The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-26
THE ARMY.
Its Composition md Discipline.
FORT COLUMBUS, NEW YORK RARBoR,
August "a, 1868.


united States. and which is characterized by so
many perverted differences ana fragrant misstate-
ments OF fact that 1t seems to call alike for some
puohc reiutaton or Its allegations and an express
Sou ~ ,io aepehenson In which its wanton and
held
The article In question is ostensbly based upon an
unfortunate occurrence which TRANSFERRED at ort |
Hamilton, New York harbor on the evening of
August 3, at which time the prisoners OF that 5ost
being sent under guard to refresh themselves with
bath one Of their number who IN pursuance OF SEN
tence pronounced by general court martial was then
wearing ball and chain went beyond his depIh and
was drowned. Upon this circumstance tragic |
enough, admit) the journal In question grounds a
most ill-consdered and violent assault upon the |
Abiding to the deceased, the article calls him
zone OF our countrys gallant defenders" and asks
"why gallant soldier should wear such degrading
appendage to his leg rs q ball and champ but with
curious inieicity 1t almost Immediately proceeds to
characterize the rank and file OF the army as mainly
the very scum OF our foreign population 'desper.
ADDE'S OF the lowest class !" and to assert that "a
respectable American citizen would no more think
of volunteering for what Is called the regular
army than he would volunteer Tor the penltentlary"
To any mind less extraordinarily gifted than that or
the writer of the article the terms thus cOnfusedly
mingled together would seem to be irreconcilable.
IL Is very difficult matter to develop "a desperate
country" That there are vile and wicked men
among the rank and file of the army is as unfor-
tuna'ely true as that among Journalists there are
persons whose hearts dead to every instinct Of
candor and fairness; but this affords no more Jusuh-
Gallon for wholesale denuncaton than does the
that every newspaper writer Is equally devoid Of
courtesy and honorable mindedness.
The inquiry which the journal makes as to chow
1t happens that while any other employe or the
United States from the General OF the army down to
the humblest Custom House clerk. may resign his
place whenever he may think proper TO 40 So
the enlisted soldier is denied that privilege
and punished IL he attempts to exercise It,"
is childish in its puerillty The writer could
not have been ignorant of the fact that
every soldier who applies for enlistment into
the army OF the United states must over his own
az N
faithfully" during the specified term. nor that he
also suoscribes solemn oath that he VIII "oDserve
and obey the orders OF the President OF the United
States and the orders OF the officers appointed over
me, according to the rules and articles for the gov
ernlnent oi the armies of the United States" This
being the contract which the soldier at his own OPP
ton and of his own volitlOn, makes, what adequate
reason can be given why he sould not be held to It's
que observance the same az any other man VINO
assumes an obligation Is held to its fu1lment?
But the editor is in error in supposng That
'lenerali' may resign his place whenever he
may think proper to. do So Commissioned oili-
GERS are, it is true, at liberty to tender their
resignatoGs. but the acceptance or rejection of
the rests with the PRESIDENT OF the United
states; while (and this refutes the assertion that
"a graduate OF West Point, who after having
been ed1 ate,i, clothed and led ut the public eX-
pcnse and commissioned as an oilceg, may desert
tho army Whenever ne wishes to do so. and no PEN
atty whatever attaches to the actin should any such
onicer, ciagrned at the dsapproval OF ms applica-
ton, desert the service, he would be advertised iii
orders as deserer, and il apprehenled would be
brought to trial and punished ia accordance with the
same article Of war which governs the case of de-
serier from the ranks, va. the twentieth article
which provides that 'all officers and soldiers who
have received pay, or have been duly enlisted In the
service OF the United states and shall be convicted
oil having deserted the same, shall suffer DEATH
such other punishment rs by sentence of court
martial shall be inflicted
am firmly convinced that a much more rigorous
mode Of punishment than that of the ball anu chain
should be adopted to prevent the crime OF descron.
The death penalty, in every instance in which the
criminal Is clearly proved TO have deserted the SER
vice Of his country, should be inflicted, aud this
should in all cases apply TO commissioned officers as
| Nav 20. 1856, a6olishlna the death penalty for
desertiOn In time OF peace was an exercise Of
mistaken c.emency The character of crime does
not change with Je altered statues OF the country,
and the OFFENCE OF desertion Is as heinous although
perhaps not Us dangerous to the pubic liberties, in
| peace rs during war. But even recently numerous
instances nave occurred on our Western frontiers of
the desertiOn of bodies, of scores Of men who have
| taken with them their horses, arms and ACQUIRE
ments, jeopardizng by their detection the interests
OF civilization and imperiling the safely Of It's po-
| neers. To assert that such men are gutless, and
| that II Is an unJustiable hardship TO hold them 10
the observance of their bond, may perhaps be ex-
ceedingly phlanthroplc-it IS certainly exceedingly
| nlppant and foolish soldier OF tue United States,
| whether commissioned or n0h-coiimissohed \ the
sworn guardian OF MS cOuntrys honor, and II the
betrayal OF his trust the violation OF has allegiance
the forfeiture vi his oath and The endangerng OF his
country, do not involve him III the desert OF death
should be glad TO know Wnat such a man does de-
serve.
Among the regular forces of the United States
there are four regiments OF Veteran Reserves who
are almost wholly composed of persons who have
been wounded or otherwise physically injured In the
honorable discharge Of field duty during the rebel
lion az also several regiments OF coOred troops, "a
large proportion OF whose numbers was engaged In
active service during the same period.
But even If 1t were true that the bulk OF the army
IS composed Of foreign born members, is not the
alienn who faithfully protects the liberties and in
dusries Of his adopted country az meritorOus and
deserving of honor the native VINO excuses himself
thereiromy IL it To he "ioreignerY" Is
the accident Of birth an essential OF characters Is
there any fatal incompaubility OF idea between
European immigration and respectable American
cilizenshipy IL this sneerinQ ling ut great and
growing element OF national prosperity worthy
the character and aims OF powerful Jounalf Is 1t
the utterance Of liberal and enlightened salesman
snip or Is IL not rather the expression OF mere
ceited 5Cioli5mf
Within the past eighteen months I have at this
depot commanded, critically mustered and physically
examined nearly nine thousand enlisted men, and
distributed them To the infantry and artillery re2-
Inenis OF the army; and speak advisediy when
say that far from these men being 1.-THE very
scum" VI our population they would, for physical,
intellectual and apparently moral characteristics
compare favOrably with any equal number OF per-
sons chosen at large from among average classes OF
society.
The statement that the American soldier il denied
promotion for mertorous conduct is simply not true.
There are now I'm the regular army OF the United
States 1874 commissioned officers who have risen to
their present positions from among the merilOri0us
Of the rank and file. These are distributed as fol-
star-One as brevet brgadier general the other
CavaIryWAs maIor,. capis.;;s and cuicnanis "a
Artiery-As captains and lieutenants .......... 81
| Infantry-As field officers, captains and lieu
tenants. .............. ZZS
Retired list-As majors, captains and lieu
These figures render further comment unnecessary:
may, however, add that am member Of the board
for examining applicants for appointment TO the in
fantry arm OF the service, and that within the past
six months several meritorious persons from among
its rank and file have been examined found qualified
| and recommended for promotion.
AT this depot there is In existence primary schooi
and an advanced school for the instruction OF en-
listed men, which ofer nearly equal advantages 10
those OF similar institutions IN our towns anu ce
From this latter school have graduated numbers Oh
intelligent, thoughtful, earnest-minded young
| men who have been distributed as non
| commissioned officers throughout the army
| and whose character and conduct renect no ess
honor their profession than shame upon tner ira
ducers, while In addition to these aclIies lot the
acquisition OF knowledge there IL also az TINS depot
| library numbering over five Thousand Voiulnes,
| comprising the most standard works In history,
biography, philosophy, travel science ana me oesteS
lei,es These stores of Information are Rratuitously