The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-01
Ihe Attack Upon the Army.

ta6lWes having for its object the enas
cutatlon of the strength of the army
ls remarkable and phenomenal evil
depee of the extent to which partisan
paesIon and misjudgment may be
css1f1ed. 1t is something new in
tlle history of this country to have
tlR pthcers and soldiers of its liltle
military force openly a.sailed on the
fioQr sof Congress and propositions
nltHie to reduce the army organizA-
don 20 very nearly nullity. Until
tnaws ever since the foundation of the
heDuhlic the American people have
peahRceastqmed to take pride in the
lE'lSss afi' an earnest alfeiGlat to
degrade and weaken it would have
been regarded as nothing less than
wicked folly, Its efficiency as the
nucleus of such an armed power as
was created during the recent war
was abundantly proved then, and it
IS not out of bounds to say that the
contest between the North and South
the owed much of its stubborness
and prolongaGOn to the fact that the
great commanders of each side had
learned their arr at West Point, and
demonstrated the value of their
technical education upon many a
hard-iought field. Grant, Sherman,
Sheridan and Thomas under one
flag, and Lee, Jackson, Johnston
and Lon9Street under the other, gave
incOntestiblc proof that the Military
Academy turns out fine soldiers, able
strategi3ts and sturdy fighters. Gus
ter's battle Withthe Sioux and Niles
capture Of the Nez Perces are fur
ther evidence nf the gallant and in
domitable spirit Of the regular army,
and ii seems absurd to doubt, that
no matter what future emergencies
may arise, theheroes Of the past and
their successors will be equal to meet
ing it, and in all contingencies up
holding TIE honor and glory Of the
nation.
The course of a certain clique in
Congress that is attempting to re-
duce the army can only be prompted
by that faluitous rechlessness that is
borne Of angry sentiment. These
caball1ts are committing Il blunder
Mica is very common to dema-
SogueS-that Of mistaking IL noisy
howl for a popular demand, and in
obedience to what they falsely sup
pose to be the voice of the people
they are willing to sacrifice the rank
and the file, the line and the staff of
the army. Their devices are decided
ly more ingenious than honest, and
their arguments are So speciou5 as to
border upon the bur'esque. Mr..
Banning, for instance, evolved out
Of his brilliant mind Il bill TO break
up the army by the virtual eXpul-
sion of very large number of its
officers. His scheme was 50 mani
festly outrageous that it fell dead of
its own weight, and in its place was
formulated the bill of which Mr..
Hewitt is the putative parent and
which has lately been under discus
sion il the House. Mr.. Hewitt pro-
posed to reach the same end at which
Mr.. Banning aimed, but by a differ
ent route. Mr.. Banning would have
crowded out the officers; Mr.. Hewitt
wants to starVe them out. Mr.. Ban
ming would have cut down the regi-
ments; Mr.. Hewitt desires to drive
away the officers first and then dis
band considerable proportion of the
regiments on the plea that they can
not be officered. The whole busi-
ness is a disgrace to the men enga ged
IN it, and the false color in which
they clothe their speeches i'll its favor
must go far to convince the public
that they appreciate the unworthi-
ness Of their work.
No discussion upon this subject
could occur at this time without ref
erence being made to the part which
the regular army played in the quel-
ling of the outbreaks last summer,
and it is to be regretted that the fol-
lowers of Messrs. Banning and HeW-
lit have been permitted to SO out
rageously misrepresent it. We are
not now combating the views OF
such men as Gen. Butler, who VEN
tured day or two ago to present the
rioters as injured innocents against
whom it was an atrOciOus crime tC
array the forces of the law. That
style Of reasoning can safely be left
to answer itself, but it is worth
while to call attention to the theOr'
izing of Congressmen who are
anxious to stab the army in its vitals
butare not valOrOu5 enough to follow
in Buffers wake to the goal to which
he, is tending. Mr.. Kimmell, for eX
ample, arose in the House on. Mon
day and, by way Of supporting The
! Hewitt hill rendered a version of the