Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-08
AitBmon0 Enquirer.
MONDAY MORNING, OCT. 7. 1861.
Political Generals.
BY TYLER, WISE s ALLEGRE.

Political Generals.
Some Of the newspapers Of the Confederacy
seem to appreheud no little danger from the
appointment Of what they term political gen
erals" to the command Of our military forces.
By political Generals, they mean individuals
who have acquired position in civil life with
out having been connected in any way with
the military service.
We presume that no difference Of opinion can
exist as 10 the impolicy and danger Of appoint
ing to the command Of our forces men whose
public regulations rest solely upon their tact
and ability in securing and retaining Office
The appointment of the mere dcmasogue to
the position of commander, should indeed be
deprecated as curse to the Confederacy.-
Thousands of our brave soldiers might, and, in
sill human probability, would be sacrificed
through his Ignorance and incapacity. A sin
gio act of stupidity on the part OF one COM
mandcr Of brigade or regiment might pro-
duce the most calanitous consequences to the
army. The Government, should, therefore, be-
ware of political generals of the class here in
dicated.
But in our eagerress to avoid or 10 get rid
Of the evil ofincompc,ent commanders, recon-
mcndrd or taken from civil life. let us not fall
into the error, the extreme folly, we might
say, OF insisting upon the rejection. OF all
civilians for military appointments Such
course would be nanitcstly improper in
itself, and could not fail to result most
injuriousy TO the service. We have IN the
Confederate States number Of officers from
the army OF the late United States, but hot SUI
ficienl number to fill all the responsible posi-
tons in an army of three ol four hundred
thousand men. We have at the head OF our
grand divisions. severa, of the ableSt and most
accomplished Generals that lately graced the
Federal army. We have also the benefit of u
number Of meri,oriou, BrigadierS, Colenels,
Captains, and LieutenantS, from the same ser.
vice; but considerable portion Of our officers
must. from the necessity Of the case, bo selec-
ted from civil life And even if no such ne
cessity existed, such appointments would
be eminently fit and proper to be made.
We have to rely upon citizen soldiers as our
main stay in this war, and the policy of sending
them out in charge Of chosen leaders from their
own ranks, does not admit of question. I'm
der no other regulations indeed could they be
rendered effective in the service The militia
ry history of this country abundantly attests
their efficiency under the direction of civilians
changed into war officer; by necessity, the
mother Of invention That history shows a
remarkable development of military genius
and talent in men taken from the council to
the field. 1t tells us that SOME of the Must
remarkable victories in all Of our wars, were
achieved under the lead Of civilians. OF if you
choose, political Generals
In our first war Of Independence, but few
military incn by profession. We ~ero COIN
pclled to take most OF them from the civilians
of the Confederacy. That as general thing,
they acted we'll their parts in the field, Sill not
be denied.
In our second war, 'rhe Citizen Generals Of
America" bore u conspicuous part. Jack.
son was nearly fifty years Of age and hat
filed the highest political and Judicial Oil
ces in his State, before he became known
to the world as military man. lie was the
leading politician OF Tennessee previous TO the
war Of 1872 Col Richard NJ. johnson was e
distinguished politician of kentucky, mem
Der Of Congress, previous to the North-We
tern campaign Of 1919, in which he 40 eminent
ly distinguished himself 4 like remark may be
made OF his brother, James johnson, the Com.
nander of tho crack Kentucky Regiment Of
that campaign. rhry ~ere both influential
politicians. We give these merely as examples
Of the many political Generals and Colonies
who figured in our second war. On the other
hand the great disaster OF that war, was brought
upon the United States by Hull, "who was
selected on ac:, unit I + his distinguished revolu
tionary services and high military reputation.
In the Mexican war, We had Il briliant an
ray OF Volunteer Officers, or political Generals
in the phrase Of the day As bright specimens
of these, we might mention the Buffers, Qlit-
man, Price, Doncphan, Shields, joe Lane, and
many others.
In the present Yankee war, brief though it
has been, enough has transplred to render il
certain that number Of civilians or politicians
will vindicaic their claims to the charactcr oi
successful! warriors.
We suggest, therefore. that the in''lscrIinate
,ienunciatlon nf political Generals is unjust,
and calculated to have very nntavorable e.
feet upon The service.