Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-09-19
{ Communicate for meEnqairer-ond rutl,sh.

IL
ed 6y Request.
March Goth, 1927.
gre with you, that this Brevet Question is
-r WITHOUT interest 10 Militia Oliccr--and will
'V' 80" 'he result OF my investigation OF the Sub
y. Brevet commission il. properly speaking, n
commission 8 III the army i. q. not n commission
"' iniin'ry, Artillery, &c, but commission In
he Tor example, .Aiaior, in the Arn,y;'' of
course there j. au incongruiiy in the term :. Bre
vet General General officer l,ein. so called be.
rsuS- he has tight 10 geneidi command; in
Tact, an Officer of " the ariny' not an officer Of
pa IL ular corps.
How This thing became engraf,ed in our militia
~ system IL is useless TO enquire We mus,
make the best al il can. IL is said and ,rulv
mat our SYSTEM Is founded the Eng lish, but il
is not true that i; is identical with ii-T'here il
no such thing in the English service, as general
oincer holding a Brevet oil a higher gTade--,ys
must argue, therefore, in this from analogy.
The best English authorities define Rank in
the Army TO be - sort OF rank which ,l0y ,y;vn
command on mixed service" equivalent To- our
- service on de,achmeni' II have heard an Oil
English Soldier say, that one Artillery Drulnioer
joined 10 Regiment oil infantry might give army.
rank effect"
Let us endcavour TO apply this-ltis we'll under.
stood, that a Brevet Major, captain of Infantry
Tor example, could claim only his rerin,entsl RAM.
while serving with his corps-The Brevet Ma;or,
General, wou he in precisely the same situation.
Tue whole army being TO the General what tn.
corps was 10 the Brevet Major. viz: the body into
which ne was Commissioned. An older captain would
command the Brewer Major serving with his
corps and, an older Brigaiier must evilenti,
Command the b. Major General, serving with The
army .whirb stands to him III the same relative M
siion The Brevet Mai before, would be com
Inanded by Major, and OF evident necessity rho
Brevet Major General by Major GeneraI-,hers
being IN all these cases want of that which gives
Brevet" or" army Rank effect, viz Mixed
Service"
Buff Won add to the Inf n,ry, party Of Artil-
lery, Cavalry SC. The Brrvet n aior then. should
MS % n niS 'i,i ~ ,he Oldest on the sro.,nd-
would have Claims TO the com,nani--he being in
rae, thongh MOI IN name. General oificer-and
IL ~ 'he regnl AZ troops ynu add body of militia
and posi- 'iy OF Marines III, Brevet Major Gene
raj, being the Senior present would rolSabiv nav.
rgh 10 the command. 1 say probably for 7
conceive II possible that The supren,. military an
toorl'y having ''csigna'ed any individual to the
command oil an army, a doubtful ard queationa-
ple matter rs hrevet rank, might not be a,IoyvrJ
10 supercede positive appointment - If the a;ove
reasoning Is mol correct, then the inferior roi.h,
command the superior, the Brevet Major Genera
Tue MAJOR General--and what is really 100 abs,,r,
'he consutiionai power of the President and Sen
ate to placr chief At tn head of the army is de
stroyed-lf Ibis needed any confederation il n,igh
be found IN the facts, that mos, OF the British
Colonies are cncrals; hu' hat they are consider
=" d. h'Vi'g n" 'lghf 70 a command, and tina; the
commander in chif of the army is not Decessarilv
the Sc Nor officer in IT,
una In the estiin ies made at the last reduc ton
OF the army Which were intended to be exact. aq
Ihey wer' comparisons of the expense of different
system, no pay j. mentioned for Rrevef Nf.;or
Generals, Mr.. Calhoun refused TO sancfio,, The
p"yme'i' OF the Rrigadiers as Major Generals, &C
coreinaiy.
In iact, think what with misunderstanding
us"o'iiden ana hid fined p'ei tensions il would be
OF great advantage 10 the servica IN dstrn,~ al
whole system, exc pit, perhaps, in the lower
grades. IL has been made the foundation of many
abuse and none riliculou IA IA TIA, Brevet
on brevei' OF which il seeals the Senate have all
ienSth become sensible There were such rem
iauonS az you all the gag law II is, indeed
iaughiblc 10 see those who have taken such ,lec-
dcd mrasur. TO put themselves out of the reach
oil public opinion, appealing TO it, rs regular and
necessary tribunal
g THUS ti.e wi,irl,gig OF Time brings about his
revengcs.'' ''