Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-04-03

The N<iiisary organizations Of the Coz
feGcrate states.
Much Misrepresentation exists in the public mind,
IN regard to tine military organizations established
By the Congress- for the projection of the Confeder
ate States We observe that even the New Orleans
Detd has fallen into a popular error-that of sup
posing that State troops are, may be- incorporate
60 into the Regular Army of the Confederacy: it
spoke, some days ago; of the Zouave Battalion vf
Louisiana, as having been thus incorporated. As
we proceed we shall show that this is not and can
not be the case.
Hon making some enquiries in the proper quarters
ascertain that flc0 distinct dTies have been pro-
Fided for. BY the acts of the Congress. They have
no connection with each other; She mode of officer
ing them is essentially derent and their terms of
service are dissimilar
The first OF these armies is what Is called the
provisional army It is this to which the Zouave
Battalion and all ether volunteer corns now in the
service OF the Confederate States, belong. 1t was
raised BY the Congress to meet the pressing exgen.
cies upon us; and will be disbanded when the
emergency shall have ceased which called il into
existence. II is composed Of such companies, bat
talions and regiments" as have been, Tor may be)
turned over to the Conederacy by the several States
from their several armies or CORPS of volunteers
with the consent of the troops transferred The
minimum term of service is one year. A rule of
the War Department requires these troops to be re-
ceiyed only from the State Executives they, of
SOut SScureu the ASSEM- VI buc
organizations transferred. These troops retain The
organizations with which they enter the Provisional
Army; companies, battalions and regiments re.
naming such and retaining their officers. But the
President has the right by law to appoint certain
field officers for this Provisional Army "a right
which he has exercised in making Brigadiers there
of of Coils. Bragg and Beaureguard, and appointing
Col. Hardee, Colonel of its first regiment.
Many s'erack" volunteer companies, not only from
the Confederate States. but also from the Border
| To-. - y 4
into this provisional Army =; but the rule is ineci-
DIE, and unless they are offered by some one of the
Governors of the Confederate States, upen a requ-
stion from the War Department they are not Teceiv-
ed. Practically, the provisional Army is about
full the patriotism Of the people was fully up to
the mark of the needs of the country.
Memorandum, that in contemplation CT law Sur
geons and Assistant Surgeons of the Volunteer and
State army troops, turned over to The Conferacy, to
make part of the Provisional Army are not
'oficers;" and they are not therefore retained. The
deficiency is supplied by appointing Temporarily }
acting Assistant SeTgeons, for such troops.
Memorandum, also, that the single slight exception
to the rule that the component organizations of the
provisional Army derived as aforesaid, from the
several States, remain as when mustered into th e
service of the Confederate States-is that ndepend-
ent or isolated, companies will be consolidated into
battaons or regiments. This, of course, is indis-
pensable.
Another point about the provisional Army its
anu AsSlStdUt CurgeOuS are ouly tenlpOfd-
ry appontees, acting such, aolie The service may
require them.
THE REGULAR ARMY of the Confederacy is entirely
distinct from the Provisional" is not get reorgdn-
lied. The officers of only too Regiments have yet
been appointed soon, the officers of four other
Regiments Will be appointed. The organization is
very similar to that of the United States Army.
As soon as appointed, many of the officers of the
regular army will be ordered to the recruiting ser
vice. And it is in This 'Ody only that the regular
/ = =
single non-commissioned officer or private, while
the provisional army has thousands Of men IN the
field.
The regular army will begin to take form and SUBJ
stance probably within six months.
Officers resigned, on account of secession, from
the army of the United States, receive appointments
as Of course in the regular army. Civilians are eli
glble but the former are certainly provided.
Applications, by civilians, for positions as sur
geons and assistant surgeons in the regular army
need now hardly be made with expectation of sue
cess. There Is only limited number of appointments
TO ill., and these, necessarily will be given to re-
signed surgeons and assistants from the army Of the
United States.
The engineer corps is we learn, most inaccessi>
bic to civilians; probably because there aooom>
plished officers (resigned) from the q. S. Army, to
GIL the positions. We doubt-without being able
state positively whether any civilian, whatever his
attaInments will be received into the Engineers.
Positions for civilians, is the most difficult of attain
meut, In the ARTILLERY.
We believe we have corrected above, score OF
more popular errors in regard to our military or
CARNATIONS Those who feel special interest in the
subject will of course, notice the emphasis of the
foregoing. Doing so may save good deal of trou-
BILE, as we feel confident that statements are
curate.-Montgofaey Mail, March 80.
The Patriot seems to think that Mr.. STEPHENS has
settled the question against the authority of Ghis
Government to recognize the Independence of the
Southern Confederacy. Mr.. STEPHENS in his Sayan-
nah speech said that the President and Senate could
not do so but he further said:
That as the admission of States BY Congress under
the Constitution act of Legislation and in the
nature of contract or compact between the States
admitted and the others admitting, why should not
this contract compact be regarded as of like
character with all other civil contracts-liahle to
be rescinded by mutual agreement of both parties
The seeding States have rescinded it their part.
Why cannot the whole question be settled, if the
North desire peace, simply by the Congress- in both
branches, with the concurrence of the President,
giving their consent to the separation and recog-
milton of our independence? This he merely offer
ed as suggestion as of the ways in which it
might be done with much lest violence to eonstrue-
lions to the Constitution than many other of that
government. (Applause.) The difficulty has to be
solved some way or other-this may be regarded as
a fixed fact