The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-26

return 10 cast MIN on. lie was enuTely oppoSeu "
the amendment in the first place, because Il would
not be obligatory; and, secondly because II so, II
would be exceedingly unjust IN It's oPerauoh'
Mr.. MOREHEAD concuued IN much OF what
had fallen from the senator from Ne" YORK Al
luding to the put by him with respect to Gen
eral Taylor he (Mr. M took occasion TO pro-
nounce a high eulogium on that officer. There
would be great injustice IN placing over him brig
adler general by brevel-an officer taken from the
ranks of private life. He mir. M was unwilling
TO give the discretionary power Of appointment 70
any one. He would not give it even to his own
political friends. lie did not believe that the Exec
utiye would IN these appointments act from partisan
motives. In civil life 1t was well understood the
partsans of those In power got the loayes and fishes
whilst every man was permitted TO spill his blood
for his country. But he was not disposed to
give to any executive the power of "oyerslaughngn
a man like sold Rough and Ready" as they called
the heroic and sklful leader Of the army the Rio
Grande. Il had been said that none but regular
officers-West Point ofhces-had been engaged
in the late battles. He did not know whether
Captain May was from West Point. A SEN
ator. she was not,"l Well, he was a pref
y good specimenof an officer, wherever he came
from. He (Mr M was, however, OPP
posed TO the whole movement Of giving to the Ex-
ecutiye discretionary power of appointment from
the ranks of private life. He protested against IT,
He hoped before any bill passed. that the President
would be required to give preference IN his seec,
lion Of officers 10 those already in he service, AND
that they would he secured against being suspended
by nor honnes brought into the service, and set over
those having superior claims on the legislative de-
partment Of the government. He, therefore, did not
/ agree 10 the amendment Of the senator from Mis-
4 SCUM Mr.. ATcHIsos, and he hoped that II would
! be so modified TO meet his Mr.. M 81 views, or
If not, that the first section be stricken out al
| together.
| Mr.. PEARCE was not at all convinced that a
necessity existed for the increase In the number Of
general officers They had at preset eight briga'
der generals. In 1912, when the army was aug
nented to g. 900 men, they had but twenty-four
general officers, Of whom FIVE or six were incapaci-
lated by age from service in the field He had no
| expectation that a necessity would arise for so
many eight general officers, unless the APP
| pTehenslon Of the senator from South Caro-
| lima IMr. CALHoUR,l would be realized and
seven armies would be called into the field. The
senator from New York had referred to the practice
in the British army. Its organization entirely
different from that Of the United States army. In the
British army they had hed.msrshals and ma gen.
erals, the latter performing the duties Of brigadier
| generals Any rule founded the British prac-
uce therefore, would not properly apply to the UNI
| ted States service.
Mr.. DIX explained that he had not referred to the
| British army specifically at ALL He had alluded to
the practice in European armies generally.
| Mr.. MILLER proposed to amend the section by
striking out all after the word provided" and in
sertng these words: that snid appointments shall
be made from the officers Of the army" His object
to bring directly before the Senate and the
try, the question whether the officers TO be
ken from the army from the citizens at large He
regarded this question as one Of paramount impor-
lance in the present condition Of their affairs Ii
| seemed to him of the most important questions
| who were the men TO take command of the volun-
| teers They had an army and corps Of well-train-
ed oficers-and, in proportion to their numbers,
good any in the world. IL there any thing in
/
army. They had already furnished evidence of their
skill and ability. He referred to the gallant achieve
ments Of the army the Rio Grande in proof OF
this. In these recent battles they beheld the triumph
of military skill, and science, and experience,
over overwhelming numbers destitute Of skill
1t had been well said by the senator from Ken.
lucky, tMr. MoREHEAp,l that the officers had
exhibited skill rot to be surpassed IL to these
educated officers that the victory was mainly owing
The question then whether the officers of the
volunteers were TO be chosen from the army or
from the ranks of private life. The subordinate
officers Of the army on the Rio Grande, would make
much better brgadier generals than any to be found
in private life. He was not willing to make expert.
ments involving the honor Of the country and the
safety of the army. A war of invasion had COM
menced. 1t was absolutely necessary to have ex-
perienced commanders. The question was indeed
very simple one. They had had over thirty years
Of peace-a kind Of nglorious service, apparently.
But many Of the officers had been exposed to great
hardships and pIlvations on the fronter-preparng
themselves for more active service. Was it gene
rous, was il Just, now that an opportunity offered
Of reapng laures and distinction, to deprive these
officers, who had spent life in the service Of their
country, of the advantages Of that opportunity He
spoke, in conclusion, of the extreme danger OF
transferring the standard Of the counry-a stand
ard never stained but by the blood OF its enemies
to the hands of new and inexperienced officers.
Mr.. ALLEN next addressed the Senate. He re-
ferred to the fact that the bill had been reported by
gentlemen well qualified to form correct judgment,
of the proprety Of its various provisions. The OBJ
ec not TO force increase of the general Off
GERS. Unauthorized the appointments by the Execu-
tive, and 1t was reasonable TO be supposed that he
would make them the exigencies of the public
service required. He should therefore vote forNhe
increase recommended He thought the amendments
proposed by the senator's from Missouri and New
Jersey Objectionable. That proposed by the senator
from Missouri appeared to him TO be totally unne-
cessary, as the reduction of the army, both as re-
garded officers and men, to the peace establishment
standard, unavoidable consequence. He
Mr. A would not reduce the army in advance,
by ndiscriminate rule applied to all officers before
they had an opportunity Of discovering their talents,
and enabling the country to decide whether they
men to be retained in the service or not. He
thought it would be better to let the result of the
war itself determine the proper legislation in the
With regard to the amendment of the senator
from New Jersey, 1t was liable to constitutional
opJeCuoh. ltS pThclpe was tTe same as tnat voted
down the other day.
Mr.. MILLER considered his amendment as in.
voving quite different principle from that of the
appointment OF officers to new regiments, to which
| the senator from Ohio, he supposed, had alluded.
Mr. ALLEN thought the same principle was in
volved in both; and in his opinion the constitution
| al objection was too serious to be overlooked. But
there was higher objection-it was this that the
principle of excluding the whole body of the Amer
lean people in the organization Of the army, dena-
tionaized the army and paralyzed the confidence of
| the nation in its own forces When the ranks
| were opened wide the ranks of the people,
| the army was national. 1t excited the hopes, il
| commanded the confidence, it stimulated the amb-
ton Of all classes-al hearts-a the great spirits
| that were quietly slowed away in the hills and val
| leys of this vast country, and who would show
| themselves in time Of war. He would say nothing
in disparagement Of West Point its cadets. But
it would appear that some thought that West
Point education was indispensable in order to form
a general All he had to say was, that the first
| military man this country ever produced-he to
| whom the most renowned general in Eurone nre