New-York tribune., 1875-03-08

cumbents, and that their rank should then
lapse back to colonels
But what has Congress since done For the
line it has already abolished three of the Cen
eral positions. and has also provided Tor the
abolition of TWO more on the expiration OF SER
vice of the present incumbents, leaving only
nine General positions. IL has reduced The
sixty regiments to forty by consolidation, thus
retarding promotion in tho line at least ten
wears. But for the staff. the men who were
not in battle, but in daily comfort at distance
from il. Congress by special and general acts
has since permanently reGstablished three OF
the General positions as chief OF sian
departments, with almost an earnest that
they shall all be similarly provided. H
has by special act added largely TO the
rank of number of quarter-masters, sew
eral commissioners, and two inspectors; whiie
bills are now pending under the guse OF
Productions to add still higher rank to
officers of various branches OF the stan
Other general bills have been passed, Whlch
purporting to reduce have invariably cut on
the foot of the organization, when there ex-
isted vacancies, while adding largely to the
rank of those remaining in service.
In the mean time orders have been issued
prohibiting officers Of the army from cOmmunl-
eating with members of Congress upon mill
tqry matters. But the staff being part OF the
War Department largely represented in Wash
ingtop. the order practically does not reach them,
and their social relations give them every Ia
cilty for securing personal legislation, and so
guiding all army legislation as to serve ther
own interests. This is very unfair to the llne'
is enlarging the premium on non-combatant
service, is constantly adding to the power ana
prpponderance of the already top-heayy stai'
ani is turning the heads of all the young
officers in the army to seeking these easy
places
An army is made to fight, and is itself the
end, but in the most efficient way, to serve d
national purpose. This efficiency requires GER
tain puryevOrs to clOthe it, feed 1t, arm IL.
transport it, pay it, and nurse it. Inc mlnl-
mum of these functionares only should be en-
ploycd, and they in their appropriate place, as
required in the nature of this service. we
have reversed all this because we have gwen
The staff corps the opportunity OF arranSngi IL
to suit themselves.
Thus our staff is already out of proportion
to the needs of the service, both in numbers
anu UOGt CSptCiduy III i'R4+" "'''"'' ~
creasing year by year By stea'thiiy influencing
Congress, while the officers OF the line, Dy
the nature of their duties, removed far from
the ssat} Of government. and prohibited by
orders from communicating with the law
makers Of the land, are forgotten and never
heard. SO, while the places that were at
first held as hopes of reward for services
already earned in battle by the war COM
mauders are quietly legislated ont of the
statute books the stlff who were not in the
battles are constantly adding to their rank
and emoluments and to the detrment
Of tho army itself. This was seen
more plainly during the war, when brevet'
TO- services in battles were given re-
peatcdly to staff and line, with the
staff brcvcts bearing oldest dates and in
. rule adopted for comforting the same, when
line officers for battle service were given
brevets to within one grade of the rank they
held in the war, while staff officers were given
two and three grades higher than any rank
they had cvcI held. Every one knows OF the
battles of the 18Th Of March, when everybody
was brevoted, till this rank, intended as re-
ward for gallantgy in battle, was virtually OF
10 advantage to any one.