, 1861-07-29
PROMOTION NJ SENJnRrrr-

FnVA14AVN H1 SENIORITY.
Military men in the United States have
differed among themselves in regard to the
methods Of promotion best adapted 10 the
se1Elcc-onc pariy contending promotion
''y seniority is the only safe rule, and the
cther, that promotion for merit is the pol
ICY for the Government to adopt particu-
larly IN times Of war when the worth Of
men and officers is tried. Unfortunately.
VIC think, the views Of the former have
teen adopted by the military authorities;
tence, ut this moment, when the need for
activity, energy and unfagging zeal in all
the branches Of the service is pressing. re
We find that the front ranks Of the profes-
sim are filed with men most of whom
lave only the negative qualification Of
having outlivcd their fellows, and attained
by age what they never perhaps could
have compasse5, il merit had been the
test. We need not say that the working
CT the machinery of the army has been
greatly embarrassed by the fact which we
point out The hesitation and proyokinr
tardiScss Of all the movements ut Wash.
ington, are the legitimate results for which
we might have looked; and we greatly
ttar that they will continue to cripple
lie Government, until a change which
shall infusc more young blood into the
service, is ordered by those who arc cempe.
tent TO make it. This change is the more
necessary when we take into consilcra-
lion the energetic and practical character
Of the men by whom we are onposed.
1lic rebel States organized their army dc
ndro. They were not embarrassed by
Lost ot ctticerswho had age and position
without merit or reputation, and whose
Professional Jealousy they we're obliged 10
AGmof andconsult. Where they saw a man
q genius lit to command, they put linn in !
Pace aldc'otLea him with power. Their
ts.ief re1iance, Beauregard, is a solllcr |
no has made his profession the ardent |
s'''cy Of his life. There was no |;
hesitation in putting lin orer the
Aead Of Twjggs, whose acceptable
1reacltry was q sweet morscl 10 The
South. Lieut.. Twjggs had age, rank, skill
aud l'xts'9c;; hut the rebel Congress knew
'hat hc had rot that genius for command
WITCH was indispensable to their success.
:ad liey put Linn in tic rear. lie was
''cSl III rank to Gen. Scott in the Federal
army. Lie is now Colonel, militia Gem
e1al, Or something Of that SOFT, among those
"hcm he has served. They are not un-
m'noiu! OF lis service, nor do they mean
TO bc 1ngratefuf. But they have acted
t'ke shfeWd and earnest men in obedience
70 tle demands of tbeir situation; and the |
results Of their action justify the motives
u hlch prompted It. They cou1dnot hare en-
'lusted chief command to man Of seventy
,ao years OF age, and have askcdfor victory. :
30 OF Jobnston-he was accounted one Of :,
&c atlest sIatcgists in the army before !
nc wicked revolution began. He was q .
Lieut. Colonel, but his value made him (
Commander Of a Division. The neatucss I
with which Ae humbugged Patterson and
an away from him, arriving at Manassas a
ust in Time to resi- his men before nour.
1g them upon Med Dowcll's troops, is suffi- :
:ent evidence that the secession leaders =
Ferc not mistaken in his ability. Lee was a
My OF Jotnston's rank when he became Z
traitor; but he was in the prime Of life a
nd in the full vjgor Of his powers; and t
ON he has tue rank of lrqjor General: il
nd the secession Journals arc loudly *
liant oyez the work that he has done o
I'd age, then, and physical infrmi,y have = =
0 place IN the secession army. Ithas the :,
gor, vitality, and freshness ofyoutll, with fe
&c mature power of manhood. And m =
VIC learn to reform that originally faulty b.
stem hy which the Federal army has IA
zen made at once the aristocratic re{i,pc eb
Well-born stupidity, and the wct-nursc m
men whose infrmities are only exceed
by their years, ne shall have frequent n
use Of regret. The material Of which ~ ~
e body Of the army is composed is equal n n
that which can be gathered anywhere Cd
the world. 1t wants only leaders in ",
cir prime to be able to put down the re.
lnon and restore the country to peace. MI
'e bureaus in the Department must be tic
srched, and inefaciency, though he oo'
" be a thousand years old 10 10
10 wears it, must be made to 90 -.
7t place to the yigor and prompt ~ ~,
'';s younger men; and when there III, m
- I TIC stbf, the reform is complete, Sc,
nay say that the war has begun. Up eel
this time re have been indulging in mn