Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-03-13
THE NEW MAJoR-GENERALsHIPS.

Our Tcauers anu the puollc are Already informed
that Mr.. BENTON declines the appointment of Ma
jor-Genera The whole project and proceeding
of the Administration on the subject with which
this declining of Major. Generals commission by
the Senator from Missouri is connected, strike US
as strongly illustrating the shifting policy, nhrmty
of purpose, or else the want of any regular plan
with which the Administration is conducting the
most important affairs. No President was ever
half SO full of projects, and no President has seen
such cold reception given to them, in succession,
by his own friends in Congress.
Two months ago we were to have Lieutenant
General, taken from civil life, placed at the head of
the army in Mexico, with diplomatic commission
in the pockets of his regimental small-cothes, to
| fight or treat as he should deem best; and, lest
neither fighting nor treating for peace in the COM
mon way should promise success, three millions of
dollars were to be placed at his disposal, that ne
might try what virtue there might be in coin. Mr..
BENTON, il was understood, to fill these high
Offices and to undertake these most responsible du
ties. He has been soldier, now long Senator,
and his standing with the Presidents party I'M
doubleday pointed him out the man. if there was
to be any man, who should go to the seat of war,
i
appear in Mexico as Mr.. PoLK's alter Ego, not only
as commander-n-chief of the army and navy, but
also the and fountain Of the treatymaklng
power In short, so far the Mexican war was con-
cerned, the country was to be deprived of the emil
nent talents and great experience OF the President
altogether his functions, in this respect, were all
to cease, and beyond the Nueces the Rio Grande,
his image and superscripton about to be seen,
clearly stamped and brilliantly shining, in the per-
son of the distinguished Senator from Missouri.
Alas the great, as well as the little, of this world
are doomed to disappointment
"The lest laid schemes of mice and gang aft agee.
Congress had the hardness of heart to refuse to
create such an Office that of Lieutenant General.
Here balk. But the policy and tactics, the
strategy upon which the Administration SO much
values itself, to shift and turn, to carry on
small higgRng play, even with great subjects.
Against the express sense of Congress, in regard to
this project of creating Roman Consul and send
ing him to the armies, the President should have
proceeded no further. He had made the PROPOSE
ton it had been decisively rejected and in all
dignity, and will say, in all propriety the thing
should there have stopped. But so it did not STOP
Another shift was resorted to. proviso was stuck
on to one Of the bills, in the last moments of the
session, declaring that from officers of the same
general ranl-that is, among the Major Generals
the President might " designate" one to have chief
command; in other words, might place a junior
officer over the heads of his seniors.
, How could Congress be expected to sanction
such an authority this 1t had refused to create
off nc IN ha laI Inv h..
nomination of the President and the confirmation
Of the Senate, in the common way. How prepos
ferrous, them to suppose that it would trust tho
President himself, and by his own authority, tc
create the office of Lieutenant General, in effect
breaking down, at the time, every just idea Of
military rank and subordination This scheme
: failed Of course, as its predecessor had done.
Nevertheless, there is yet not an end
Just before the close of the session. Mr.. BENTON
was nominated and appointed Major General,
simply Major General. TO what end was this
done! We had already four Major Generals.
Mr.. BENTON would be the fifth Was il expected
that he would go to the wars, for the sake of pro-
notion and in the hope of rising in his profession
till he should get to the head. of the army Was
the Senate to hear his voice no more Was he to
put on regimentals that he might learn the art of
war and receive instructions, not only from Gen.
ScoTT and Gen. TAYLOR, but also from officers
more recently appointed, Gen. PATTERSON and
Gen. Butler! Certainly not. The old idea Of
Lieutenan General must have been at the bottom
of this nomination and appointment of Mr.. BENTON
as Major General. Somehow, it was expected he
might be placed at the head, and have the chief d.
rection of things, both military and civil, on the
part of The United States, in Mexico
1t ha, been suggested that by the articles of war
the President may place a junior General at the
head of the army, giving his superiors an election to
serve under him TO retire. If this is practicable
and were TO be done, Generals ScoTT and TAYLOR
would of course withdraw, as might also the two
other Major Generals. That Mr.. BENTON looked
in some way to be at the head Of the army is I'M
doubted but, whatever was intended or hoped, or
projected, by making Mr.. BENTON simply Major
General, it is all blown into thin air by the hon.
orable Senator's conclusion not to take the COM
mission
We know nothing of his reasons ; and it does
not become to conjecture Them We doubt not
he has acted on good grounds,
Did he find that, under such commission, he
could not exercise the functions which he was de-
srous Of dscharging Or did he find that, after all,