Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-06-01
English Army Sy,tem.

English Army Syltem.
IRON the Londsn Timeal
Mr. Rich has given notice that he win bring before the
House Of Commons the complicated arrangements now
existing for the civil and military administration Of The
army Mischiefs come single, and, Government
having chosen enlist in defence of the present system
Of military ADMINISTRATION placed the mercy Of
Mr.. Rich, any similar orator who may wish bring
himselfnto nooriey the expense Of the public time
and patience The topic is popular and interesting and
to set uudspu,ed possession of it is nconsderabe
wndfall to gentlemen who not usually abo coucli.
themselves any very largo share Of the attention Of
the House Of Commons. We fairly in for it. howev.
or, and must listen Mr.. Rich. because Ministers have
suffered him to possess himself of topic Of surprising
interest and Importance and by refusing all concession
have opened the door every species Of pressure
importantly.
Applying to the administration Of the those clear
aud business like notions which has shown itself well
able to carry out in the whole feld OF practical enterprise
he nation traces, believes traces want Of unity
Conference in arrangements only too well explained ty
The mul,iarous departments in which arrangements
are made and maured Before the began Lord Grey
deliberately and most satisfactorily demonstrated to
the House of Lords that if military affairs
Quoted Alright would be by kind OF special miracle rot
resulting FROM but In direct csntraveron Of the orgsu-
ration of departments. The Horse Guards the War
office the Ordnance tho Secretary OF State for the Colo
MES and tho Treasury form hierarchy in which there
subordination, but number Of concurrent urisdic
tons virtually independent OF each other Responsibility
is FILTERED among the heads OF many
there perpetual danger that thing should be done
twice done at ALL that the parts which
make up the future whole being prepared in differ
cut departments should be found utterly to t to-
gether. This what theory told Il proved with
a clesrncss which admitted Of no contradiction, that
whatever might be the case in other matters the ad
H..
soutely necessary; that mind aud spirit SHOULD
pervaie the whole OF detail; aud that multitu uous
may the agencies employed each agent, however
subordinate should be the immediate representative Of the
presiding and directing mind IL impossible a.
contend that bile divided command in the field has al
ways considered equivalent to the loss OF III,
c,mpign, divided administration can be free from those
evils which one is forward to recognize divided
action.
But If pass from the region of speculation to that
of practice shall find in the brief period that has
elapsed the began ample confirmation of thar
dstrust oil military departments which theoreti
cal reasoning had suggested Everybody must have Oh
served instances OF regiments aad individuals
in hot haste for immediate foreign service and then
nconcevabie reason. overlooked, and apparent,
forgotten. Every must have observed instances O
Transports taken up at large eIpe Sc, and then
counaoy left idle; of sudden variations Of PLAN and tn
abandonment OF what considered settled; unac.
EQUITABLE haste and equally uuaccountablc hardness AND
all other symptoms which, II ting from single de
parment, would bespeak incompetence but which issu-
ing from dscordsut and iarranged OF aduinis
trative iunctonsres, only relieve the from blame
to fix il thoroughly the system. The recent
transactions GAlpo have brought into the stri
king halforGaniz.d anarchy in military
administration, and the sinGeness and order which per
wade every arrangement OF the Of France Side by
side the results of the systems have been displayed
before the Of our correspondent who bears his
emph attic testimony the unreasonable superiority OF
the French IN all that relates comfort ORDER aud
thod. If we had but Minister of War; he would De
able tell where the fault lice what the de-
partmeDt that requires strengthening and what
that need correcting The misfortune the present case
is that the presence OF great evils without being
able TO I the responsibility where be that
any department has neglected its duty. The fault NAV
arise from imperfect communication and defective CO. OBJ
Grafton but the public interest the less sacrificed
and it poor consolation TO know that this has not hap
pened through any ones aziness carelesncss hut
because through stupid adherence cumbrous prece
dents, adopta system of military administration go
radically defective that it is quite possible alta Is msy
be ruined by its impetfectiOns alone, without especial
blame being incurred by the head OF any department
We are told that whatever be the defects of our ad.
ministratIon, must be content retain them till the
over, for that time of pressure no time for
change. Whatever be the force of this argument Il il
equally clear that time OF is time employing
machinery confsssedly defective and that time of pres
surc however inmicai change, is equally hostile 10
feebenes. Of action and division Of responsibility Be-
sides, what wanted the creation anything new
but merely the consolidation Of what exists already We
10 not want to create Department Of War; but
merely TO place these departments which eIt already un
der single responsible head. The wish of the country
OF which Mr.. Rich has constituted himself the exponent
H. that may nd OF divided authorities not by re
casting our departments but by placing them under some
higher control Till this is done Ministers succeed in
dsposng OF Mr.. Rch but cannot evade the responsibility
OF carrying the exploded system and expo
sing in addition its inevitable difficulties and dan.
gers, 70 other difficulties and dangers creation