Mr. SMITH. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman cannot have any controversy with me about the gallantry of WestPointers; I concede all that. I continue, therefore, the line of remark which I was presenting. Now, sir, before the expiration of the 3 months for which those 75,000 men were called out, President Lincoln issued a call for 300,000 men, to be enlisted for 3 years or the war. The vol unteers who res ionded to that call were composed of every escription of men. The officers who commanded those men took the raw material into the field. They drilled those men; they worked with them; they fought with them. When the rebellion was at its strongest stage, when the rebel forces in the field numbered 150 or 200,000 men, well drilled and well equipped. those forces were arrayed on many a well fought field against our noble army of (volunteers, men who had, previous to the war, no military education, but who by thorough drilling and hard work became eflicient soldiers, so that they were, it might almost be said, qualified to fight our battles without a commander. Then it was that our volunteers achieved their great victories, and won their great renown. It was then that a large proportion of the volunteer officers were set aside and WestPointers put in their places. When the war had continued for 3 years and more, our army of volunteers had been so thoroughly schooled by the actual work of war that they were able to take any fort, to do any fighting, t whip any of the rebel armies “on their own book, ” without a commander, for every man was swell trained soldier. All that was necessary for such an army was the mere form of having a commander. There was one rand and glorious thing about GenlGrant, which distinguished him from many of his predecessors. He had a tenacity of purpose which ever prompted him to keep on following the enemy, and to keep on fighting, and to keep on whipping. When a shell exploded upon his front, he did not retire, saying that something had occurred to intimi date him. This untiring persistency of purpose has been one grand cause of GenlGrants success. But, air, the volunteers of this country have saved it. While you can go over the catalogue of WestPointers who have distinguished themselves, the catalogue of volunteers is much longer and larger and will Swell out in history giving to these men a higher, grander, nobler position. Why, this one came from the plow, this one from the desk, this one from the counting office, this one from the lawvors flicet, his one from the medical office. In a little while they proved their efficiency, not only leading regiments and brigades but divisions and corps successfully through the conflict which has but recently ended. Vhy, sir, where is there a West ointer who stands higher as a corps commander than Major General John A. Lo gun? I do not intend tomention a whole lot of men who sit round me in congress. When did he lose a fight? Where is t ie State that has not presented volunteers, from privates to major generals, who have shown their ability in the field? I have believed in a regular army. I have thought it was well to have a strong army. But, sir, I believed it more before the war than since the war. Before the war we did not anticipate war with all its sorest trials. When it did begin, and when a million men arrayed themselves against the Government, we found 2 millions and more of volunteers willing to risk their lives to defend the country.