The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1847-02-11
mr. Badgers Speech,
On d, Bill 10 utaIf the Office Of Lieutenant
Central.


In senate q the U. States. Jan,y rs.
Mr.. BsDGER Of Nonh Carolina. rose
and said, that the best return. ne believed,
he could make 70 the Senate fnr It's kind
ness in adjourning yesterday in order 20
give him an opportunity 10 say what he
had 10 say to-day, would be TO proceed
Al once 20 The statement Of lhnse reasons
which seemed 10 him 10 present an insu-
perahle objection 10 the granting Of that
which the rresidsat oi The United States
asked Of them, and which the bill upon
the table proposed 10 grant.
The proposal (ssid Mr.. b. is 10 sp-
pDinl commanding general, who. when
commissioned as lieutenant general. shall
command all the armies Of the U. States.
n this bill, Mr.. President. shall pass into
law. the proposed high Office 10 be cre-
.led by il must be filled either by the pre-
sent general commanding the army. or by
some citizen TO be taken from the walks
al private life. In ths first case, sir, |
think il must be manifest, on a very lillls
retiertion, that the measure must prove
entirely useless. The major general now
commanding the army commands all the
forces about him; his command extends
over the whole district or department
which the President Of the United States
has assigned or may assign 10 him; and
lieutenant general, though his title may
be loftier. can do no more. The Presi-
dent of The United States may assign 10
the present commanding major general Of
| the army the whole, entire. and absolute
control under him Of all the military ope-
ralions Of the war, and he NAV assign,
though he is not bound 10 assign, TO a
lieutenant general, to this officer with the
title Of lieutenant general, the same large
and extensive authority. The President
Of the United Slales may confine The pre-.
/. n,r,;a.,,.. a.sssis., 70 narrow eommau,f,
or to a small body Of troops; so can he
con6ne the same officer elevated 10 the
grade Of lieutenant general; for. by the
express provision Of the constitution, by
the inevitable necessity Of The case, by
whatever title he may be called, major
general or lieutenant general, he il al last
under the absolute control or direction of
The President himself, who is The sole
constitutional ommander-in-chief. By
changing, therefore, the designation of
major general to lieutenant general, yoa
do not enlarge his authority; for the chief
command Of the whole army 10 incident
10 no general, whatever his grade NAV
be. unless when that army is collected To-
gether and acting as one body and, when
SO collected and acting togeiher, the chief
command is incident 10 the senior officer,
whether called lieutenant or major gene
raj. Nor is the capacity Of the officer 10
discharge with effect, 10 carry into sue
cessful results, the duties assigned 10 him.
in. the smallest degree increased by a
change Of title or an elevation to q high.
er grade. The authority must cnme from
the President Of the United States. The
capacity TO carry into execution the ia-
Ties assigned to himmust depend uro the
forces belonging TO his command, upon
the force opposed 10 him, and upon his
personal qaaliicalions-his genius to con-
trive, his skill TO combine, and his energy
to execute whatever enterprise the crisis
Of affairs may require. II seems to me,
then, that nnihing can be founded upan
slighter grounds than the opinion. lf il
prevail at all. that the officer who is now
the senior major general will he in any re-
spect better enabled 10 discharge. with
honor TO himself and advantage to the
country. the duties assigned him, by the
simple operation Of striking out major ge-
neral from his commission. and Inserting
lieutenant general. Bnl. sir. it The off,
Ger who is to I'LL this high place is not 10
be the present commanding general Of The
army, but some junior officer elevated
over his head, ADM, that this measure
then ceases 10 be useless; i, becomes
mischievous 4; it loses its character Of
harmlessness, il is true. but il assumes
one of gross injustice. |. is, then. made
the occasion for offering an open insult 10
gallant officer whose life has been dsvo-
ted TO the service Of his county; whose
blood has been shed on her batlIe-felds;
whose deeds Of arms. during what has
not inapdy been called the second war Of
independence. elected eulogy from Presi-
dent Madison. thanks from Congress, and
enthusiastic admiration from the whole
peoples man whose generous humane
ty, high military qualities, and brilliant
courage have earned for him, not only in
this country, but throughout Europe, an
honorable reputation, and who has con-
t.ibu'ed 10 elevate the American name.
And i, instead Of junior officer from
among that band Of NOBLE spirits who lead
our arms, some one is 10 be taken from
civil life, then, sir, involved in the sans
essst ss,s