Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-03-07


TO what amount, the present duties may then be /
reduced or abolished, consistently with the gene
rolpncrcsts OF the whole Union.
The following resolution, submitted yesterday |
by Mr. Chandler, was taken up for consideration;
ReS0fred, That the Office of Maj Gen'i OF the Ar
my OF the U. 5. is unnecessary i'm time oil peace, s.
therefore ought TO be abolished; and that the
Committee on Military Affairs be, and they are
hereby instructed to bring in bill for the purpose
of abolishing said office accordingly.
Mr.. Chandler said he offered the resolution with
the full belief that The Office OF Major General was
unnecessary He had for long time been Of that
opinion. In the year 1921, when the bill fixing
the military peace establishment was under consid
GRAFTON, vote OF log to As was given in the House,
in favor of retaining only one Biigadier General.
But the friends OF Gen. Brown used their influence
for his retention as Major General and succeeded.
He recoliected that it was some time before lie
could be brought 10 concur in the views Of Gen.
Browns friends. He ultimately voted for the a.
mendment, providing for one Major General and
two Brigadier Generals. He had deeply regretted
the vote, and had determined to take the FIRST
casion, when the Office of Major General should he
vacant, toproposc its aboli;ion. That occasion had
now arrived So fir his vote went, it should
so TO abolish the office. Our feelings rather than
our judgment, influenced in retaining the Office
f! Tor Gen. Brown Mr.. G. considered one Brigadier
oeneral as sufficient for our Army. There were
now two Brigadiers in service Certainly, he said,
the senior Btigadicr General perform all the
services, which, in time OF peace, are required
IRON the Major General.
Mr. Harrison, did not, he said, learn the tenor OF
the resolution introduced by the Senator from
Maine till he came to tho House this morning. He
mad supposed that il was in the usual form of a
proposition for inquiry; but he had found il to be an
Imperative direction for the destruction of the Of
tee OF Major General. The usual course in sim
liar cases was to submit resolution for enquiry,
That Tie Senate might have detailed report of all
the circumstances relating 10 the subject. In lis
present shape,t Resolution met with his decided
eisappfooauon 1t was well known that besides the
MAJOR General whose loss we lamenting,
there were three other Major Generals by brcyet
III the resolution looks no farther than 10 refusal
| to I'LL the vacancy occasoned by the death of the
late Major General, the next officer in rank will
oy iorce oil the present regulations take his place
and enolnments. If economy, therefore, be the
object of the resolution, its object will not be OBJ
tained
Mr.. Chandler, explained his object TO be the
abolition OF the rank and eifice of Major General,
| and he would, he said pursue the subject further
SO as to avoid the difficulties which would grow out
OF the regulations referred to by the Senator from
Ohio.
! MIR. Harrison resumed. The whole object
| should be embraced in one BILL The subject can
be better investigated, if taken up entire, than if
considered in detail
MIR. Harrison proceeded TO stew that the
cnange would have no effect relates 10 econo-
my. The military principle is, that where va
cancy takes place, the next in rank must succeed
tot The Oldest Brigadier General takes the va
cancy; the. second Brigadier succeeds TO him; the
oldest Colonel, Major and Lieutenant follow in
| necessary succession to the grade Immediately
ABOVE them You will then, If this resolution be-
| comes law, have officers i'm precisely the same
place and duties as before, and drawing the same
pay.
| The present military establishment Mr.. II. said,
was considered as permanent. He believed that il
was Popuiar-it was necessary an army should
nave commanding general. 1t was the only
way in which unity of design and action could be
ensured. Inc failure of the French army in
SPAIN was attributed, by a judcious historian of
inc late war IN Europe, 20 its want of general in
chieI. 1t was commanded by several distinguish
ed oihcers OF equal grade: but Lord wellington
ON the other hand, had the advantage of being
aDle 10 proceed with unity of purpose In the OPT
mon oil Congress, the misortunes Of the first cam
paigns on the Canada frontier, during the late war
were owing tc the want of a ge eral in chief
hr H. said that the army was organized with
view 70 state OF war. Ii was A skeleton of an
army, which, in time OF need, could be filed up
He did not know that the world was in such state
as TO warrant us in the beliefthat we are perfectly
secure from war
hir; II. was not, he said, now prepared 10 dis
cuss-tti!S subject He hoped that the Senator from,
Maine, would give his resolution the form of an
inquiry For the resolution, in that shape he
"ouid cheeriuiy vote. IL was perfectly right that
every national establishment should yearly pass in
review before US, in order that what was superfu
Gus might be 'retrenched, and what was deficient
might be supplied.
Mr.. Hayne said that the discussion was some
what premature. He thought the proper course
was 10 institute an inquiry before committee
skilled in the subject, who would report their
views OF the matter 10 the Senate. He knew no;
why the Senator from Maine had departed from
thls principle. At the very outset DISTINGUISHED
military gentleman differed wholly as 10 the effect
OF The resolution; and for those who were les,
familiar with military matters enquiry into facts
TGiaiVe TO the subject was still more necessary
lie hoped, therefore, that the Senator from Maine
would consent to the modification of the resolution
suggested by the Senator from Ohio if not he
should move TO modfy it SO as to make it resolu
ton for enquiry
Mr.. Macon was la favor OF iIe resolution. He
Thought that no should, in time of peace hold
rank higher than that Of Brigadier General un-
less mis- skill and efficiency bad been proved E.
very tling wore OUT with the rest All great
eArolts IN war were performed by men in the vi
gor oil HE. The army must at the commencement
OF war, work off, and clear itself from all the stuff
III II winch was unfit for use. when they begin TO
hghtShen the character Of individuals comes ou.
NO man should be made Major General ill he is
proved We can't tell whether man is fit for a
soldier until he is tried, any more than whether he
IS it for an orator.
Mr.. Hayne then submitted motion TO strike out
the lrst part oil the resolution and 10 make the Sc
con1 part motion for enquiry.
MIR. Berrien rose and said, ne hoped fine Scnat tor
rom South Carolina, would Withdraw his motion
ana permit aim to substitute one which he had
prepared for the same object
Mr. Hayne withdrawing his motion,
MIR. Berricn moved an amendment, By striking
out all after the word ReS0lved and inserting the
following:
" That the Committee on Military Affairs be in
structed TO inquire into the cxpediency Of continu
ing or abolising the Office Of Major General of the
Army of the U. States"
Mr. Tazewell said, we were not required to act