The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-05-18
Gen. sherman and the Army.

Gen. sherman and the Army.
Gen. SHERMAN is n professional soldier.
the actual commander OF the army. with
pay and omolumcnts aggrcgating eighteen
Thousand dollars a year. He is also "A good
deal of politician, and has no taste for hid
ing his light under bushel. He Is troubled
with a grievance, and never loses a chance
to vcntiate it, as he did the other day at the
anniversary dinner OF the Chamber Of Com
merce, in very bad taste and with glazing
disregard Of facts.
He undertook to critlcise and to snccr at
the economy which was carried through by
the Democratic House of Representatives in
the last Congress. after bitter opposition
by the Senate and the Administration. 10y
way Of showing that the army had been
badly treated II Is the habit 81 certain
class of officers to make light OF every effort
ut retrcnchmcnt, especially when it applies
70 their own pay and grandeur. They look
upon themselves and the officers o. the navy
Ms belonging to an ari-tOcracy which the
Government Is bound to maintain without
regard to expense.
More than this, since the era Of extrnv-
ngance and corruption began, they have
contended for a big army and big navy, as
Necessary TO their consequence and rank.
These ideas did not exist before the civil
war. The gallant and distinguished men
who had won their laurels and wore them
modcstly were content with what the coun-
Try could afford. They never impOrtuncd
Congress to revive obsolete rank or tocreate
offices unknown to our service. All this has
been changed, and still Gen. SHERMAN is not
happy. "What," said he. " is the army of
the United Statesf Twenty thousand en-
listed men and twenty-five hundred officers"
Yet it is only few days ago that an official
order was issued by the War Department
reducing the army to twenty-five thousand
men by disbanding the additional two thou
sand five hundred which had been voted last
year for the Sioux war, then supposed 10 bee
Imminent. Gen. SHERMAN could not posi-
bly, be ignorant Of tnis fact, and therefore
when he cut of five thousand soldiers by n
figure OF speech, he did not increase his
credit with those who may look upon him
rs an authority for the force and efficiency
vi the army.
The condition Of the country demands the
ptrctest economy in the administration of
all its affairs The civil service was largely
reduced in the last Congress, and will he
tllll lhlAu'l iAN QpNu III lilt Il','ul Ol's
More than seven millions were stricken from
the navy, against an organized clamor,
without in the least degree impairing its
efficiency. The army alone escaped the axe
md that was owing to a combination Of cir
cumstanccs which cannot well rccur.
Beyond the imperative necessity for cur
failing the public expenditures, the army is
numerically far beyond any real or supposed
need Of the country. We have seen during
the last eight years 10 what degrading par
tisan uses this army Was put, until States
Were converted into satrapies. and the bayo-
net substituted for the ballot box. And il
Il no secret, whatever maybe professed now.
that Gen. SHERMAN did as much as any other
living man TO favor that policy, and cspe-
cially a. collect force at the capital to
ovcrwc the House of Representatives and
inaugur,tca Fraudulent President.
There hns been altogether too much army
IT. our recent politics, and the time has come
when that standing menace must be set
aside ana the f,rce reduced 70 the lowest
point consistent with protection 10 the from
tiers ami with taking careoi the forts. When
Gen. SHERMAN tolls the public that com
morce depends upon the army. and that
"pirat"- would he free to anchor at our
wharvee aud take possession ~ our cities
but for this protection, he insults the publiD
intelligence and dnpreciates his own char
actor for candor,
Ten thousand men are abundant for ow
standing army IN time ~ peace. The father
warned tine people against the dangers o
military authority. They had seen the fat,
OF other republics, and regarded the army
n among the chief uorll- to which free gov
ernmrnt would be- subjected. This warning
ought To- Ice needed after our recent eXpe
ricnce Certainly when great policy is u
be- carried ont. the army should bear is por
ton OF the rirnchmeut. The people nsis
upon "a reduction that viii save fifteen mil
Hon "a year 20 the taypnyers, and Congress
dare not refuse it, Al least We look to tn
uOu7e of Representatives to stand firm.