The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-06-10
Political Generals.


to demonstrate the proposition that mot one
solitary civilian from the beginning of the war
till now, hos shown himself competent for high
command" The text of the discourse IL 81.
GEL and BUTLER, who, 1t is claimed, have made
of the trusts committed to them "a veritable
miscarriage" The Times says:
The truth ought to have been plain enough
ut the outset. that military science demands as
systematic and prOtracted study as that of law
or medicine; and that 1t is just as absurd to
impfovise general fiom q lawyer or q mer
chant as to imprOvisc judge from school,
master. or physician from mechanic. TIE
want of a professional training is Just as sure to
make military charlatans as 10 make legal or
medical charlatans. tits astonishing how slow
our government and people have been TO re-
cognize go simple truth.
Probably the government has not felt at lib
crty to govern itself by purely military consid-
eratiOns-has felt that to avoid i'll feeling and
discord some heed must be paid to political
favOrites, and to the favOrites of our adopted
citizens. This, perhaps, was needful In the
carly part OF the war. But the time for it has
long since passed.
This criticism coming from the recognized
and special organ of LINCOLN, is stronger than
anything q "copperhead" journal could write.
1t is but few months since the radical press
was vOluble in Its denunciation of West Point
and of educated military men. We are glad
that, on this one subject at least, there is some
thing like sanity beginning TO be manifested
That Mr. LINCOLN has not been governed "by
purely military considerations in his conduct
Of the war, Is one Of the grayest sins which lie
at his door, Campaigns have been lost because
such has been the fact; thousands of lives have
been sacrificed and millions of treasure; years,
perhaps, of devastating war are entailed upon
the country, because of the heed that has been
paid to political favorites" The Times has
struck at last upon the true reason why the
North, with its overwhelming superior re-
sources, has only succeeded, in three years of
fighting, In developing to its maximum the
military strength OF the rebellion.
There might be some possibility of excusing
this shameful unfaithfulness on the part of the
administration, were c disposition to atone for
it anywhere visible. But the war is still being
run on the same System which, according to
the Times, has involved The failures of the past
BUTLER Is still the favored general, holding un-
der his command officers whose shoe latchet
in military and every other respect, he is un-
worthy to unloose. MCMILLAN, KEYS, SLo-
CUM, HEISTzELMAS and q dozen other of onr
skilled and educated officers, are kept on the
Shelf. Purely military considerations do not
rule now, any more than they did two years
ago, when politicians were allowed to defeat a
campag
The Herdid tells how political necessity
lnterfered to bring about the results of which
the Times and the country now complain. The
record should be simply damning to the high
Official to whose guilt it points:
Upon Gen. Grants appointment to the nosi.
ton OF Lieutenant General he was inclined to
take up the reorganization of our armies at
once and in earnest. He doubtless saw in the
condition OF our armies many reasons why we
nave not been more successful at certain points.
and he particularly saw that We had too MANY
OF these political generals-men not In any
way equal to their duties, and whose presence
In the army made it rather o patronage estab-
lishment than fighting machine But in his
wish to reform the army in this respect he was
opposed by the President. Any cut at the DO
litical generals was cut at Mr.. Lincoln's Pres
ldentmi arrangements, and he was sensitive In
relation to these. Some such generals were
therefore retained, because their dismissal
would cause the disatfection of a large class of
voters, and endanger the Presidents chances In
that way; and others were retained lest by
their dismissal they should themselves become
formidable candidates for the Presidency. And
for reasons like those the President suffered
this great, perhaps vital, campaign in virginia
to begin with two important parts of the army
under the command of men whom he knew to
be unfit for their position.