The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-01-08
THE ARMY BILL.
A Scheme to Exalt the Military Above
the Civil Authority.
The General of the Army Made an Au-
tecrat.
New York Herald. ]

New York Herald.l
Senetor Burnside, the putative father of
the zew army bill, is not commonly believed
to have been the inventor Of gun powder.
But it does not follow from this that a
measure put forward by him may not be
worth looking into; and it must be admitted
that our esteemed contemporary, the Phila-
s1elphia Times, which has been investigating
his army bill, has found the General of the
army at work in the recesses of the PROPOSE
ton in a garb and with tools and convenien-
ces about him which unpleasantly suggest
the tale of Guy Fawkes. There are many
obvious objections to the bill when consid-
cred simply as a measure intended to secure
such reorganization OF the army as
shall combine the maximum of efficiency
with the minimum of expense Neither of
these desiderataa perhaps, would be secured
by converting the army into what Berlioz
would have called a regiment ofGenerals.'
But tn special feature of the bill to which
our contemporary now calls public attention
is khe new position created by it for the Cen
eral of the Army. Whether the rank o. Gen
erai of the Army ought to be maintained al
all is extremely doubtful 1t may be con-
now be in existence but for the widespread
popular feeling that General Sherman ought
to be treated, so far as military honors and
military rank were concerned at least as
well as General Grant. Without discussing
this point, however, to-day. we may assume
that public opinion IN this country is not
yet ripe for the promotion of General Sher-
man to such position in the army of the
United States as was never granted to the
Duke of Wellington il the Army of England.
Those sections of the Burnside bill which
concern the General of the Arny do in effect
subordinate not only the Secretary OF War
but the President himself to the General OF
the Army. Section 10 sweeps the whole of
the chiefs of department. of the War office
from the civil secretary and makes them
''chiefs of staff 70 the commanding general
of the army, and SIS such they shall report
directly to him, and act under his immedl-
ate orders in all matters pertaining 20 the
command Of the army" By section IS the
constitutional commander IN chief OF The
army is generously authorized TO detail
officer to the head OF bureau in case of the
Temporary absence or inability TO act of
the commanding generals stall officer. Ia
section 81 We find the President again sub
ordinated to the General of the Army. If IT
shall please General Sherman TO take the
field, Ibis duties at the seat of government
shall be performed by general officer spe-
cially assigned by the President but this
can be done only upon the recommendation
of the commanding general of the army, as
chief of staff of the army" Section 81
again suboIdinates the constitutional com
mander in chief of the army by providing
that all orders relating to military operations
movements OF troops or to the discipline OF
the army, and all regulations for Its informa-
ton or government, whether directed by the
President or not, must go out from General
Sherman's headquarters. Section So, as the
Times points out, is one Of the most subtle
of all the many cunningly devised SEN
fences of tbs bill drawn to increase the
power of the commander of the army. II
provides that ''ali official correspondence
upon subjects of which commanding
officers should have knowledge" shall
transmitted through the General OF the
Army. So far the section is staple and
unobjectionaole; but in all cases of dispute
have knowledge 1.-The commanding general
of the Army shall be the udge," which
makes him the censor of all official CORE
spondence relating in any way to military
matters. Under this section such CORE
spondence as President Lincoln deemed
necessary with his commanders would have
TO be sent by the commanderln-chief of the
army through his subordinate who may
happen to be the commanding general OF
the army, thus suboTdinating the first office
of the nation to its own subordinate officer
The same elevation of the military over the
civil authority appears in sections 120 and
Ia. The first strips the President of most
important constitutional prerogatives re
lsting to the army. 1t provides that all de-
tails for duty In the general staff
and in the several STAG depart.
ments and bureaus, with few immaterial
exceptions, shall be made by the president
by selections from nominations submitted
6y the Rmanding General OF the Army
In any circumstances and at any time such
an extraordinary enlargement Of the func
sions and authority OF military servant OIL
the civil. executive would be in the highesi
degree Objectionable. In time of profound
peace the motives OF those who must have
inspired such proposition would be mat
ter of stern and Legitimate inquiry, even il
the General of the Army, whe is to enjoy
these unheard of powers and privileges, did
not happen 10 be the brother of Secretary
of the Treasury who has Just coolly an
noanoed his purpose of carrying the country
through set Of financial rapids by deliber
ately dIsregarding the express letter of the
la< Esader which he assumes to act.