The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-03-01

wAsHrSoros, Feb. ~, ls!7.
The Lieutenant Generalshipi in Dissuise.
An amendment In the shape Of additional section
the Senate BILL making provision for an additional num-
Der OF general officers and for other purposes carried
the House yesterday by vote of liz to 81 reads hus
And be It further enacted That the Preside nj of the
Uuited Stses be, and he il hereby authorized and en-
powered, at his discretion TO designate and appoint any
M omcer OF ne RANK OF MAJOR general WHISTLER Of
or OF volunteers who may be in the service of tho Uni
ted States, without regard to date Of commission
Chief command OF the military force of the United States
during the continuance of the existing it'll Mexico
Provided, That the officer designated and assigned
shall cease to exercise the duties and powers Of
inchie aforesaid upon the conclusion and ratification
OF treaty Of peace with Mexico"
This 10 plain erms, the Lieutenant GsRsrsliAipia
Disguise What will prevent no Prssdsns from nomina.
ting Mr. Benton to be Major General and then svaing
himself Of this section of the act appointing him to the
chief command Of the army How would this differ,
except in name from the Lieutenant Gsneralship Any
militia colonel what is almost as bad, any civilian
whom the President thinks fit to appoint Major General
and who may receive the sanction of the Senate, al
most any member of that body unquestonably ould
to receive the command Of the army during war; the
duration Of which tell and which it is not
unjust to suppose he may proong by his inexperience
And what is the good TO result from such step, that to
countsrbalance this grea. evil Simply thisthat the
next in command to the constitutional commander in
chiefw agree with him in politics Will not the oppo-
son point to this Major General commanding having
earned his bat by aborsd defence of the President in
his late philippe against Mr. Calhoun and by various
other like services the present session. for last session he
was in the ranks of the opposition.
The proposition, when it came up BEFORE naked and
unsheltered by this bill, voted down by majority
Of thirty in the House. and in the Senate Since
then nothing has occurred that change tho merits
the case General Taylors friends have, to be sure
blundered in publishing letter detailing the plan of
operations and betraying state of feeling part
the General towards the administration that every body
must regret. But Tsylor's does not justify
monstrous impolcy and injustice the part of the
sident Admitting, for sake Of argument that it would
be desirable to have commanding general agreeing in
politics with the President is not desirable to
have experienced General at the head of the army
The question resolves itself into this Is it better to
have in command of the army experienced General,
like Scott Taylor, though differing with the President
the doctrine of free trade internal improvements and
the various other watchwords Of party, than civilian
Colonel Of the peace establishment though pos
sessng unity Of sentiment with the President those
essential questions of domestic policy2 The question
will DO asked, if the commanding General of the
army must be orthodox these questions, should he
not also be orthodox religious quesons1 May not
the President, with equal propriety, nominate de-
mocratic and devout member of soes, because such
member of soles happened to agree with him points
of belief venture to assert that the President
find in any county Of any Western State any number of
orthodox cobblers who unite to their political and rel
gious qualifications the august title Of Colonel Of mill
tia To bo sure, such worthy cobbler is not member
of the Senate and therefore not likely to pass that body
That is ali the difference. GALVlENSfS.