Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1863-12-26
Was Washington ever Lieatena"
General!

This question, since It was broachcd by
CORRESPONDENT Of the Ledger 4 few weeks
ago, has excited I vast deal OF discussion
among the officers OF the army and navy,
and tho high officials of the land, some main
tanning that Washington was appointed Lieut.
tcuau,-G General BY John Adams, and others
- Strcnuou>iy maintaining that Washington
never WAS Lieutenant. General. recently
stated that we had found nothing decisive OF
the question: since that time, we nave oo-
tanned considerable. and perhaps the sub
stance OF all the evidence that Is accessible
on the Subicct. First in order comes the
nomination OF Washington sent 20 the |. :.
Senate by President ADAMS, which Is as fol-
lows Monday. July }, IDS. Gentlemen
Of the Senate 81 nominate George Wash
ingtan, Of Mount Vernon, - he lieutenant
General and CummauJcr-iu-Chi of all the
armies raised. or IL bc raised, IN the nted
States. john ADAMS Next comes the nc
tiaa of the Senate on this nomIuo;;pn
which is ri,sn in the Senate Journal rs fol-
lows: :. United States Senate, July ,, ll9S.
The message wa> read. Ordered, That 1t lie
for consideration. Tuesday, July ), lI9S.
The Senate took INTO consideration the mes
S!,c o: the President OF the United States,
&c. The yeas and NAYS being required by
Cul-ath OF the Senators present. those
who voted in the affirmative arc-Mc>SrS. An
GcrSun. Bingham. Brown, Chapman, CLAYTON,
Poser. G1aIh;c, Greene, liillhou>c, How
ard, IIngdou, La'imer, Laurence, LWcrm0rc.
Martin. Mason, North. Paine, Read, Ruthcr-
fy!d. ScG;wicG, Stockton, TIzewcl and Ira
Cy. u.
"R.yDitgi, unanimously, That they do I'D
wise and consent to tae appointment, agreea-
bly To the nomination..
Next cones an extract from I letter from
President ADAMS % James Mcucnry, Secrc-
tarv of War, ~ follows: " Philadelphia, July
t, i.9S. DsIr Sir 1t IS my desire, that you
embrace the ti-s; opportunity TO set out on
Your Journey - Mount Vernon, and wait on
General Washington with the commission of
LicutcnIn.- General and COmmander-ln-Ch lct
uf the armies Of the |. =, which, by the adj
vice and consent Of the Senate, has been
signed by me-" Mr.. MrIIeury visited Mount
Vernon accordingly, and informed Gen.
Washington Of his appointment. Next
comes m extract from the reply OF Wash
iugton. - follows: Mount Vernon, Jul,
l3, l79S. Dear Sir Il had the honor, on the
evening Of the llth inst, 10 receive from the
hands Of the Secretary ot War, YOUR favor Of
the 1th. announcing that YOU had. with the
advice aud consent Of the Senate, appointed
me Lieutenant General and COmmaEdcr-in-
Chief of all the armies raised or TO be raised
for the service OF the United States.
Feeling how incumbent il is upon every per-
S,n Of every description TO contribute at all
times to his coUntry's welfare, and especially
IN 4 moment like the present, when every
thing we hold dear is so seriously threat
cned, have finally determined to accept the
commission of COm;uaudcr-in-Chic Of the
armies OF the United Sta'eS; with the re-
serve only that l shall not be called into
the field until the army is in 4 situation 10
require rsy presence, or it becomes ncceS-
sarv hy the urgency of circumstances.
George Washington" Our readers now
have the facts before them, and can draw
their own conclusions. 1t seems that Wash
ington did not in terms accept the Lieuten-
ut-Gcnera,>hip, but only the commission of
Commaalcr-iD-Chicf. But some Of our CORE
spondents say that the :wo titles being in the
same commission, he could not accept one and
no; the other. That is the question. Suppose
he had been appointed Lieutenant-General
and Ambassador to France" would the ac-
ccptancc of the L;cUtenant-Gcncral>hip have
made him Ambassador, or the Ambassador
ship made him Licutcnant-Gencral: The
question is not vet entirely free from doubt
v Y, Lecturer.