National Republican., 1878-12-23

duties al all tenable, except In the limited
sense referred to- and In that sense this prac-
tico Is and practically, has always been in op-
Grafton.
ii this is not considered ssa!s!snt IN re-
ply, the following from General SHERMAN,
in his annual report for 1869, ought 10 be
conclusive. The General says:
A staff system that has admitted Of an In.
crease Of the line of the army from the mere
nucleus Of 1850 to l,OOOOOO mon, and the re.
ductiOn back to the present standard without
confusion, and with the most perfect accounta-
bility rs to property and money-at all times
providing for tho army abuudantly-is enti-
tied to our respect.
And upon another occasion:
To change n well-establishcd system for an
other system Is always of doubtful wisdom.
And here is clincher found in the re-
port of the House Committee on Military
Affairs, Forty-second Congress, third ses-
sion, viz:
Tho present division Of duties Is tho result
of long experience. and very recently. in the
struggle against rebellion, was found TO work
successfully in the widest theatre of action.
In regard TO curtailing the powers Of the
Secretary Of War, Senator BURNSIDE says
that by section 75 "powen more ample
than these cannot, in my opinion, be
given under the Constitution"
This remark may be true Of this section
but If such ample powers were intended to
be given to the Secretary, why are they
altCrward taken away from him piecemeal
and in portions at time given 10 General
.,;yas b,
:" the command Of the entire army line and
"stafl." This leaves nothing for the
Secretary of War. BY section 10 the
chiefs of the staff departments, who are now
by law exclusively under the orders Of the
Secretary, are placed under the General
also, and it will require an acute lawyer to
draw the line separating the two jurisdic-
tions. The officer is likely TO suffer and fall
between these two stools or he ground 10
powder by the weight OF this double.headed
superior. Section 50 brings these chiefs
again under n double -banclcd judicial head.
Now he does his duty under the Secretary,
and his correspondence is free in the dis
charge of his functions but this section
brings his official correspondence under the
microscopic scrutiny of the General, and the
section says "the Commanding General
" shall be the judge" of what correspond
cnce shall pass through his office. Aud sec.
tion 81, which the Senator neglected TO relcl
10, carries more in il than ut n cursory
glance would strike the reader, and Is an
insdious attack upon the authority of the
| Secretary Ii states that the ueopTaplcnl
divisions and departments shall embrace
"all officers and troops within their respect.
"ive limits, whether Of the line or sta1
"when special exception is not made by tho
President" If this does not give to th,
commanding generals OF these geographical
divisions absolute control over the iOrtilica
tions, arsenals quartermasiers general de
pots, &c. and docs not demolish all of III,
remaining authority Of the Secretary o
War, there is no meaning in words.
All of the sections of the bill have beci
! framed with great care, and in hOOdwink
ing the casual reader they are little short o
perfection. Senators aud members shoul,
carefully study the bill and Judge for them
: selves, for we repeat what VIC have 80 ofte
said, that If ID passes and becomes a law
the great Office OF the Secretary of War vii
: be practically abolished, aud the militar
arm OF the Govcrnmrnt become supreme
+ lor good or evil, rs it may I've administered