The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1847-03-04
MIR. BADGERS SPEECH,

az tht StHdft " me Ihltd NdftSI
On the B,ll to authorize The appointment
Of Lieutenant Genesal to command
the Military iOfces during the War with
Mexico;
Mr.. BADGER said, that the best re
iurn, he believed, he could make 10 The
Senate for It's kindness in adj burning yes.
efday, in order 10 give him an opponuni-
" to say what he had to say to-day, would
he 10 proceed II. once TO the statement Of
those reasons which seemed TO han 10 pre-.
cent an insupetable OBJECTION 10 the grant.
ing OF that which the President of the T..
niied States asked of them, aud which the
bill upon the table proposed to grant.
The proposal (,ald MIR. u. is 10 appoint
a commanding GeacIal, vino, commission.
ed as Lieutenant General, shall command
all the armies Of the United States. Ii Ihis
bill, Mr.. President, shall pass into a law,
the proposed high office 10 be created by il
must be filed either by the present Gener-
al commanding the army, or by some lln!.
or officer OF lhe army, or by some CT z:n
~ " Anhtf itDisl llt1 vans VI t''A'nNN Attt >
Ia the first case, cir, lhluk It must be
mluiiest, on a very h'ie I,ilccuon, that
the measure must prove entirely u.cl,s
The HaJnt general now co ntaan Ing the
army Commands all the forces about him /;
his command extend. over the whole dis
'fict or department. which the President Of
the United States has assigned or may Us.
si.n him aud lieutenant general, though
his title may be luiuer, can do 90 moic. -
The President OF the Cmtrd States may
assign 10 the present commanding mnJpr
general OF the army the whole, entire, aud
absolute conIrol under him all Of the military
operations Vi the var, and he may assign,
ia ugh he Is not bound to assign, 10 Il lieu
lenan, general, Ia thls officer with The Title
OF lieutenant general, The sane large aud
extensive authority. The President Of the
United States may couhue The present So,
mo' major general Of the army to u pafilc'
Ilar district, 10 narrow command, or 10
snsl, body oi troops, 50 can he cuntlne
The same oili3ef elevated to the grade Vi
heuienan, general; iof, by the express pro-
VISION Of The Constitution, by tie nevita
b u Necessity oil the case, by Whatever title
he may be called. msJIf general OF lieu
tenant general, lie Is at ast under the
absolute control % direction OF the
President himself, who Is the sole con.
,lltgloual commander in.chiet ny chang
iug, thei efote, the d,ssnul Oh OF nnJnr
general 10 lrui,nlut general, you d.
ao enlarge his authotit, for the chlel
command OF The whole army, incident to
no general, whatever hts Crude may be,
less wheu that AMY IS collected together
sud acting as one body aud, when 50 col
.ec,ed auI ucliug together the chlel con-.
mand Is Incident 10 the seulO, officer, ~heth
or called Lieutenant or maIit general. Nor
IS the capacity ol the oitl .er 20 discharge
with eft CT, ~ carry .uto successful results
The duties .sl5ucd bin, IA tie smallest de-
gree increased by a change Of title or M
elevation to a higher grade. The au'hor.
" must come ttom the President u the
Uuned States. The capacity 10 carry into
execution the duties ASST utd 10 him must
depend upon the forces belonging 70 his
command, upon the iurce opposed to han,
aud upou hls personal qualifications his
genus to coutuse, his skiIl 10 combne, anu
his energy 10 execute shalevet culcfpTlsc
the crisis oil pti lrs may require, II seems
to me, then, that nothing can he founded
upon shghlef grounds than The OPINION 1t It
prevail al all, that the 1ilcer Who is no"
the senior mslor general viii be IN any re.
specl better enabled to discharge, with boa.
OF TO himself aud advantage TO The country,
the duties assigned hlm by the slnpIe up.
Grafton OF striking out maJpr general from
Ia. commission, and inserting lieutenant
general, Bur, ar, It the officer who Is TO
TIL this high place Is not TO be tie present
commandtn. general Of the army, but some
luuior officer elevated over has head, sd.
mn that tins measure then ceases to be use
lees; II becomes m.chleNous, q looses IT'S
character oil hafmle-suess, II - true, bul
II assumes one ct gross tJu,hce. II -,
,hen, made the occasion for otiern.. an open
insult to d gallant officer ~hose hc has been
devoted 20 the service OF his Country !
whose blood has been shed on her battle
fields whose deeds ot arms during What
has not in1plly been called the SECOND
var Of independence, elected 'uI"sy
from President Mtdl. -, thanks lTom
Congress, and enthusiastic admiration,
from the whole people a mnn, whose
generous humanity, high military quail.
nos ana brilliant courage have earned ior
hin. no, only 10 tins country, but through
ou, Eurupo, an honoFed reputation, aud WHO
has contributed TO elevate tho Amehcan
name. And ii, instead OF JUNIOR tlliter
from among that band OF noble spirits who
lead our arms, some one is 10 be taken ron
civil HE, then SIT, luyolscdln,hc same insult
slh their chlc, We 6ud all those gallant OIL
iiccrs Who fought at PLlo Alto, at Reseca,
at For, Brown, and at Monterey
whose lutrepidlty is the theme OF every
tongue, the PRIDE Of every hsart--oihccrs
who have shown themselves deserving OF
the highest houors, aud who have been,
some OF ,hem al least, elevated by your
Dteyels--otiicers OF whom it's not too much
a.. l., oh Il.