Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-07-17
THE CONSUMPTION.

script OF GERS; Lut volunteer at once, and go
up he sl ate cd regiments and briga ~ =, .
The people are calmly resolute to 'S.' WV NV
work Q; ur independence; and "'i' 49,. =, :: =:
their fault if the army is not 800 'I'., ''
numbers and in organize 'n' l" 'A's 'a''''
rrspec, there are defci,seies,. ~.
The Provision, ARMY" is now to all in
.a,,s and ,rrnoss, a regular army. Ifitwas
ct frs, = voluu4er force, it is so no longer
1t has the wck of regular army to do; and
ought to hste, as nearly as possible, the or
ganiza,ion of regular army. But the great
: stand armies of the continent of Europe
ha,e leo4 the growth Of ages. Their officers
|. v" 5ecn regularly educated for their duty in
military schools, assigned to the respective arms
.. ,l!a service, and are never elected BY their
= e1, bu, in all instances appointed by the
War Dera rtment We cannot officer our army
!. his way here, because there has not exist
ed lie ncedful system of preliminary training,
ard there are not those multitudes Of young
laen wh0 have gone through the course appro-
pirate q some one particular branch Of the
seryi>o. whose qualifications are known and
corsihed - by the presiding officers of the
military O. ademies, and who only await the
appointment they are entitled and competent
20 81. Here, as vast army was to be extern
o5rizel and created out of the body Of civil
iaps il the midst of war, there was no alter
ua.ivc buI to allow the election of officers
Tho Department of War has had no other
guide than the Judgment of the men--did not
know, and {. vi not know, which of them
would turn OFT the best qualified for command
ana was necessitated to accept the officers
wt1n n men would set over themselves
And the system has worked marvellously
vel better, perhaps, than it could have
done IL any other country whatsoever; fer
ouy people have Il perfect instinct of organi-
za'on; and where not only the liberties and
honor ftsieir country, but the credit of their
regiments and States, and their own indi-.
viiu:l lives, were all Mt stake, might gene
:'lly be trusted to make better selection
than ,oull be done for them, without those
rrcsiocs advantages of military training and
approved merit to guide authority The
proof Of Ibis is found in the actual achieve.
1,eots Ct e.lc troops: 112s~---.--.par of moro
=. ll,.,g5 years has been itself schooI,-.--,.
$50 81; schools, to make the trained SOL
dior AID raoable officer: and in proportion as
-,,c .ov,,a have become regulars in discipline,
,ur a5icsr> also have kept pace with them in
.upr. culer:; so that we are bold to say
-,sen ,-cpoiti1n Of the Confederate officers
a. .auG> may compare favorably, at this
M, viz re alumni of European military
...-..-, ..aa have seen no such amount OF
: "a lrI severe service.
let aco;bsr large proportion of those Off
GERS are admittedly incompetent still. 1t has
Jesr {. su iect Of anxious consideration hoy
- d.al v.,n UGH cases. Congress has autho-
ri-sa C,uerals of Departments to appoint
"Ezarninine Boards" t" inquire into the quail
: ,,ions Of such officers as may be complain
et Il IN case the Board shall condemn an
o.rcor % Incompetent, it reports to the Com
,anrins General, and he to the Secretary of
". together with his own opinion thereon.
II tne oecr.rary approve the proceeding, he
rso,rts TO tAo President, who may "ret;rc'
or '.,lrup" The officer. So IT, well: but then
comes he fifth section 4 the 40
src. ). 81 i1furtb;,I -psrlcd, I:.a, gA. ever
;s-'<s---.sica: Of a etmtvry battalion, siuadHoa
VI siall have beer Dr. puc3 o. h"ucr-
ii accordarcr- z!.h tn or2c:sIons
-. =, >Isn :n2 vM"er p"s' - ~an,. sEalj
h r,~,n,ot,d Ito the Tacarty, ii comTnEcl.
ss,,.h ..,,nnet.r Icy to be asucraineG as provide
:, IL. fr.t anJ3 second sections of this acr:
and r NOT cor &petent. then the next otficar-ln
~ I'LL +, Promoted: and so on until ali
isr .onm, 81, ped officers of the company,
fs...,on .u.aArou or regiment shall have
h.a, On, thru 1ugh with: and if there be no
cfHcsy IF thc ed mpany, battalion, squadron or
re-;n,cnt .cn Intent to fill the vacancy, then
n. prss;]epi A hall, by aud with the advice
c,d c.-,no, # The Senate fill the same by
ann. me-, provided, that the officer APP
,,rir,..i Snail he from the same State as that
10 Wis he Company, lattalion, squadron or
r,rifsr... hc,an1s: And provided further,
: =: ,...l,sy he Ain contained shall be con-
SIRE as ;;u.tsng the power heretofore con.
iinr-... ,,nSn tlof President by existing laws to
5,cauc3 by the promotion Of officers
o. ~ .ruaintinAent of privat"s distinguished
n (hs service by extraordinary valor and
Tn .no.3o Of filing mp the vacancy here
80 :3al Is aczl only operose and dilatory it
rss,rr;s Tho ulitay authorities very much,
u rseviriag has the. officer to be promoted
.sall - thc re = in rank of the same com
usna--aaG if it derolve on the President to
ar,r,;at den he.is required to appoint a. per
,oI ol nc sainc State from which the ceu.
rraai mss cane into the army; and that aps
y,,a,a,s1t IS subject to the approval of the
Sona'o, . oiyisjf body, which knows nothing
ahcr the service. The consequence has been
hat wien lhe tlifug has to be done through
-acl. duplicated machinery, and is embar-.
s:es"d - 50 many restrictions, it is seldom
c.ne , the mids. of rapid marches.
sis, a tiles, both summer and winter,
yht.s 80 nc, been leisure to set in motion the
,xaIn,r .as i~ards, and 60 through all the
apraE~:us Of evidence and reports and
sTe" Then that is done, and an officer is
dsolTtd tor incompetence, he is to be
.ucc; Led by The next in rank of the same
eoSn .od But the Same command which has
c!c 10 q useless colonel will have, probably.
q CT coli-for.nothing lieutenant colonel
81 san'E ;1n' major, Ignorant captains, and
o2se.'ai nd, moreover, 20 sxYung man NAV
u ts'sra'.2 Is lieutenant <bbo would make
:. Hcry "a y%ior. Yet, by theSsesent law
tae waele '>G' % officers must be "gof,s.hrough
.s..h before lie Presidentcar appoint; aSs,he
Ean- Al any ra'e appoint from the same State,
aea 's's seoate NUS approve. By the time
III tbeso scrsS have beVa gone through with,