The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-06-10
rolsssesl 6s.asrals.

The New York 1snes has On artic3e designed
to demonstrate the proposition that mot one
solitary civilian from the beginning Of the war
TIL now, has shown himself competent for high
command" The text Of the discourse is 81.
GEL and BurLKR, who, It 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 II is just as absurd to
impfovise q general fiOm q LAWYER or a mer
chant as to improvise judge from school.
master. or physician from mechanic. Tie
want of 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 60 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 o few months since the radical press
was voluble in Its Pronunciation Of West Point
and of educated military men. We are glad
that, on this one subject Of least, there issome-
thing like sanity beginning 70 be manifested.
That Mr.. LINCOLN has not been governed I" by
purely military considerations" In his conduct
Of the war, Is one of the gravest sins which lie
a nv1osn ~
such hos been the fact; thousandso lives have
been sacrificed and millions of treasure; years,
perhaps, of devastating war are entailed upon
the country. because ofthe 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. or &H
There might be some possibility of excusing
this shameful unfaithfulness ON the part of the
administration, were disposition to atone for
it anywhere visible. But the war is still beine
run on the same system which, according 20
the Times, has involved The failures of the past,
BUTLER is still the favored general, holding un-
der bis command officers whose shoe latchet
in military and every other respect, he Is nm,
worthy to unloose. McCLnLLAN, KErs, So
CUM, HEISTzELslAS and dozen other of our
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
campaign. so 500. ... :, -. J
The Herald tells how political necessity,
interfered 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: e,-r II, - {
Upon Gen. Grants appointment to the posi-.
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 va
nave not been more successful at certain points,
and he particularly saw that We had too MANY
of these political generals-men not ID any
way equal to their duties, and whose presence
In the army made 1t rather q patronage estab-
1ishment 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.. Lincolns Pres
identiM arrangements, and he was sensitive Ia
relation to these. Some such generals were
therefore retained, because their dismissal
would cause the disafection of q large class of
voters, and endanger the Presidents chances In
that way; and others were retained lest fbv
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. ef9W III