New-York tribune., 1874-05-30
WASHINGTON.
ur REMOVAL OF ARMY HEADQUARTERS
no ST LOUIS

,ur REMOVAL. OF ARMY HEADQUARTERS
TO ST. LOUIS.
80 p,r,1yR MAKES AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT
j IN PREVENT TIIR PROPOSED CHANGE-RRAsoNs
FOR GEN. sHFRM,N's ACrIoN-HIs OFFICIAL
,v,,11oNs WITH THE SECRETARY OF wAR-A
rpvcFpENT IN GEN. SCOTS CASE.
tRY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBuNF'l
w,su,SGroN. NAV 2o-while the bill for the
--.aual reduction of the army was under consiu-
.,;on in the House to-day. Gen. Butler attempted
- Get in an amendment providing that the mead
.oarers of the army should not be removed from
S~ coat Of government. This movement on the part
.tsr Butler had the sympathy of nearly everybody
:. wasb;n etou. but doubtless owing to the unpop-
ssrity of its advocate II was not aoopteu no' e'en
j ,aivision being called.
Gen. Sherman, in consequence OF the encroach-
.srts Of the Secretary of War has irrevocably de-
,Soa IN remove the headquarters of the army
- ST Louis He will of course be accom-
..,;ed nv his staff aud will take his records
18th him. The time set for his departure IS
catcher next. This proposed change is the sub
-, of much adverse criticism here. The explana-
,;on that army operations, being confined to the
Vsst can be better directed from Western city is
.st a valid one. On the same ground the General
land Office might be removed TO Omaha, to be
.arer the unoccuped public lands, and the Treas
s,y Department TO New-York, where the great
.onetary operations OF the country are carried on
n the truth were acknowledged, Gen. Sherman
raves Washington for the same reason that led
Gen. scott TO take himself and his headquarters OFT
u oNew-York, namely, desire to avoid the annoy
,Doe of continually recuTring dlsagreements with
,be Secretary of War about the management of the
amy. The Secretary is the superior of the General
n authority, and it is only human nature that the
military officer with his intimate knowledge of his
,roiession his life position, and with salary
double that Of the Secretary, should not submit
sn good grace TO the orders of the civilian official
Who goes back private lie after few years ser
Slce
In Gen. Scotts case. ii was not much matter
whether he was in New-York or Washington
The old man was tolerably c0ntented to play
the role of ornamental fgure-head for the army,
snd rarely sought to meddle with the admin
stration of its affairs Not SO Gen. Sherman. With
his active temperament and decided military tastes
and genius it is impossible for him to hold the posi-
ton of General OF the Army without seeking to ex-
erase some of the functions of a commander. He
has never agreed with Secretary Belknap as TO
where the dividing line between their functions
should be drawn. Once he tried TO make all the
Heads Of Bureaus in the War Department report to
Secretary to sort of head clerk to register the or
ders of the General. Secretary Belknap. who is
sbout as positive man as Gen. Sherman, would not
submit 10 this. and the President sided with him.
Since then Gen. Sherman has spent much of his time
in travelling lie has visited nearly all the military
psts in the West aud has TOyed over Europe and
Asia Minor. lie 10 doubt feels that his position is
that OF. supernumerary. and his move to st. LOUIS
Is nnterpreted as meaning that he has made up his
mind TO live where the society is more coneenial to
bm and whore he can enjoy the honors Of his rank
without the anDoysnces to which he has been sub
jected in Washington. In many respects this is to
b. regretted. There is no man in the country who
90 thoroughly understands the organization and
uses Of our army Gen. Sherman, and he is almost
the only officer who has shown capacity for orig
NAL thinking on military subjects. Still IN time OF
peace the General is like fifth wheel to a wagon
There is nothing he can do of his own motion that
does not interfere with the proper functions OF the
Secretary of War. Gen. Sherman has come at last,
il would SEEM TO realization of this, and has de-
,ermined TO accept the situation and make the best
Of n