ARTICLE IV.-MODERN WARFARE: ITS SCIENCE AND ART.*

Ir is true, lamentably true, that war is not extinct. Its auimating causes are too deeply lodged in nature and in human nature, to be soon eradicated or brought in subjection to higher and holier motives. Our paleontologists, fresh from the grand wars of antique saurians; our entomologists, familiar with the wiles of the spider and the aggressions of the scor pion; our ornithologists, studious of fly-catchers and birds of prey; our herpetologists, learned in the elaborate mechanism of poisonous fangs; our naturalists, curious in the teeth and claws of carnivorous mammals; all will tell us that nature is not, never has been, and never will be a member of the peace society. Why this is so, is one of those hard ethical questions which, when pursued, takes refuge in the regions of cavernous

During the recent meeting, in August, of the American Association for the Advancement of Science at Newport, Rhode Island, the Association was invited to inspect the fortifications in the neighborhood at Fort Adams, which are said to be unsurpassed in magnitude, except in a single instance, by any of our national works of defense. On the occasion of this friendly visit of such a body of scien tific men, it was thought proper that some account should be given of the resour. ces of modern warfare, and the relations between science and the military art. This duty was delegated by Capt. Cullum, now in charge of the fortification, to Capt. E. B. Hunt, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., who read a paper, the substance of which we have now the pleasure of laying before our readers. The views of so intelligent an officer, on a subject which is attracting a large share of the attention of the world, are deserving of attention, and will be received, we doubt not, with interest by the readers of the New Englander.

It may be well in this connection to state that "Fort Adams has been the scene of various researches, highly useful to the science of construction. It was chiefly designed and built by Gen. Totten, the present able chief engineer. He here largely experimented on limes, cements, mortars, concrete, and masonry, and his results have greatly influenced the building practice of the country. He here trained a superior school of masons, from whom the building fraternity has taken up higher ideas of its art. Major Brown, since well known as an honored representative of American engineering in Russia, here made, under Gen. Totten's direction, a set of useful observations on the expansions by heat of various building stones. The views embodied in our national system of defense here found one of their earliest expressions, and we believe that the most influential report on this subject was here elaborated."-ED. NEW ENGLANDER.

gloom, where "the origin of evil" dwells. Man, too, has his flesh-teeth, and his history gives sadly continuous evidence that he has never yet lacked power and will to use them. Enlightened Christianity may wonder and weep over human perversity, but it would seem as if ages must yet pass before its great millennial victory, and man, meantime, will be, as he always has been, a creature of passions, infirm in reason, unconsecrate in heart and life. So history teaches; so wise men must see; and, seeing, will strive by all means to defend him against himself.

The long peace which had preceded the London Exhibition, and the broad spirit of human brotherhood which that event betokened, inspired sanguine hopers to prophecy smooth things. Scarcely were the medals awarded, ere the Eastern question drifted three leading nations into gigantic battle around the bed of that "sick man," whom the world, now horror struck by Syrian massacres of the unarmed and defenseless, would most "willingly let die." The feu d'enfer of Sebastopol was scarce soothed to silence, ere insurgent Sepoys and Cawnpore massacres taught the world new horrors, and a sharp New Year's greeting ushered in that great war drama which culminated in the sublime slaughters of Magenta and Solferino. The afterpiece has now progressed through its Palermo bombardment, truly styled "a horror," and harsh toned Sicilian vespers are perhaps heralding the fresh matins of liberty in Naples and united Italy. The present state of Europe, even to a peace optimist or enthusiast, can offer but little ground of hope, while to the political philosopher, its tokens are full of "storm and stress." Not merely from its diplomatic complications, but from its whole organic condition, obtrudes clear, unwelcome evidence of great wars to come, in which unborn generations will reenact the military ritual. Europe has about four millions of soldiers, full one-half of whom are habitually on duty. The military budgets of the European states appropriate three hundred and fifty millions of dollars for military purposes, to which, if we add the value of time taken from industrial pursuits and other contingents, a total expenditure of about six hundred millions results, besides the great amounts lavished on navies. When we see a hundred and sixty mil

lions of people, including the most enlightened and professedly Christian on earth, bearing this burden, and year by year augmenting it, we must either forego millennial hopes, or must base them on some coming catastrophe to the military polity of Europe, more complete than is written in the history of the past. It is, indeed, a fair question of fact, whether the world's growth in knowledge and Christian profession has thus far really conduced to peace. It seems rather to have solidified and systematized war, restraining it by a code of military ethics, but not effectually checking the chronic tendency of kings to that bad argumentation toward which they are proverbially prone.

Ours is a favored nation, but not so favored that we can wisely assume for it perpetual exemption from war's evils. Our rapid growth and enlarging foreign relations, our restless energy, our national apostleship of free institutions and commercial liberty, together with a constitutional lack of national meekness, are elements prolific in possible causes of future quarrel, and they can only be controlled to peace by great and habitual good sense and good feeling. A British peer has pronounced us the most military nation on earth. In defensive war, or in resisting foreign aggression, this dictum would probably prove a true one, after some months of sharp disaster had schooled us; but we hope and believe it quite untrue that we have any such eminent appetite for war, in itself considered, as that we should seek it without just cause. The nation is not so bad as to love manslaughtering dialectics, and the curse of war-scheming rulers could only befall us abnormally. Certainly honorable, blessed peace should have, and we believe has, no more downright practical advocates than those whose profession makes them familiarly acquainted with the horrors and desolations of war. Yet, we say, because man is as he always has been; because we, like other nations, must judge of the future by the past; because our peers among nations live under arms; because, in short, war is for us too, a possible event-therefore let us be prepared for national defense, when the day of struggle comes; let us guard our vital points, and, forecasting the teachings of bitter experience, let a wise genius of prevention rule our policy. What

ever enhances our security of property and person in war, takes from the hope of spoil and success in attacking us, and thus is an argument for peace. This is the silent speech of all our walls of defense. They advocate reconciliation when European cabinets glow with antagonism, and if their prayer is unanswered, they have another voice of avenging fire. These battlements go forth on no mission of attack; their vocation is to defend homes, and it will be for soldiers fresh from firesides to call their inanimate powers into action.

Here let us speak out a plain word for military education. Nowhere is knowledge more truly power than in the conduct of military affairs. War is a science, using, on a grand scale, all the powers of men and matter. Success is wrought out by the right formation and use of the personnel and materiel of war. The fabrication and service of its munitions demand a high order of special skill. Invention expends its robust strength in bodying forth profound and intricate ideas in processes and mechanisms, such as only experts can use aright. The military tendency of our mechanical age is strongly toward the formation of a system of war-munitions such as only the best manufacturing capacities can fabricate, and the most trained military adepts can use with full effect. Matter, molded into and propelled by instruments of precision, which are in turn under the guidance of that special skill which only grows out of appropriate study and training, is steadily replacing the supremacy of brute muscle in determining the issues of strife. In war, as in peace, mind is the great magician of matter, teaching it the tricks of Protens, and animating it with the fire. of Jove's thunderbolts. Here dullness is defeat, ignorance is imbecility, and lack of special culture is lack of luck and loss of life. The providence of battles has, no doubt, a favoring fondness for heavy battalions; but it has a still livelier liking for warlike wit and nerve. Nor is the worth of military mind confined to the higher or directing grades. Its value is equally genuine in rank and file. The days of pipe clayed, mechanical soldiers are gone by, and we may well rejoice to see, in the excellent system of training at Hythe, proof that even conservative old England has grown wiser of late. The highest mili

tary ideas of the present foster strongly the manliness of the soldier, and train him to be an effective, self-reliant person. Rifle practice rests wholly on trained personal skill, and certainly nothing exacts more perceptive power, more controlled and inspirited energy than the chasseur, bayonet and zouave drills and tactics, which are to be the formative systems for troops hereafter. All rests on individual life and personal capacity. Let us have no more mechanical, wooden-headed soldiers, fit food for powder, but let the mentality, the manhood of rank and file be roused and trained, so that if soldiers are to continue machines, they shall at least be rational, conscious instruments of precision. Such is the clear demand of the time, and let us trust that rifle, chasseur, bayonet and zouave training will answer this requirement.

Our own military strength must largely rest on military education. The facile, docile, energized, but persistent American mind, when informed with real military science, need fear no foreign competition, whether in directive power or in executive skill. If left untrained, its individualism will breed an anarchy more fatal, because more energetic, than the chaos born of obtuseness. Our military greatness ought never to be based on large military establishments; it should rest exclusively on military education and on material preparation. Our safety is in timely provision for speedily transforming masses of live minded citizens into effective defenders of their homes, furnished with the best arms and munitions, and the best defensive covers for their use. This quick transformation can only be wrought by an extensive provision for military education, which, unhappily, does not yet exist. The very men who are to use the armaments of our sea-coast defenses, are, in the main, wholly uninstructed in all that special knowledge and practice which alone can enable them to give effect either to their own powers or to this grand but inert artillery. The Military Academy is the educational school for the army, and it is barely equal to this function. Our army is mainly consigned to custodial duties, in small detachments on our Indian frontiers, where all its strength is expended in a disheartening struggle to hold fast civilization amid barbarous surroundings.