New-York tribune., 1882-04-24
SHERMAN, SHERIDAN AND THE PEO-
PIE

TWO LIFE POSIlONs.
IN IN, Fdffor OF The Tribune
S,n. A great wrong a grave discourtesy,
national incratitude an essential breach OF falth,
is ,neditated and partially accomplished IN the
ronyrcss of the United States. A bill has passed
ibe Uonse and will shortly be presented TO the
Senate deriving General Sherman and Lieutenant
General Sheridan of their rank and command when
they shall have reached the age of sixtyt years
This bill, if matured into law, will become imme-
1,ateiy operative upon General Sherman, who Is
already sixty-two wears old. 1t will not act upon
General Sheridan for several years
II must he that this bill passed the House through
some temporary lapse of memory on the part OF
Representatives. 1t has certainly been done so
ouietlv that the people only just beginning 10
awake TO this sinister, sordid and shameful pro
vision hidden in the Compulsory Refinement Dill.
The proyerbial ingratitude of Republics has not
yet succeeded IN making Americans forget wna' Is
dne 70 themselves. General Sherman is said to
have telegraphed his satisfaction with his own posi-
t,on ON the Retirement bill With all due respect
N the Head Of the Army. take the liberty oil as
ortinc that this il none of General Shermans Dusi-
moss The American people did not ask 6eherai
sher,uon whether he wished to be made General
ond they do not propose 10 ask him whether lie
wishes TO be nnmade They raised hin } the rank
M General for their own qualification; 10 hark
their own estimate of his services 10 his country III
ibe war: and they esteem those services 10 less oe
cause during twenty years of peace and eVer-Srow-
ino rrosuerity he has borne himself "A great sol
dier should-demandine nothing. holding himself
aloof from all partsanship, never at the front eX-
rent when danger threatened never anywhere
else then knowing only his country and her army.
General sherman has, it must be confessed the I'M
,ardonoble fault of not ohershing for the news
Ill slrro Tagn n
winch their uniform accuracy and courtesy cnttle
them. In spite of that the newspapers must pro-
elaim and .eerae that the patriotism, the discretion
Ind the dignity with which General Sherman has held
his high Office are not TO he surpassed But because
General Sherman has claimed nothing because he
has been abundantly content with the honor ac-
corded him because he now characteristealy DIS
lans to put forth any effort or even manifest any
esire to retain a title, voluntarily aud eagerly De
slowed upon him by the people OF the United
States in Congress assembled, and which The people
are now falsely put into the attitude OF seeming 10
wish TO withdraw by the same august method-all
this furnishes no why he should he deprived
OF that honor. 1t is "a reason, on the contrary why
the people everywhere, from Maine to Alaska Will
insist that he shall not be deprived OF 1T ana Will
visit with their severest displeasure every attempt
from any quarter whatever and on any pretext
Whatever 10 Y" WHO
nngrateful action.
When Grant was promoted to the Presidency,
Sherman was made General as the most brilliant
and illustrious; and gallant Phil Sheridan, by the
same individual act of the people, succeeded to the
Lieutcnant- G Generalslp. These Offices were the
spontarcous separate gifts of the people. and they
we're for life. Nobody would have dared then to
suggest that these should be stripped OF thelr
insignia at sixty-twO or at sxty-two thousand
Tears of age. The people meant that Winfield
Scott should he Lieutenant General forever, and he
was Lieutenant General until the inrIntles OF age
made even honor burden, and he asked TO be re-
Heved They meant with equal sincerity that
vonnp Grant should be General as long as he lived,
and that Sherman should be General and Sheridan
Northumberland as long as they lived 1t was
never dreamed that these honors should be dis
nloced except by higher hOnOrs When the graSs-
homer becomes a burden, when General Sherman
nsks for release and retirement, it will be time
enough to consider the claim. He has not asked
he has said lOftly that he would not ask exemption
from the bill of retirement. That is like HIM. AS
q matter OF fact he is as active and alert as when
the war began. At this very moment. when i'll the
safe halls of Congress the proposition ls advanced
TO retire him because of the presumed disabilities
of age he is engaged in tour of inspection OF the
army posts, involving probably ten thousand miles
of travel by rail, by steamboat by ambulance. by
cart ON horseback. through the plains of Texas.
ncross Colorado and New-MeMco, over the mOnD.
tains of Arizona all along the Pacific Coast, away
10 Washington Territory. and back by the line of
the British Possessions to the head OF the Great
Lakes His strong and hardy aides-dec camp are
well worn out IN keeping up with hun Han the
yOung hcutcnants of the army would he unable TO
follow him while in the discreet ana thOughtiul
House of Representatives which sits IN judgment on
Lis ace and inlirmites there is not perhaps a soil
In
solid week of his flying tour lie moves win the
same celerity that characterized his great Southern
campalgn For rapldty and energy, ior certain
Instructive ntrepldty, he hasl DO living peer
Oniy in romantic annals. in the extraordinary
Journeys of such leaders as the Earl Of Peter
borough, he found paralHls TO Sherman S
forked- lghtn ming way of descending on the frontier
posts And it is while he is of in his seven league
foots striding over lakes and mountains and
5ose5is That the House of sitting
comfortably i'll arm-chairs, orders him to retire by
reason of age
md vigorous Generals do not know, but who
ever it is utterly mistakes popular sentiment, and it
will be an eternal disgrace if now any trckery any
ambition any economy, shall defeat the viii OF the
people There is absolutely no reason for the
change. Whatever be the merits of the compulsory
retirement bill in other respects In these respeets H
think indeed that from its provisions all soldiers
who have received the thanks of Congress, such as
Hancock Terry, Howard, should be excepted. We
should fight always against the idea that any lapse
of time can make a Republic forget the great ser
vice of its great soldiers The thanks OF Congress
represent the gratitude of Nation. 1t is not a
small thing 1t is great thing. TO be handed down
as a legacy to childIen's children, To be held IN
scrupnlous respect by all subsequent Congresses
aud councils. But Generals Sherman and Sheridan
stand on even q stronger and higher ground than
dis With regard to them it is not matter OF in
ference but of fact Nothing is accomplished by
robblug them of their rank except pure robbery.
Nothing is done except to pluck from them the
honor bestowed by an applauding country. Nobody
benefits by their degradation. Nobody rises on
their retirement. When General Sherman Ii plum
nered of his title General Sheridan does not sue
ceed TO it. When General Sheridan loses his rank.
nobody gains it, Those places are not opei to pro-
motion They were created and bestowed for
signal services; they will lapse with retirement, and
shond lapse only with life. When these titles are
ao.., fhelI IiQhtfni Mearers they VIII lie III