Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-01
FRED. GRANTS PRomOTTON
"Tiekle me, Ulyssis, tickle me, do;
You tickle me and I'll tickle you.D

their "new way 70 pay old debts.r
FRED. GRANTS PROMOTION.
.'Tickle me, Ulyssis, tickle me, do;
You tickle me and I'll tickle you"
Grant appointed Phil. Sheridan General
in the army over other officers who were
his senior in rank, who had rendered better
service, and were every way his superior.
Sheridan felt under obligation to return the
compliment, and has since done so by pro-
noting Fred. Grant, Lieutenant, and q
very poor one at that, to a position on his
staf-that is, he appears to have asked the
President to thus assign his own son. 1t
is, therefore, essentially Grants own act.
To make this place for the young scion of
the house of Grant, an old and tried officer,
who earned his Lieutenant Colonelcy by
hard service, had to be sent eff to his regi-
ment, and mertorious young men who
graduated in the same class with Fred.
Grant, at the tail of which be stood, had TO
be passed over. OF course this outrageous
favoritism created dissatisfaction, and
called forth great deal of comment not at
all complimentary to Grant or the merits Of
his son. The following from the New
York Tribune Of March q is fair speci-
men:
SIT is to be hoped that the report is not
true which cones from Chicago, that Gen.
Grant has assigned his son Frederick to the
staff Of Gen. Sheridan as Aide-de- Camp
with the rank and pay Of Lieutenant Col
onel Of Cavalry. This is place alwaysr re-
served in every army for officers of dis
tinction and merit, who have won the right
to it by faithful and erduous service. There
is manifest and glazing improperly in
giving it to young gentleman who ranked
very low in his class at West Point, and
who since his graduation, which wss noto-
rioUsly made possible only by favor, has
never done one hours honest service in his
profession. BE has already had all of pleas
ure and honor which his uniform could
give him, having passed more than year
in travel and amusement in Europe and
in this country. 1t was recently announced
with some parade in the Administration
papers that he was TO be ordered to his regi-
ment, and TO enter at once upon active serv-
ice. But if il be true that he has received
this sudden and uudese-yed promotion to a
post which could be properly bestowed only
upon one of the many veterans in the
army, the appointment will mako painful
and injurious impression upon the officers
TO whom it is at once an injury and an af
front. There is one Circumstance attend
ing the act, which aggravates its impro-
priety. To make room for Mr.. Grant, Col.
George Forsythe has to be dismissed from
his position and sent TO his regiment. This
is an officer who has served with the
highest distinction for some twelve
years; who has been in many battles
and always with credit; who saw the war
through from the beginning, enlisting as a
private and coming out a colonel and who,
after the rebellion ended, sustained five
days battle at Beecher's Island with the In
dams, in which be was repeatedly wounded,
and in which he won, great honor for his
extraordinary courage and capacity. Such
an officer is TO be sent away TO make room
for youth who has positively nothing to
recommend him but his name. 1t really
seems as if the President knew what he
meant Shen he gave notice in his memo
rable inaugural that he regarded bis second
election as a sufficient answer to all criti-
cism."
The "court journal at Washington
the RepubLicGn-as in duty bound, is en-
deayoring to remove this odium from its
master. The "court Journal" ventures to
say that " if the facts were known, it would
be found" that the appointment of young
Grant "was made at the request or upon
the recommendation of Gen. Sheridan him
self" OF course it was so made, but who
suggested to Gen. Sheridan that Master
Freddy ought 70 ornament bis staff? In
defense of the appointment the court
journal" says:
alt is not a promotion; bat simply a
change of duties with higher temporary
rank, because next week the appointee
can, and may, be ordered to serve as
subaltern with bis regiment on the frontier.
Each general officer, according to law, is
allowed certain number of aldes-de-camp,
with prescribed rank, to be selected by the
general on whose staff they are to serve,
from the line of the army. By some Off
GERS this particular system of staff appoint
Ments is regarded as little fringe on our
military outfit, which is allowed to remain
there by Congress more because of its
beauty than its utility; but we are sure
General Sheridan, an active, go ahead off
Ger, will find employment for all the sub
ordinates be asks to have about him, so
that Lieutenant Grant, while he may learn
much, will by no means have sinecure."
Who promoted Master Freddy to the
temporary rank of Lieutenant Colonel of
cavalry? and under what law is this tempo
rary promotion made? 1t appears that he
is to ornament Sheridan's staff on the pay
of Lieutenant Colonel of cavalry, and
then when he is ordered to bis regiment he
is to fall back into the oOscurity of Lieu.
tenant and to receive only Lieutenant's
pay. That may do to tell to the marines;
but Master Freddy will hardly ever be set