But in reality, were not these men to whom we have alluded eminent in their several professions in spite of, rather than by means of their want of a professional education?  And have not such men, feeling the disadvantages under which they were forced to labor, been almost without exception the advocates of education in others?

But is it true that most of the generals of distinction in the more recent wars were men destitute of military education,—­men who rose from the ranks to the pinnacle of military glory, through the combined influence of ignorance of military science and contempt for military instruction?  Let us glance at the lives of the most distinguished of the generals of the French Revolution, for these are the men to whom reference is continually made to prove that the Military Academy is an unnecessary and useless institution, the best generals being invariably found in the ranks of an army, and not in the ranks of military schools.  Facts may serve to convince, where reasoning is of no avail.

Napoleon himself was a pupil of the military schools of Brienne and Paris, and had all the advantages of the best military and scientific instruction given in France.

Dessaix was a pupil of the military school of Effiat, with all the advantages which wealth and nobility could procure.  Davoust was a pupil of the military school of Auxerre, and a fellow-pupil with Napoleon in the military school of Paris.  Kleber was educated at the military school of Bavaria.  Eugene Beauharnais was a pupil of St. Germain-en-Loye, and had for his military instructor the great captain of the age.  His whole life was devoted to the military art.  Berthier and Marmont were both sons of officers, and, being early intended for the army, they received military educations.  Lecourbe had also the advantages of a military education before entering the army.  Pichegru and Duroc were pupils of the military school of Brienne.  Drouet was a pupil of the artillery school.  Foy was first educated in the college of Soissons, and afterwards in the military schools of La Fere and Chalons.  Carnot, called the “Organizer of French victory,” received a good early education, and was also a pupil of the engineer school of Mezieres.

Several of the distinguished French generals at first received good scientific and literary educations in the colleges of France, and then acquired their military instruction in the subordinate grades of the army; and by this means, before their promotion to responsible offices, acquired a thorough practical instruction, founded on a basis of a thorough preliminary education.  Such was Suchet, a pupil of the college of Lisle-Barbe; Lannes, a pupil of the college of Lectoure; and Mortier, who was most carefully educated at Cambrai; Lefebvre and Murat were both educated for the church, though the latter profited but little by his instruction; Moreau and Joubert were educated for the bar; Massena