The daily union., 1852-08-03
Fitness and Unftness.-The /" Citizen Lieuten-
ant Generalo and the General for President

For Union.
Fitness and UnRtness.-The {" Citizen Lleuten-
ant Generar' and the General for President.
In General Scotrs budget OF complaints against the
administration OF Mr. Polk and the War Department un-
der Secretary Marcy he very justly lays especial stress
the humiliation OF the army at the attempt TO super
sede him by "cs-en lieutenant general" This was his
designation of the civilian proposed for that office
Here is a lesson whose teachings demand serious and
sober study. Gen Scott then justly "fred with ndig.
nation at the very idea OF "citiZen generalw What
could "citzen" know tsuch his reasonng) of the
many and complicated duties of commanding gen.
eral in the field '-of the strategy OF army before
the enemy i-of the plans and combinations on the bat
tie field of the science of attack and defence ,-of
the lines of eireumvalla,ion and counervaaiion, and
the PRODUCTION OF forfesses '-oi the generalties OF
the various administrative departments Of self. sus
tanning army 10 a ioreign counlrylof the policies and
systems OF military and martial law, and their neces
sty 10 the safety OF The campaign and the honor
of the profession : Yet the very nature and fines, Of
things made this varied knowledge necessity in the
commanding general. Ia this instance however, If our
memory rightly, the proposed "czen general
was not wholly unknown TO military habits 10 the de-
tails OF the camp, the eabopled military knowl-
edge OF the entire "corps darmt" The history Of the
war of 1919 makes this "ci,izen lieutenant general
(Col. 4. H. Ben,on) colonel OF one OF the infantry
reg iments and that regiment rendered distinguished
service under ha, colonel who was reckoned by Gen.
Jackso among the most reliable officers at the head Of
rag ments The acknow lodged eminent resources OF this
man. bis familiarity with army organization, laws reg
ulatons and sYsiems of discipline, unexsmpled in
any other in county, Many years chairman Of
the Committee on Military Affairs ip The Senate. he was
expert in all the Offices Of every department OF The army,
even to exactness n details His military reading and
his knowledge OF the military history of military men
anI the great battles Of all ages, had made his mind
garner house Of military kno~edge And yet we agree
with General Scott that the appointment OF this cilizen
lieutenant general" over him would have beea open 70
The plain, common objection that General Scott
and many ohsr army officers wers blur generals,
and had The eonfdenp of the army. The army ~as
iAeir plIee, and fighting hsr trdds. Now. mark the
contrast and the greater folly Of placing at The
head oi the civil affairs Of this country general for
Pre-idepl--a man who has never yet filled the civil
Office of justice OF the peace, snd whose civil expert
and civil qualifications are alike measured ky thai
unmeanina difersni.sl OF The minimum mathematics
symbol o. Contrast the responsibility Of the two Offices
A citizen general might have bundered INTO battle q,
The Of fev more valuable lives and prolracied
with mbece power, that al most would have been
snded by another levy of men and additional drain
upon the naiiona excheque. ple,horlc with fullness
general President" by single blunder may involve
in war enveloping nations in its names and desoaing
the world with i,s fury His dealings are not with
single nation by domestic faction and sundered by
domestic revolutions, but with the powers Of the earth
with nations whose armies number millions, and whose
navle- the His diplomacy will not be judged
by correspondence with home ambassadors who will
brook his courHg styling Of potsf ssrk cfhs Ss1k De-
pnrtnss" bp with penipoentaries whose soveyeigns
are graspinz the seents OF tire world
Bot our object in these remark. ia TO show that in all
things there is ffnss and ppffnts. General Scotrs
"hre OF Indignation" inlamed by the unfiatsi of
citizen general natural The occasion is one that
in oar mind may properly infame The county with
similar sentiment. "Every man to his irade' s an old
a.ase that has los, i,s pertnence with the o
lime Let the shoemaker stick TO bis last, the smith
TO his bellows the artisan his shop. the farmer 10 his
plough the merchant his counting bopse, the sailor
10 his ship and the general to the camp and The future
with US may no, dsappopi the hopes The past has cea
ted
There il involved however, in the present crisis
principle eminently vital in iispoltica importance:
he ec~ftsf Of fnss vitt irb'ity The substantial
and good of both parties TO be Trembling with
well grounded alarm The times degenerate indeed
when partisan bargsinogs control the presidential con-
lest and mere shambng offers Of availability and bids
upon patronage and executive favor prepondeatc in ma
tona conventions In The midst OF these dvings al trade
il is wholesome reflect that have yet le. OF the
ANCIENT honorei school, honest and national, who
require some showing OF fitness for the exalted office OF