New-York daily tribune., 1861-07-20


qrafclt ons ef candidates for place as field officers
at leas'. A Board thus established should be COM
posed of competent military men, AMI no appil-
cant should receive q commission without passing
through The examination and receiving cert tcate
of qualification. We protest earnestly against
system which allows men Of no military kn0wl-
edge or experience, whatever, to elect them
selves Coionels, simply because they ma! Dc
active and smart enough to recruit q regiment
from tie thousands OF patriotic men who respOnd
10 the call of the President. 1t is time that
some fitness for positions Of command should be
displayed on tho part of those who clam the
honors aud the emouments of rank. ln the haste
of organizing aud forwarding the Volunteer Army
to meet the pressing emergencies OF the OCCASION
it has perhaps been impossible to provide against
the errors to VII Gu we call attention, but that
excuse no longer exists, aud there Is now 10
good reason for permitting mere pletendcrs 10
take responsible posts.
Having taken steps to secure competent oiii-
Gers, it should next be the policy Of Government
to make suitable provision for tho enlistment OF
mea. This is q matter far more serious than
would appear to the superficial observer ahd'
unless the obstacles to which We shall presently
alude, are promptly removed tho Government
Will find that volunteers viii not respond Win
much alacrlty to future Gale. Under the
present system, recruiting is constantly I'M
peded and embarrassed by the Inability OF the
recruiting officers to subsist their men. No pro-
vision is made by Government for quarters, or
subsistence, until the men are mustered into
service; aud thus capable officer may commence
the enlistment OF a regiment, aud bud hIln"li
unable to proceed, because he has not the means
of keeping his recrGits together. In the regular
service, men are enlisted and sent at once into
quarters, TO be sQbsisted and drilled-but the
poor volunteers are expected to look out Tor
themselves until corps IS fully ofGanned'
Before ths eau be done, many OF the recruits
leave in disgust, weary OF delay, and urged by
sharp necessity to seek living, and the Colonel
soon finds that while be is adding TO one eud of
his roll he is losing on the other. The result is,
TINT he strives to hasten mattcrs-tukes rag tag,
and bobtall for recruits aud pushes to completion
bis regiment, without proper regard TO its ma.
ierlal-anXious only to get men enough to b.
mustered into service. But for the aid Of the
Union Defense Committee, aud the LIBERAL sub
scriplious Of our patriotic citizens, theTe would
have been infinitely more trouble on this account;
and ss il is our regimeuts have not been always
composed Of the best material at cOInmand-soley
for tls reason. The GOycrnue ent should provide
against this evil without delay, and there Is not
the slightest difficulty in dong it. The remedy
is in putting our volunteer recruits upon ~ equal
footing with those Of the regular Army.
/. Proyd, that officers shall bo duly exam
ined, as to competency.
.. Give to such officers the privilege Of en-.
Listing men Individually for the yoluatecr ser.
vice, TO be sent into quarters 20 be properly
subs sted, aud paid N the regular service.
3. Let it be- Understood, As one Of the con
dtloDs Of enlistment that tbs men are liable
to be- drafted into other volunteer regiments in
ease Of the failure Of that m which they enrol
10 complete is organization, in order 10 give the
Government the benefit of their services, 10 com.
peusate for the expense OF subsistence, Sc.
H. Make The commissions of the recruiting
ments they attempt to organize
Thefe briefly stated, are the regulations which
should be adopted TO remedy some of the con.
spicuOus de.ccts of the prcscut volunteer system
aud we trust that the Comuitiecs ON Military
AlIuirs IN Congress viii give the subject proper
attention.
There are many competent officers iG the mill
ypnulI lac nj the dt4lnstl nf
Government, if they were encouraged; and there
are thousands of choice men HhO would be glad
to enter the service ii properly provided or; bat
if il il necessary 10 live for an indefinite period
upon charity in order TO become Il solder, wc niay
eyrect to find constant difficulties and rmhDrra's.
ments in recruiting new regiments for the yOun.
teer army.
TO this awkward aud discOuraging mode Of
enrolling volunteers We ascnbe the troubles
already encountered in some Of the New-York
regiments, whether in the shape Of incompetent
officers or nsdbordiuate men. InsuboriinatlOn is
rare whero the officers are capable, foe good dis.
cpne is with them a necessary part If the iu-
slfuctOn Of the soldier, aud a good colonel will
command respect and ObedIencc-nCt only by
strictly enforcing the regulations, but by un.
ceasiug efforts to insure the comfort aud health
of his men. Ii We anoyze the causes of di,con.
tent OF which We hear so much, we shall fnd
in nearly every iustnnre trat the men are sbab-
bly treated either Us tO food or clothing But
neglect ia these mstters is ine&cu,able The
commander Of regiment should insist upou
suitable provisions aud clothing for his men rs
soon as they are mustered into service, and
thefe can be no difficulty in securing these ne