The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-10-06

Gem
correspondent OF the Enquirer" at Philadelphia,
,rbo charges Gen Cass with having recommended the
,or,,ioo of corporal punishment in the army improve
h. amorale" the same time that he recommended the
holjton of The whskey ralion and the substitution OF
gar and coffee, writes so WIDE OF the mark, that may
hs doing some service to such an ''od SOLDIER as ne
sssses TO be- 10 him right The act OF Congress to
bb he refers OF ID March, 1888 does nothing whaev-
.r bn repeal so much of the act OF 10th May lsl2-
,melv The nth seconas respects enlisted soldiers who
are eseyers and have been convicted OF that offence by
,ourt martial On these only can stripes be inflicted;
and the sold soldier has fallen under that particular
category il is no wonder that he should remember II
Rut what had Gen. Cass 10 do with this act Let us
see For several years preceding 1893, desertion from
,hs army says General Jones in his able annual re.
mort for 1884, See Presidents message, 9th December,
1911 had become frequent, as to destroy in
measure its efficacy if it did not threaten to disband it.
In 1928 there Cos deseers, exclusive OF conriets
in 1924 sil in 1922 SOB; in 1926. 636 in 1897, SIS
IN 1925 $40; in 1929, l5 in 1890, 1851 He reports
the cash loss 10 the treasury from deserers in the two
last named years at 100000 per dnnum and the whole
loss in the eight years at fraction under 100000 A
report of General Eaton, Secretary of War, of the nth
February $780, brought up the subject for consideration
General Cass his report of the 21st November 1881
presented the foregoing statements of the Aduant Gene
rail- and discussed the remedy II was suggested TO al
low additional pay of 81 per month 10 the non commits.
stoned officers better suggestion which
was incorporated in the second section OF the act referred
TO- The same 1,t abolished premiums to recruiting Off
cers thus taking away the temptation recruit bad per-
sons and fobidng the eenlistment of previously
convicted Of crimr.a Offences Congress exercised its
Judgment after teo years federation and consultation
with the general and staff officers OF the army all of
whom concuned in the belief that deserton should be
visited by corporal punishment is let us reassert to
that offence alone that it is confined. To raise the
morale" of the army, it was thought by Congress
that the punishment of deserion" was as important as
the exclusion of ardent spirits. The experiment has
proved emnently successful The tone of the rank and
file has been elevated and there is of hoggng
heard Of once year, for there are, in fact deser
tons
For the Inquirer.
general CAsss REG ARD FOR THE Moral ELEVATION
AND WELFARE ARMY The Washington Union,
under the above caption, attempts show that Mr..
Cass, whilst at the head of the War Department,
the peculiar friend of the soldier; through his agency
the whskey ration taken away, and sugar and coffee
subsnted Sunday inspections dispensed WITH Now,
Mr. Editor, old SOLDIER and in the army whilst
Mr. Cass was Secretary OF War, and remember well when
these wholesome changes took place; but soldiers did
then feel under any cations the Secretary Of War
for these reforms we'll knowing that most of them
brought about by the action Of Congress Bat there
another alteration in the cplne of the army, willis, Mr.
Cass Secretary of War, that also introduced,
suppose for the moral epaOn Of the army and which has
been entirely overlooked by MIR. Rfchie aude the in
fiction OF ashes This brutal punishment had been for
long time abolished, but revived March 1885, (Mr
Cass being that time the head of the War Depart
nen and is the disgrace Of country, frequent
y practsed in army. Seldom general martial
convenes but unfortunate cuprt is made his
back to the lash.
reed the Union daily, and loss conjecture
what caused Father Richie pen the article which
have referred. He has just remembered that there
great many good citizens, who have
another served in the regular army, but has forgotten
that he and his satellites mean the ocol,co press Of the
country, for have the epiiet in mtny) have been
denouncing this very class of "mecenay soldiers
who fight pay, and his heroic
candidate, who voted brave leader Gene raj
Zachary Taylor For one, thus be gulled and
although "mercenary soldier, who fought for his country
for pay will be competent, the day oil election,
aze the OF partisan oifcehoder who fights for
his party for pay. BALL CARTRIDGE.