Excerpt from Our Military Experience and What It Suggests
Do we know any reasons why the South, as a military power, should have been comparatively more successful than ourselves They have doubtless a great advantage in the fact that they are fighting on the defensive, on their own soil and surrounded by a friendly population, but besides these, there are other very important causes in operation.
Their military organization seems to approach more nearly the character of a regular army than our own. Much has been said about the folly of raising soldiers by draft and con scription, but we believe this has for the most part been but buncombe and bombast. An army of conscripts implies a strong military power in the Government which can not only make the citizen a soldier, but will subject him to such discipline as will make him a good one. For carrying out a thorough military system the South has shown peculiar sagacity in the selection of its leader. He was educated to the profession of arms, served in the field, and for four years filled the office of Secretary of War. As a politician it was not his style to give vent to those clap-trap speeches to the prejudice of the military profession, and a permanent regular organization, which for many years past have been so common in the mouths of demagogues and fourth of July orators.
When Secretary of War he advocated the increase of the pay of the army, the addition of several new regiments, and the concentration of troops in large garrisons for purposes of instruction. He showed his confidence in Military men over mere partizans and spoils seekers by advocating the Military Superintendency of the armories, the Military con trol of the Indians, and consequent abolition of many enor mous partizan abuses in the Indian Department, and in the appointment of an army officer to the supervision of the cap ital extension, and other Public Works, despite the clamors of disappointed party jobbers and would-be contractors.
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