Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-07-16
From the Charleston Mercury.
BLUNDER5 ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION OF THE
ARMY

We publsh below an editorial from the Richmond I'm.
quirer entitled Volunteers" in which is proposed to
rectfy various misconceptions to the passed by
Congress relative 10 volunteers. The commentaries OF
the Richmond Enquirer contain many misconceptions
We will endeayor give views of these acts and al
the time point out the errors Of the Enquirer We
AJAX of reaters patient consideration Of the subject
The Congress which set up the Government OF the
Confederate States Of America did leave without.
the means OF protection and defence On the 2S.h of
February, 1861 it passed law ITO rails. provisional
forces" 81 aud in that law the President Is authorized
TO receive into the service such forces In the ser.
vice Of said States may be rendered. who may vol
unteer by Of their States in such numbers he
mar require, for any time not less than tsslps months
such forces 10 be received Nth their officers by comps
MES battalons or regments-tho President 70 appoint
the field officers. Here, provision made for tpslys
months volunteers.
But not desming this Act sufficient, the Congress
passed another Law authorizing the President 70 call
the militia OF the States for sir months aud 10 accept
toto the service hundred thousand roiuntssrs tr
tpivs months. The Act was passed on the 9th March,
1861 aud Is entitled IAN Act provide for public DE-,
fence and provides that the sad volunteers 90 offer.
Jog their services may DO accepted by the President In
companies squsdrons, bsttaions and regments-ekoss
officers shall be dppoi.tsd in the preserbsd 6y
lac in the several States to which they be,ong.
Still further to provide the means of defending the
Confederate State-, on the same day-on the Oh Of
hsrch-Congress passed 40 "Act for the Establishment
and organization Of the Army Of the Confederate States
of America" BY this Act O regular army of eleven
thousand men raised-al the officers to be appoint
by the President and the soldiers to be enlisted
'ior not less than three nor more than five years.
Such the Acts Of the first Congress Of the Coned
crate States defend TIER independence aud integrity
They gave the Pseient the power Of calling out ali their
militia for sir monfhs-of receiving all the troors then
in the employ OF the several States into the service
of tho Confederate Sates-of accepting the services of
one hundred thousand volunteers for tpev months and
finally, regular army Of eleven thousand men,
OF these immense military resources we cannot dscov
that any one of them vas used by the Executive
0ut of three hundred and eighty officers, which
qured to organize the regular army Of eleven thousand
men, some seventy eighty appointed before Con-
gress feW have been occasionally appoint.
ed since. When the seventy eighty officers were ap
pointed recruiting could have been carried in all the
chief cities Of the North. Yet Of these officers sp
pointed ordered to recruit soldiers for the army
and to this day the other officers Of the army have not
been appointed. OF the one hundred thousand voun-
teers authorized to be raised Of them had been
accepted into the service of the Confederate States
behave, At the second meeting Of Congress. TCfl
AZ the second meeting Of Congress was declared;
and two more Acts we're passed BY Congress TO raise
troops, The first passed the S.h May, 1861, and
is entitled ian Act TO raise additional military force
% during tbs oar" This Act it was understood
(the editor was in Montgomery at the time,) the
Government project TO carry the IL provides,
"rha: in addition to the VOLUNTEER force authorized to be
raised under existing laws the President Is authorized
accept the services OF volunteers to serve during The
ising sdr" The President Is 10 appoint all the FIELD and
stoF cesrs but the company officers to be elected
BY the men composing the company.
Three days after this Act passed ION the lth nsy)
Congress passed another Act entitled IAN Act to make
further provisions for the public defence" IL Is about
tins Act that the greatest mystcaon hes been made.
Il clear that Congress could not have been satisfied With
the terms OF the Act passed only three days before and