Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-03-31

unsracious task that was ever imposed upon
the Executive; more especially, when he
has just expressed the opinion that their ser
vices are needed, and are not in excess OF the
army organization. Our present Heads of
Bureaus have now the rank and pay Of Brig
adler Generals, and this bill proposes to mus
ter them back to the rank of Colonel. II Con-
gress cannot afford to pay them the salary q
Brigadier- Generals. it should be so declared,
and not based on the measure and Importance
of their work. To reduce an officer from
one grade to lower has hitherto been done
only as the extreme penalty of the law, on
conviction by a court, for some misdemeanor.
General Logan intimates that the aggregate
reduction of expenses by this bill will be So
GOO, 900 year. / assert that this bill makes
no reduction of expense at ALL for he himself
says that the principle of this bill is to take
from the higher and to give to the lower grade
of officers, and the billtouches no other items
of expenses"
OF brevet ranks he says: II admit the bre-
vet system was shamefully abused about the
close of the war; that brevet rank was lavish
ly and recklessly bestowed-it may be in re-
ward for political service, for family infiu-
ence, and for other objects never sanctioned
by the army itself. This was not the fault of
the army, but of Congress or of the President
of the United States, who may thus have
cheaply rewarded men who had never heard
shot, but who wanted some sort OF military
fame. | believe that these brevets do disturb
the unity and harmony of the army, and they
should never have been bestowed save for
bravery in actual battle. Therefore am will
ing that they should all, bad and good alike
be abrogated; but it should not be accredited
to economy. for Congress long since took good
care that these brevet commissions should
carry no pay or recompensc whatever.
With reference to salaries General Sher-
man says ."Invidious comparisons have been
made between my salary and that of the
Chief Justice and cabinet ministers. All
can say is that it is and has been shame
that country, with forty millions OF people,
should stint their ChiefJustice and cabinet
ministers as this government now does.
claim that have earned my past and present
pay that during the war, when commanded
more men than the Duke of Wellington had
in Spain, my pay as brigadier and maJor-gen-
eral was less than his private secretarys, and
was SO small that, though lived on soldiers
rations, my pay was not more than enough to
maintain my family in Ohio. did not com
plain of it then, nor do now, but believe
that my present pay is not wholly for present
work, hut is in great part for past services.
| will say the same for Generals Sheridan,
Meade, Thomas, for all of our present gener-
al officers, and it is nobody's business wheth-
er they are married or single, or what use they
make of their salaries. This is a considera-
ton too contemplate for discussion. What
money will pay Meade for Gettysburgs What
Sheridan for Winchester and Five Forks!
What Thomas for Chichamauga, Chattanooga,
OR Nashville? What American would tear
these pages from our national history for a
few dollars saved from their pay during their
short lives?
honestly believe that the ranks of general
and acknowledgement should remain as in
centives to honorable exertiOn In all times to
come, and that to terminate these posts of
honor during the lives of our war-generals
would be an act of unkindness to them per-
sonally, which the country does not demand,
but quite the contrary.