Arizona citizen., 1871-04-29
AMIABLE HINTS.

titled to just the same consideration
 and exemption from unpleasant criti-
 cism, that is due civil official, and
 no more. The same authority that
 commissions ard pays the one does the
 other. Remissness of duty or ineffi-
 ciency is just as culpable in the off,
 cial adorned in blue cloth and brass
 buttons and bright stripes, bars, eagles
 and stars, as the one without these regulation trappings. The people at
 large have as clear right to demand
 good, sensible and effective service of
 generals, colonels, captains and even
 of ieutenants, as of postmasters-the
 most unmercifully abused set of off,
 cials below the President. In fact,
 unreasonable clamor against civil
 official is far more. wicked than the
 same kind against military one, for
 in the former case, If a U. $. official
 the President can summarily suspend
 his public functions, whereas in the
 latter case, as rule, an investigation
 must be had by officers of the army,
 before any greater punishment is in flicted than a relief from duty and continuance of pay, and General H.
 W. Halleck has declared that ill most cases, these trials are the broadest farces enacted under the forms of law.
 We are led to these remarks by way of preface to what follows. An opin- ion prevails-if we are to judge by actions-among a majority of army officers that 1t IS the acme of impu- dence in citizen to criticise or even question their public acts; that when a citizen is extended any aid by the army, it is gracious gift, not of right due him, but when given, should call forth meek praise and fervent grati- tude. When some meritorious officer is credited with plain duty we'll per- formed, 1t is, in army circles, construed to be detraction of idlers or incom- petents who were not even thought of at the time. When a journalist refers to an officer by name, mentions what IS notorious in connection with his pub lie actions, and kindly offers chance for explanation, he flies into passion, declares all citizens liars, fools or and even then expects in reply; and by a little ob- one finds no difficulty in de- tecting a similar spirit-though en- deavored to be concealed the 'brother officers" of the openly furious one. When an officer is iv- ing at an expense several times his known income, we have heard Col. Stoneman say there was something wrong in that mans public affairs, and that he had never learned how the "thing was done." Is it wrong to refer to such officers in Ca way that is peculiar ?''
 There are no more remorseless, and | we may say generally erroneous, crit cs of public affairs outside the amy, than the lower grades of military off, ,ers. Within year, Congress has been denounced in unmeasured terms by them, and. yet the history of no nation shows such munifcent treat nent of army officers as our own, and by the same Congress that these over ndulged ingrates so vainly curse. A 'ew good officers have doubtless been mustered out lately, but while in, they full pay to the last day of heir term, and were politely bowed ut with prodigal gift of more money han many ever earned. In major ty of instances, Congress deserves ome hot blasts for generosity to off CTS who never did valuable service nd didn't even possess common grat- tude.