Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-04-23

OmceFs-GEeFkg
From the charleston Msreurvl
In February, 1862, It would annaay ,b,t -.
ACT Of Congress was passed "pr5hibHin1 Ia
employnent OF clerks from civil Nfsu Fer IN
PIaeneei purposes, it may Is we'll bsvs 70.
pissed IN secret session, for no ons know ~ is
existence uHtl q few days since. A nunks- ~
omeels m the quartsrmaster's Department. wors
ssIYeo Win notices that al clerks employed
- e'yn NE would not be paid By the govern
AAis Nel'oo OF inc qusrtermastey general
Bnngs up the question, how are staff oaiss-. -
discharge duties embracing q range Of brsinesS
larger, ~ many instances, than are eyer 49,
taken BY any single business firm In rr5i-
nary times, without competent sskisianca9
and if they are prohibited from emnlov-
ING clerks, who, from a iile-lims experisDca
10 counting houses and public Offices. are sssep-
usliy necessary to the proper conduct Of the AZ
airs Or tDeF respective beauresux, how are
5oese departments to continue in operation 4
1hera arc but two ways 70 obtain assissanls-
rom civil LIE, where, in many cases. men over
and under conscript age are EMPLOYED. Or slqs
Dy detail from the army. The first Is. bv ~
act oil February, 1852. prohibited ths latter Is
strictly forbidden By general orders Of the War
Department.
Thers are two views Of this MISTER, which
we propose to present, and va will then make
some remarkS With the design OF placing tue
suuJocI properly beloTe the public.
In the first place the government IS anxious.
By its legislation, 70 keep the ranks Of our ssve-
raj armies tull; and there is no dispuinp the
fact that in some Of the burssux an unnscessa-
rily large number Of clerks have been engaged
many Of them mere idlers at the public ex-
pense. We do not refer 10 any particular Office.
but We do not exeggerate when we assert that
G year ego there were hundreds Of persons
screened from military duty By elerkshies. etc.
in various departments of the government
This fact being known to Congress, the Law to
which We have referred was passed, and latter
y stsh otleers have been curtailiRg their ex-
psnses IN this line. A very proper proceeding.
In the second place, there is something due
to officers, who, before entering upon The duties
Of their respective departments, have given
haevy bonds for the faithful perf5rmsnee Of
their business; and IT is manifestlFAinpyoper
TO allow these officers to become involved in
an extensive, and without proper an
extremely hazardous business, and tbs1 sud.
denly leave them 70 get along by themselves.
In fact, the matter is not men6ed By taking
from them their confidential clerks, and put-
ting IN their place detailed men. who care
not whether the business i5 correctly done or
not, and who are, perhsps, better fitted for
their duties as soldiers than laundering through
an sbstrsct--at the %srsenal, fer instance, where
fourteen hundred sepatsto articles are euumsr-
ased in 4 single account. Now, it seems to rs.
that the government could very properly pur-
sue q more moderate course than seems "a he
indicated b. their late proceedings. There are
certain clsrks, abselusely required in eDeyu
bureau, who, from their business Qualification
IS accountants, cannot be dispensed with. In
some places, as for Instance, Charleston, Rich
mend, Savannah, Atlanta and other points
where large depots are established, and
where transactions ere going on daily which
exceed N quspti.y and value the monthly bust
ness Of cur largest houses ia 6-cler years. 8
large number must be required. Again, at IN
termediaie depots, Two or three clerks would
seem to Us ample. These clerks should be req
ularly enlisted and their salaries fixed BY prop8r
authority, and they should be considered not as
citizens bat az enlisted Bgen, IN their several de-
paTtments; officers Of the staff should send ia
nlOndig reports Of their employees to headquar-
teTs, with as much pune uslity as captains Of
companies, and then tho governments would
be in a position 70 judge, monthly, by tire
amount Of business done, whether the number
Of assistants wers too many or 700 few,
The government enlists mea IS infantry and
cavalry, as shaTpshooters, signal corps men,
etci and yet they expee. to keep a multitude Of
accounts without regular assistants. l. would
seem g wise policy to secure q permanent e0rns
Of aecountgnts-men who w0uld feel that they
were doing their share Of the work. and notin a
position, as now, where the ienolant could
sheer ct them. All cannot be eoldiers, If hey
would. The entire machinery Of an army /
that which keeps it in e~xistencs-is in the
hands Of the staff and the sooner people find
out that or3nsnee stores, fossge, elothiBg,
@rasious, etc, e2nnot be had by Whisting Tor
them, the better it Will Be for the army and the
country.