The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-12


We print to-day letter from Washington,
describing in much detail the history, organi-
zation and defects of our military establish
ment and the various schemes of politicians of
small capacity to lift themselves to place and
popularity by attacking and breaking down
system which, while it has not much to COM
mend it to salvation, is infinitely better than
none at all. The yearly allotment of thirty
millions from falling revenue to the support
of the army is one, but not the only nor the
main, consideration that makes the present
discussion Of the subject both timely and in
teresting. While our military dependence in
time Of war or danger will always be- as long
as republican government lasts, on the throng-
ing volunteers from the ranks of our citizens,
it is important to the last degree that the
country should always have in possession a
body of officers skilled and experienced in
organizing, directing and supporting large
masses without such waste of time, men and
material as marked the beginning of the last
war. The citizen soldiery may not again,
perhaps, find themselves in front Of an enemy
as undisciplined and unused to war as them
selves, and the opportunity of training them
selves into veterans by long series of marches,
encampments and indecisive battles may
never again be mutually sought and gained.
In our own rebellion the real business of war
did not begin for at least eighteen months
after the beginning; but in Europe not as
many days are suffered to elapse before the
combatants are locked in photographic.
We need standing army large enough, in
the total number of its commissioned officers,
to furnish an effective staff for military
force Of from five to seven hundred thousand
men, organized aud operating in those large
columns incident to war and under the
economical conditions resulting from the
steady progress Of military science. This
number of officers we appear to possess now
but such are the defects of our organization
that only small proportion would, in time
of emergency, be any better fitted by expe-
rience for the duties of the staff than the same
number of civilians who had never worn
martial uniform and this, too, when it is a
matter of common knowledge in the service
that good administrative men in the staff are,
in stirring times, as difficult to discover and
get into the right places at the right time as
generals fitted to WELD separate command.
We find in our land, as in our naval forces,
a settled hostility between staff and line.
Against the better traditions of our own SER
vice and the examples offered abroad the
brain and heart of the military system have
been torn asunder by bad and selfish legisla-
ton, and both are as dead to usefulness as the
minimum of vitality left in either can allow
The line officer enviously abuses his brother
of the staff till 'snfuence" carries him into
the exclusive company himself, and he then
turns contcmptuously upon those from whom
he has just parted. Loaded down with orna-
mental and meaningless titles he becomes q
languid functionary in Washington bureau
or upon some generals official staff, and cuts
loose, in all but rank and pay and social dis
tinction, from bis profession.
The remedy for the discouraging state of
our army is explained by our Washington
correspondent, and to his letter we invite the
attention of all who believe that necessary
evil should be brought up to It's highest devel-
opment of the good within it.