The republic., 1851-12-18

In transferring TO our columns the following
article from late number of the National IN
telligencer, we cannot omit the expression of
our regret that there should have been the
slightest hesitation in bestowing the rank of
LIEUTENANT GENERAL upon the distinguished
man who has ecipsed the fame of CoRTEz in
the very sphere of his marvellous exploits, and
who has not only won fadeless laprels by his
illustrious military achievements, but by his
civic virtues has endeared himself TO the hearts
of his countrymen:
ON THE PROPOSED LIEUTENANT GENERALCY.
AT the instance of member of Congress we
give place to the following
In Congress, Juno l5, TITS, it was /" Resolpsd,
That general be appointed TO command all the
continental forces raised, to be raised for the
defence Of American liberty - Journals of Con-
gress, uol. |, page SO.
The 10Th of the same month the President Of
Congress (TIancock) signed the commission OF
Washington, in which he is styled general and
commander in-chief OFF, &c.-Sparks's Life and
Writings Of Washingfon, Dol. 3, p. 4S2.
To show that the old Congress, in which there
were many members who had served in or ,cifh the
British army, knew the difference between army
grades of rank, resolution passed November
Is, 1776, in these words
Ihat the rank of naval officers be to the rank of
officers in the land service follows: Admiral,
general; vice admiral, as lieutenant general;
rear admiral, as a major general; commodore, as a
brigadiu general; captain Of ship Of forty guns
and upwards, as a colonel; captain of a ship of
twenty TO forty guns, as q lieutenant colonel; cap
tain of ship. of ten to twenty guns. as major;
lieutenant in the navy, as q captain. .''*-Jounals
of Congress, Uoi. /, p. $40.
A war beipp annrehendcd with Tho Erancb nj
rectory, Congress, May 2s, 1898, enacted
"SEc. 5. And be IL, &c., That, whenever the Pre-
sident shall &eem it expedient, he is hereby en-
powered to appoint, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate, commander of the army
which may be raised by virtue of this act and who,
being commissioned as lieutenant general, may be
authorized to command the armies of the United
States, and shall be entitled" &c.--Hstzers Nil.
Ldtcs, p. 10. m
That commission Gen. Washington, contrary to
expectation, accepted conditionaiIy. AT the next
session, Congress, learning that he had accepted,
and mortified at what was deemed degradation,
in haste to enact, March 8, l799--
'sSec. g. And be IL, &c. That a commander of
the army Of the United States be appointed and
commissioned by the style Of general of the armies
of The United States, and the present office and
title of lieutenant general shall thereafter be abul
ished."-Hsfseps Military Latos, p. 80.
Thus x-President Washington was restored to
tho rank ne mad Dorne throughout the revolution
airy war, and thus it is that Congress, Novcm-
Der l5, l776, in the foregoing table of relative
rank, and again May 2s, l79S recognised the rank
of lieutenant general. That grade was abolished
in 1899 Gas abovc) TO relieve President Adams
from the necessity, which would otherwise have
existed, of promoting the next in rank (Hamilton)
to the lieutenant gencralcy. The quarrel between
Adams and Hamilton had then commenced.
There is in the militia, both Of Connecticut and
Illinois, the grade Of iisutsnant general The mem
bers ofCongress from those States will ayouch the
truth Of this assertion.
In the annual return of the Connecticut militia
for 1850, there under the head general staff
ellis excellcncy Il. II. Seymour, captain general
His honor &. ii. Pond, Lieutenant general"
Thus we have bad, in our army and in our mill
tia, every grade OF rank, except field marshal.
known TO European armies, and in those armies
captain general is the highest.
This table Of relative rank was exactly copied
from the British regulations for the army and navy;
but the old Congress left out, napplcable TO our
service the first line OF the British table, viz: "Ad
miral Of The Fleet, as a Field Marshal"