The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-10

Matters have been so managed that q Journal,
which not long since made from seven to ten
thousand dollars by clustering for the Union al
| the time of the Castle Garden Committee,
now finds it expedicnt to shift its ground, and
| joins the free sellers on the Nebraska question.
From the symptoms before us we confidently
predict that the controversy will be more excit-
ing than any Of its predecessors The question
will, for the first time, be proposed plainly in
dependently. and fairly to the free States:
Shall the citizens of new territories enjoy the
same rights on entering the Union as the old
| States enjoyed? We cannot doubt of their
reply.
| GENERAL SCuTT AND THE LIEUTENANT GENE
RALCY-The 1 ADMINISTRATION prints. headed by
the Washington Union, have bitterly opposed
the proposition now before Congress comforting
the rank Of Lieutenant General upon Win
field Scott, alleging that it is z a title of no
blity,' and that it is bad precedent for U.s.
Now, this is the most ridiculous and hypocriti-
cal species OF cant; but as some people may
be deceived by the pretence, we give q few Of
the circumstances connected with the history
Of this subject, in order that our readers may
be Informed upon the whole matter, and its his
tory up to the last mention of it in Congress.
In the first place the comforting this rank
upon Gen. Scott will only be restoring grade
to the army. and therefore no precedent will
be established. The Continental Congress, as
early as November Is, l776, recognized the
grades of general, lieutenant general, and
major general, in the army. The first COM
ms sion of Gen. Washington names him as
general and commander in.chiei'' When D
French war was expected in 1898, Congress
passed resolution authorizing tie President
to commission !" commander Of the army to
be " commissioned as lieutenant general" and
Gen. Washin gton accepted this commission
He had been general" in the previous war;
and in accepting the commission Of lieutenant
general lie virtually accepted the next grade
oe)ow. In consequence six months afterwards
Congress passed another resolution, by which
it was enacted that the commander of the
army Of the United States should be COM
mi.sioned by the title of general
From these historical facts it will be seen that
Congress twice recognized the rank of lieute-
two reasons: First, because it was proper to
restore General Washington to the old rank
which he held in the armies of the revolution
second, because the quarrel between President
Adams and Hamilton having commenced, Con
gress desired to relieve the President from the
necessity promoting Hamilton TO the rank OF
acknowledgement He was next ia rank, and
entitled to the grade if it still existed.
1t is thus made plain that there is nothing
new in the rank Of lieutenant general; and in
military law at the present time, any person
commanding two divisions of the army is enti
tied to the rank of leutenantgene As we
have four divisions in our army there are com
mands Tor two acknowledgements.
We cope now to the matter Of this grade as
pertaining to the present commander-in-chiefo Of
the United States Army
In the Senate Of the United States February
oath, ls49, Mr.. Fitzgerald, (democrat,) of Michi-
gan, introduced u resolution to confer upon Win
field Scott the brevet rank Of Acknowledgment
1t was read twice; and its third reading being
Objected to by one Senator, it went over, as
that Congress dissolved on the ensuing 4th OF
March Mr., Clemens, (democrat,) of Alabama,
introduced the subject in the Senate on the
18th ofJuly, 1850. and resolution wa adopted
nstructing the Committee on Military Affairs
to inquire into the eypedieucy OF comforting by
law. the rank of Acknowledgement upon
General Scott That committee by its chair
man. the present Secretary of War reported a
resolution requesting the President to refer /,
board of army officers the questions Of
whether il was expedient to create any new
grades in the army and If so. what grades, in
addition to the present, should b. created.
This board reported that it was expedent to
create the grade Of lieutenant-g general and to
confer it upon officers who had distinguished
themselves by eminent services. Toe report was
laid on the table; and on the 25ib OF Januars
1851 resolution was reported by Mr. Shields
! (democrat.) OF Illinois, in conformity with the
| r, opmendation of the army board; and on the
| 18th of February of the same year the joint
resolution passed the Senate.
The resolution now went to the House of Rep
| res entatives and took its place in turn on the
| Speakers table. On the "a of March, 1851,
| Mr. Stephens, (whg), of Georgia made m at
| tempt to call itup out OF turo which, according
| to the rules. would require two.tbirds vote.
| The vote resulted yeas ll2, nays u 4 change
| Of some ten votes would have brought about
| the passage of the resolution The colleague
Of Mr.. Stephens, Mr. Toombs, (wnis) made a
similar motion in the evening aud the result
was the same Thus the resolution was over
| slaughed for that session.
| But the friends of the bill IN the Senate were
still active and on the s'h II December Nr
! Clemens brought in joiGt resolution similar