The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-07-26
Reduetion 81 the ARMY.

We are extremely sorry to- find Congress taking
measures to remove from the army the entire num-
Der of officers suddenly created for army Such
course of conduct cannot be pursued without the
deepest injustice tosmany gallant men who nave
most gIoriousIy sustained the honor OF the Republic
in many well-contested field
!. The acts of Congress creating new regiments to
serve in and during the Mexican war, contained
certain provisions TO this efec that at the close
ofthe war, the new regiments should be disbanded
and discharged from the service of the country; of
course officers were included in those provisions.
The act of lS47 provided that, to render the regi
ments more efficient, an additional Major should be
appointed to each regiment in the service, both old
and new This was a good move, for it at
once promoted many gallant officer TO the field,
while it gave to the forces that military gen
JUS which eventually conducted them triumphantly
through the most trying and brilliant efforts ever
made by an army, Now comes the operation
of the law that is to dismiss from the service
of the Government these new regiments.
moments reflection will show that the measure
cannot be carried out to the letter, without driving
from the army those very gallant men who held
commissions i'll the regular service under the peace
establishment, and who were promoted to the rank
of Major for the express purpose of rendering our
regiments more effective i'll the foreign and eX-
tremely dangerous service for which they We're
destined. And not only are the Majors appointed
to the new regiments now dropped, but all the adj
ditionaI ones, in every regiment, must now, I'M
der the operation of this law leave the service.
These gentlemen are soldiers by profession, and
entered the army only after the requisite mil
itarv education had been acquired, and by the
ay,tflpI he retained
in the regular service with all the advantages of
promotion under the well established regulations of
the War Department Its true that by their several
promotions to the new regiments they ceased to be
members Of what we shall designate the regular
army, but we are not prepared to admit that Con-
gress would act Justly or even wisely by making no
distinction between these officers and those who
first received their commissions at the moment the
additional forces were temporarily engraited upon
the American army. Every sentiment of justice
and honor forhds that such course should be pur
sued towards these NEIL The wisdom Of Congress
in attaching able and experienced military men to
the hastily gathered forces of the Republic, should
not be suffered to initiate against those whose du-
ties have been so largely conducive to the brilliant
services that have crowned our arms with imper-
ishaba renown In conclusion, We deem 1t the
duty of Congress to provide for the relncorporaton
into the regular service of those officers who We're
| promoted 10 various commands among the new
regiments, with at least the same rank which
they severaly occupied at the commencement Of
! the war.
Although there is some obscurty in our reports
Of the proceedings of Congress on this subject, We
We believe there is prospect of these officers
| being at least temporarily retained.