The New York herald., 1876-11-08
Defective Organization and Want of
instruction.
Reforms Needed In All Branches of
the Service.
SCIENTIFIC OFFICERS REQUIRED
What the Adjutant and Inspector
Generals Have to Say.

troops which form tho small bulk Of the United states
Army. Il has been well said that what Is everybody's
business snobody and this may be asserted OF the way
In which matters conducted frequently in our
State militia II Ia true that out OF the army need
not expect to have that exact compliance with the
routine Of discipline which alone make the soldier
part Of perfect machine yet there Is roomor great
improvement: IN all departments Of the National
Guard service and IL therefore osnno be out Of tho
way 10 call public attention to this important subject
Turning 20 the annual report OF the Adjutans
General OF the State OF New York, we hnd Il
to be . formidable volume mado up OF 43l
closely printed pages. 1t s oook which has
the people OF this State round sum, to
other purpose than that of having few copies OF II
distributed among tho members Of the Legislature and
. small number Of military Offices throughout she
State. As the Adjutant Generals report
ta,ns any suggestions ideas OF beneficial modf-
cation the present wretched condition OF tho State
National Guard opens tho book, and at the
end Of tho year it is carried OF by the hundredweght
the junk dealers shop and goes thence In good time
80 the paper mill
ono OF the msfortunes OF the militia is that gen.
orally tho Commander Chief is not a military
But this misfortune might bc remedied by naming
thorough soldier 10 commanding general Of the
State the cyo OF the Governor and subject
10 his orders II does not seem that change Of
hs would involve the necessity Of any amend
mept In the State constitution; and 1t would certainly
DO great boon to the thousands Of citizen
yoldiers who vainly look above themselves to find
superior officers that exact knowledge OF military
science and art which alone give instruction and
confidence TO the troops The commanding general Of
The of the State should devote all hts time to
the duties OF his position. and receive suitable COM
pensaton for his services.
EDUCATED EXPERIENCED oFFIcER
SO employed would be ahle to work won
ders in directing the OF the details of the
service, and in making suitable recommendations TO
the Legislature. At present we have anomalous
state OF affairs. 1t is the. Adju.ant General appa-
rently, the Chief who is at the head
OF tho military establishment OF the State All the in
formation which the Command Chief gives this
ycar to the Senate respecting tho National Guard Is
to be found In the following laeonic message:-
II have the honor torausms herewith tho annual
report OF the AdJutant General
SAMUEL J. TILDEN."
That Is, the Governor who should discharge the du
ties Of Chief, substitutes data furnished
HIM from the AdJutant Generals office for and instead
OF a detailed report which he himself military Chief
OF the State, should submit 10 the Legislature. The
data from Adutant Generals ONCE should aid him
snly.
And indeed, from tho very beginning of his report Is
that the Aoutant General is conscious Of being
himself the commanding general in reality and not
chief of staG He authorirativcly says:-"Neverthe-
lcss few months experience convinced that .
sufcicnt reduction in the number Of organizations
had not yet bcen made, and therefore
MANY DisBASDxEyrs HAVE BEEN EFFEcTsD
during the cur-en. year" Here the Adjutant General
assumes the role OF Chet for MS saying
that he being convinced that further reduction In the
number OF organizations necessary, and how II
snectcd, plainly shows that the disbandmsnts were
made because he ordered them: whereas, far from
possessing such power, tho Adutant General has
even authority to recommend q measure like this 30
the Commander-in-Chef that boing duty which be-
longs exclusively to the Inspector Generals depart
mcnt.
In his extra official communication to the Legs
laturc the AdJutant General saysl called attention
to the fact that all purposes that standing army
could be required by the State the National Guard
swercd perfectly .wc, and that the expense to the
Hate OF only $40 per yearly certainly
rery moderate" There can be no question about It's
icing svery moderate;" but how officer who Is vir
mally the head Of the State militia could undertake
10 assert that in its present state OF organization the
National Guard 'answcrs perfectly we'll for all pur
poses that standing army could be required by the
State" is lnexcusabc. A statement like this, under
~
heels OF this remarkable announcement the Adjutant
Gcneral tells tao public that he the an.
nnal appropriation should this year 30 $780, 000 1t
nus be evident hat Keeping Of soldiers who
win perfectly all purposes that standing army
could is rd'culously cheap at tho above figures. II
tie State were but one quarter as economical in all
other departments many millions Of dollars would be
saved to the taxpayers.
We md by the Adjutant Generals annual volume
the furthcr Information that during tho year ono
brigade consolidated and hvc regiments, bat
TALON and separate battery have been disbandcd;
ana one troop three batteries separate
raaies OF infantry organized last year. At pres.
ent the National Guard tatc) consists Of eight dvs-
IONS eighteen brgades regiment and ten separate
troops OF cavalry battalion and eleven separate
batteries OF artillery, and twenty Owe regiments twelve
battaious and separate companies OF infantry
In all comprising 1886 commissioned officers and
1905 non-commssioned officers, musicians and pri-
va,es-making aggregate OF 10. 4l3 officers non-com
missioncd officers and rank aud file.
Alter another quotation from his report OF 1870 tho
Adjutant General concludes that
yield DAYS TARGET PRACTICE"
arc OF much moro benefit 10 tho troops than
sncampmcnte, without even limiting at the idea
that both might be combined ian idea which
the troops, OF their accord havs about carry
ing into practice At crcedmoorl This guardsmen aro
informed that rife ranges recently bosn opened
by the forces OF the Fifth, sixth, seventh and Eighth
division districts, xnd that more will probably be
taDiished during the coming year "
On tho subject Of disbundments the Adjutant
General makes bones about stating that hsnot tho
Commander in Chicf--dd the work, and IS therefore,
responsible for the results Hc says:-"It seemed to
mo that at length propilous time for settling the
difficulties had come, and alter having given tho SUBJ
ject much study and attention could not but come
10 the conclusion that the number OF regiments III
shat city New York; should be reduced anu ho rc-
edn them accordingly Where he got his authority
from not informed Tor until the Adjutant Gen
cral OF the State Of New York the power OF
redusng the number Of regiments" that prerogative
was always supposed to be the sole attribute OF the
government or tho Commander In. Chief Certainly,
tins the first instance wherein subordinate stan OIL
Ger makes bold 20 step his commanders shoes and
do those things which the chief alone is authorized TO
do. This IL one OF tho no small ncon venencss Of
having Nhe ono hand man VINO knows nothing at
all about military matters Al the head OF the National
IN fho ofn