Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-07-18
Incompetent Officers.


Among other wild vagaries Of the paper now advo-
eating, With much the same arguments used by the
AbOionsts in comforting absolute power upon Lincoln,
despotsm in the person of President Davis the de-
sire to see the material enlargement of the Presidents
power TO revise elections of officers and to make ap-
pointments and get rid of Incompetent officers" This
was supposed at first to refer TO officers OF high rank
Lieutenant Major and Bigsder Generals-out second
article in the same paper shows that Its aim Is to EN-
power the President with the appoin ment or dismissal
at will of officers of all grades certainly as low as Colo
mis- perhaps Captains, and for aught We know Ser
yea. Is and Corporals In 6ne, the advocate OF the
suppression of the liberties of this Coniederacy thinks
We bad better trust be President with the whole oil
his business-in other words make him absolute and
irresponsible in regard to all nj itHry matters.
There may be "a very general confidence in the Aoil-
ty and integrity" Of the PRESIDENT but in 90 far as the
appointment of military officers of high rank Is con-
earned neither his abitynor lis integrity has been SO
copspicuou y displayed to inspire confidence In his
infalubty with regard to officers of inferior grade
Looking TO the results Of the Presidents appointments,
We beg respectfully ask what preeminent ability and
integrity we're exhibited in the following instances:
Trans-PotOmac Lowell (WhO unless misrePresentsd lee
tured TO New York audiences the art of war until
after the battle of ManAssaS) TO the command Of Ne"
0r'eAns.
PENNSYLVANIA PembertOn (who give up Coles lslAne'
which enabled the enemy to obtain his present iOohOd
At arlestOn and advised the demolition Forts Sumter
ard Moultre) to the command Of Vcksbu-g.
The Presidents brother-in-laW, Ri hard Taylor, (Who
until the recent affair at BrasheAr City, the facts Of
which are yet imperfecty known, had done compare
lively uOtbing,) to Major GenerAlshP.
His relative, Samuel Jones' (WhO had nsverlsd regi-
uent in actiOn,) to Major GenerAlship.
His favoriie Heth, (Who bad done nothing, over
p ice uho had done more with his than any man
10 the serVice) to Major Generslsbip-an appointment
actually made, but denied and only changed to Brga-
ders commission after three months resistance by the
Senate.
The substitution Of ttN dAshing bu. injudciOus and
unucky Van Dorm in place of Heth, Major General
over Price.
The appointment of George Crittenden, twice dis
missed from the United States army, as Major
General over the heroic and capable zOllcOfer.
Toe displacement by means Of unworthy trick, Of
Bsauregard by Bragg.
The substitution Of G. W. Smith by EXey.
The appointment Of Holmes, deemed incompetent as
Major General in Lees army to Lieutenant General
Comm an ding the Department of Arkansas.
The persistent retention in command Of Hindman,
against the most earnest expo tuAOn Of the Arkansas
delegation in Congress.
Finally the appointment (,t this late day, when dis
sses which have shaken the country TO s centre, have
befaIen so many OF his favOritesl of man who has
never exhibited capacity but rather the reverse to the
post of Lieutenant General in Mississippi the point of
all Others where most capacity is needed.
To which of these appointments will the advocate of
Dictatorship point in proof Of the uuerrng wisdom
aud mpeccabity offs nominee for Imperial poWer-his
Judgment of character his lack of Partially, and his
capacity Of inspiring public confidence. If to Lowell
there il the fall of New Orleans to be accounted for
If to PembsrtOu, the loss of vcksburg and possibly of
srleston, must be justified If to Taylor Blnks'
cesses including the fall of Port Hudson, must be eI-
pAined If to Jones' nothing is to be slid on either
side except that the net result Of nothing nothing to
the credi. of General or his sppOnter. If 10 Heth
the disgracefu defeat st LeWisburg looms up. II to
Van Dorm the bloody repulse at Cornth makes reply
If TO Crttenden the defeat at Fishing Greek aud the
death of Zolickofsr recalled If to Bragg, the fail
u-e Of the Kentucky campaign, the loss of Aurrees-
boro' A-d the retreat from TulAhoma, are to be e1-
planned. II to Eizey, Klpatrick's easy raid around
Redmond, and the Piifu losses sustained by Stearns
rise to view. If to D. H. Hill the brave but clumsy
part PLAYED BY him at Wild msburg at Seven Pines and
at BoOnsbOro say nothing of his Puere letters to
5 anley and Foster, cry out accusingy.
To journal interested in promoting the revolution
AIRY dogmas taught in the cafes of Paris presidents
of no more value than logic to lunStc out Of straight
Jacket They are cited here for the benefit of men who
comprehend Southern society," Southern ideas of gov
ernment, and Southern aspirations for independence
They are massed together more especially for the
use of those whose duty it is to restrain the arbitrary
actions of the Executive. Missionaries aud enthuiiAss
in love With tie dOctriVs of European revOutiOniss,
may dissent; but every Southern man of sound mind
will agree with US that the only inference to be drawn
from the instances above cited is that the country has
more to fear than to hope from the material enlarge
ment of the Presidents power to revise elections Of Of
6cers and to make appointments and get rid of inc0m-
petent officers"