New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-09-16
CITING DOWN THE AEMY.

We hope it is true that the Secretary OF war IS
about TO send some more Generals back to civll
life. We want them very badly. The political
Conventions are about TO meet, and good, able
bodied Generals are in demand. They are sure
of nominations 10 all Offices of honor and trust,
and haze a reasonable chance for those of profit.
These Generals are men OF emneEce VINO
did their share in putting down the Slave
holders Rebellion, and who will long be
remembered for valor and devotion. We well
come them to the pursuits of peace and plenty
and TO all the rewards that belong to men
whom the Nation delights to honor.
Now. when the War Department is in the HUI
NOR. let il continue the work. We are by no
means in favor Of entirely Gisbanding the army
IL * well that We should have a force in hand to
make sure of the South--to hold it down until
we have reconstructed it enough to permit it
to rise on lis feet again. With just policy, this
need not require more than ten thousand men.
To carry ont the present experiment will need
fifty thousand, and all bat this number should
be dismissed. We want good military organ
ization-a skeleton system that at any time may
be enlarged should we need large
army. Into this should be promoted
those officers who have shown genius and
courage. 1t would, perhaps, be just not to
make wounds a recommendation to continued
service a. we cannot embrace all who have
suffered, and to make distinctions would be
painful. Yhc pension system must meet all
these cases. We should select enough officers to
preserve the skeleton of an army, and the fewer
the better. When men graduate from West
Point and 90 into civil life, they are not lost to
the service. They are really waiting orders as
much as though it were so written by the War
Department. We need have no fear that our
soldier boys who 20 into engineering and the
leather business will be lost to us. The roll OF
the signa.drum is all that is necessary.
Taking this view, we see no reason Why the
War Department should not continue muster
ing Generals out of service. Secretary McCul-
loch wants money-thc taxes are heavy-Con-
gress scarcely wishes to add an extra hundred
millions to the new loan, and so We should cut
down expenses all around, and particularly in
the War Department What is the use of hay
ing military establishment as large as that
arranged in recent general orderS' According
to those orders, the whole country Is first
divided into military divisions, and then
into military departments, and finally
into military districts, so that every part OF the
Republic is commanded by three separate Cen
erals. Here in New-York we are commanded,
first, by Gen. Meade, then by Gen. Hooker, and
finally by Gen. Parke; then we have Gen.
Barnum. but we scarcely know where
| he commands. Gen. Meade'S command
| is called the Military Division Of
the Atlantic States; Gen. Ilooker's the
Department of the East; Gen. Parke's the
District of Southern New-York. One hundred
and ten Generals are thus provided for, every
General. of course, having stats, and said stats
having horses, rations, quarters, and all the
| little comfortable extras that Government SO
generously allows and officers so surely count
Add to this the officers We have on special duty
officers in charge of bureaus, officers IN miii'ary
commissions (therc are seven Generals trying
wirz), and we shall probably foot up two hund-
red Generals and stats in full array. Our read
ers will remember the estimate we published re-
Gently, showing the cost ofthe Doubleday Court
Martial. and from this they can easily cipher
ND the expense of this vast establishment. mat
Court was about as large as Majog-GeneraFs
ordinary staff, and three months service cost
twenty thousand dollars-say eighty thousand
dollars year. Calculating each General ana