New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-26
ARMY REDUCTION.
GEN. SHERMAN IN OPPOSITION TO GEN. LOGANS
BILI-LETTER TO SENATOR WILSON.

Tor reducing the army Is now penang:
WASHINGTON, March %, 1870.
Hon. HENRY WILSON, Chairman Military Committee.
United States Senate.
DEAR SIR: have been repeatedly urged by friends
by members of Congress 10 give To the country
my Of the bill reducing the number OF officers in
the army which recently passed the House Of Repre-
sentaves and Of the speech with which Gen. Logan
companed it. 1t is positively prohibited to officers OF
the army to resort TO the press in official matters but 1t
eminently proper that you, who have requested IT,
should know my opinions OF the matters involved and
accordingly submit them TO you In the form OF letter
The first defect OF this bill IS one OF omission The law
Of 1906 fixing the peace establishment clearly described
what the peace establishment should he Inc Appropri'
bill OF March 3. 1869 broke up 20 regiments OF IN
fanry and prohibited all future promotions and appoint
ments in the staff corps III the prohibition should De
removed by Congress BY the operation OF TINS enact
ment, all the staff corps and departments Will cease TO
exist with the lives OF the present incumDens ana very
soon will have insufficient quartermasters, pay
c 10 1Ur ns should now nx
some standard for these corps and let us WORK 10 ta
standard. The assertion made by Gen. Logan that the
number OF staff officers IN our small army eheeedea
those Of France and Russia. Is wide OF the truth that
1t does not admit OF argument. Our army OF 40 regi
ments would make two corps darnee; or Six 81, iul
divisions IL brigades, requiring Tor actual service
and u Brigaders; whereas. we nave General nrs
Lieutenant General, MajorGenerals, and brig
Harris Aray List for 1862 you will find in the English
Army, estimated at 10000 men, the names OF teid
Major-Generals and T9l Colonels. Tho French Army
contained at latest dates a59 Marshas and Generals Oil
Adjutant and InspectorGenerals. $50 Engineers
3l5 in the Ordnance corps and other ,S onlceIs
r nesr with thc ab"ve in the eSgre
crate 10 267 officers exclusive Of their Surgeons and
hssistantSurgeons Thus the French army has
Generals alone than have OF Generals and staff to-
gether and Engineer officers than we have IN all
staff corps put together In like manner the North
German Prissian) army has 40 Generals 81 Lieutenant
Generals. and % Maor.tienerals us stan proper,
20 AdJurants $50 Engineer officers. l,29S sur
geons 500 Paymasters. and other officers cores
ponding with staff. including the above amount
Logan his figures, but having himself alluded to
foreign armies is right that tins correction should be
made right here This bill provides for the absolute dis
charge OF two Majorienerals and two BrlgadierGen.
erals leaving in the army three OF the former ana SIX OF
the latter 70 compel the President thus TO discharge
four OF his old Generals who have served under n and
who have fairly earned their commissions, Will be the
most ungracous task that ever imposed upon the
Executive more especially, when ne mas just expressed
the opinion that their services are needed ana are not
III excess OF the army organization our preseB nSas
OF Bureaus have the rank and pay or Bflgadler-
Generals ana TINS bl proposes TO muster nei out OF
give them the Lard option OF cropping back 10 the RANK
of Colonel. None but soldier can realize
tue cruelty Of this measure, and to characerze such
men as Gen Meiggs aud Gen. Eaon as inspectors OF
shoes and bean SOUP the hOor OF congress- IL auht
unworthy the place: for Congress Itself mas Imposed on
these very officers by name administrative ana Judicial
functions that heretofore nave been the province OF
Of dollars, and the most complicated principles OF law,
have been adjusted by thcm saving millions O dollars To
of members OF Congress who have witnessed their
labor and fidelity. need not constitute myself their
advocate, for have heard you bear testimony To the
truth OF the above statement II Congress cannot afford
pay them the salary of Brgadier'Genera shonld
declared and not based on the measure ana mpOr
OF their work oreduce an officer from one grade
lower has hitherto been done only as the extreme
nmisde,1eanoT
confess when listening 10 the debate in the House Of
Representatives the Army bill, and when an amend,
ment proposed to permit retired OiIcefs 10 hod
civil Office was panied to hearth remarks OF members,
who seemed TO think it something very wrong. law
already exists fOrblddIng the President from putting
retired officer on military duty OF any kind, and by the
bill under consideration, 1t is further proposed that
they shall not even be eligible TO such petty ciVI olces
elect them to I'LL Senator Carpenter. day or two ago,
applied for order to put duty retired ocor
OF ms acquaintance and told him was prohibited bya
law Of the present Congress- lie disposed 10 deny the
existence OF such law, because he said was against
humanity" and he would not believe II until showed
him itself Now that these veteran soldiers are
barred in direction il is proposed TO cut them of IN
another direction The Senate has just confirmed as
Minister to Spain. Gen. Sickles, who Is retired and
crippled officer BY this bill he will be oused and all of
these officers will be debarred from increasing theIr
small pensions by earning the fees OF c'll Onces Tor
which they may be elninenty ntteG and whose salaries
would II may be. enable them 70 support eir Iahnes'
While tho cry goes forth extending liberty ana the iran
cse all and to all kinds of men, II is opposed
limbs and their bodies TO attain the result.
Ia England and III other lands which We call "des'
potc" the veteran officers and soldiers eligible
TO Parliament well rs to all other civil Offices and are
prohibition, and without losing their half pay what
reason IS there That retired Queer, WHOM the
Postmaster OF his village Marshal or sheriff 81 ms
county, Judge or Magistrate, or hold some or the
hundred thousand civil offices that necessarily exist
under general state County aud Municipal Govern
lnent When recall that in 1865 National Govern
ment was paying $500 bounty for soldiers. and of
states, Counties and towns sweed 1t 70 $1,000 and
when our countrymen shouting aloud the praise OF
officers and men. little dreamed that to such as had
misfortune to be manned and crippled. would be de-
MED the simple privilege Of enjoying the salaries OF civil
officers in addition to such limited pensions as the Gov
eminent could afford Then nothing was too good for
the valiant officer and soldier how, changed! Cen
Logan nnates that the aggregate reduction OF expenses
by this bill Will be S0OOOO year assert that tls Dill
makes reduction of expense at all for lie himself says
that the principle Of this bill Is 10 take from higher and
give the lower grade Of officers and the bill touches no
other items Of expense
Death is already doing his work veterans it
being susceptible OF proof that the deathrate among
officers and soldiers OF the late war; though they may
have escaped bullet. Is at least double what tie case
home OF officers left in excess OF the organ
622 the number III excess today
are los vacancies in the grade Second Leutenant
which be filled from this list by allowing two First
Leutenants to a company, and the extra Captains,
for Indian service until the aggregate comes down
by ordinary casualties TO the standard OF law There are
&C In the staff corps Of the army which would
be flied by promotion, and from this list, II
the legal prohibition were repealed. When the
proposed in the Logan bill well as In all Others there
will be places for ~ more OF these officers Thus $50 OK
in only 235 OF these am free 10 confess
mnhtness for military service leaving the surplus only
1885, which less than the casualties for the last
so that there is good why Congress should
forciby muster out OF these officers on the plea OF
economy. We have plenty OF work. and more too. for
every officer in the Army Register who 10 willing and
for his profession assert that since the close Of the
civil no class or our people has conforned more
cheerfy the demand for ECONOMY the part of the
General Government than the army ITSELF and no class
OF surrendered back the exercise OF power and
authority with and patriotism than Its officers
The very instance which Gen. Logan quotes PROOF OF
this. Many captains and many suDalterns but Few
years ago leading brigades IN battle, commanded
divisions Congress- the reduction or 1866, generally
allowed them prescribe their insignia of rank at their
expense, 30 that the strap OF MajorGenera may
he seen Gen Logan says, in the rank and he. Can
this be for on the floor OF Congress Is 1t
rather source OF National pride, that have IN
ranks Captains and LeuteDants men who IN war
have already proved that they are qualified for higher
commando At all events, there be economy In this
for the law clearly provides that officer snail in
event receive cent additional pay by reason Of the
simple privilege OF wearing the soldier strap OF his
grade. That only tells his fellow that he
had commanded brigade, or maybe a division. IN
battle
admit the Breyet system was shamefnlly abused