The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-05-05
From WASHINGTON.


Ebiron COURIER Sri have Just
read through your ar,i 10 headed:
fisherman and Logan" contained in
your Weekly of April 2lst. Will
you allow me, as an attentive and
pretty devoted reader Of your out
spoken journal, to offer q few re-
marks2 Though only an American
Of recent date, "a citizen born on the
battlo-fields Of Virginia. believe l
have some right to speak on such a
topic rs the one in question.
Whether General Logan ought or
ought not to feel aggrievcd by the
preference given, at the time, by
Sherman, to General @, o. Howard,
is q question which it is not for mo
to discuss. But supposing, as you
seem to think, that Logan has some
reason to complain Of ibis treatment
by his superior, what of that? Does
this effect the principal question; is
there no more solid reason for what
yon call his "raid' against the regular
army and its officersP In my hum
bic opinion, General Logan deserves
great credit for his expose accom-
panyIng the introduction of his
military bill. Evidently, his main
object was to point out two things
well-deserving the attention of the
country First, the neglect that fell
to the lot of that part Of the army
which is no more in uniform. Second,
the palpable disproport.on between
the officers and the enlisted men of
the army, as it now is. These, say,
are his two fundamental ideas, and
who will undertake calmly to contro-
vert them. Will your Is there
not tendency to ignore those who
saved, and bled for the country, but
returned to civil life2 and is the
present organization of the army
exempt from criticism? Assuredly
the unusual excess of officers in tho
present compassionate the army, the
great number ofofficers OF high rank
in the merely administrative branch
of the service; the grotcsque profess
ion and exhibition of brevets in the
ranks, constitute anomalies we'll.
deserving to be held up to ridicule.
General Logan might, perhaps, have
treated the subject, in your think
ing, with more than the usual viva
city; but that does not invalidate the
grand idea Of his reasonings. At all
events, let US show some more
patience at criticism, and keep aloo1
from tho doctrine OF infallibility, of
which, by the by, they seem even to
doubt in Rome. For my part,
should be rejoiced to see all the
| citizen-soldiers in Congress think
loud and initiate the example Of
John A. Logan.
You ask your readers, to imagine
France reducing Dessaix to the rank
of a common soldier. To be BRIEF.
want only to remind your readers Of
tho fact, that France never made any
distinction between Dessaix and
Gronehy, regulars. and Lannes and
Kleber, volunteers; and that the way
the volunteer officers were treated by
this government is something quite
new, admitting of no comparis on
To adduce a recent example, it will
suffice simply to state tho fact tina,
even the Italian Government, known
for its impecuniousness, considered i,
its duty to incorporate into the army
the Garibaldians, according the same
privileges to the regulars and voluu-
teers, without distinction. The
supernumerary as we'll as the disabled
officer, being alike put on the retired
list, according to the usual regula-
tions in force.
One thing dare to predict with
out hazard, it is, that tho bold stand
taken by Logan on the army ques
ton, though perhaps distas teful tc
some in itspiquancy, will not fail tc
accelerate a movement in the right
direction, which is certainly some
thing. Yours, respectfully,
EMERIc SZABAD.