the camp are OF precisely the same
general sort ms the kind of men who.
after the West Pointers, made the
best officers in lS61-65; that they are
OF the sort that the country would
spontaneously bring TO the front II the
United States were at war with a
powerful enemy; and that IT If q good
thing to put them through a period
OF real training under competent OFF,
GERS.
p~lattsburg is at least a great deal
better than the amateur drill clubs
to which ambitious young men re-
sorted in 1861 and 1862. And the mill
tary studies OF those men will not end
with the camp. The most serious
criticism Of the exneriment ia not