The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-07-23

Board OF Visitors appointed to inspect the
Military Academy have not been without re-
suit. The Board complained that they had
found this institution under the charge Of q
full-nedgcd igadier-General, enjoying his
rank and pay as such, whereas the laws Of
the land had expressly declared that the To-
cal rank Of the Superintendent should be that
of Colonel Of engineers They also complain
ed that, for the express and obvious purpose OF
evading this statute the post at West Point
had been several years before converted into
q military department., and general officer
assigned to 1t as a nominal governor, where
as his real functions were to be those Of su-
perintendcnt Of the school. They recon-
mendcd that this useless machinery should
be abolished, especially since quarters needed
by the school were occupied by the Generals
staff officers; and they also demanded that
the laws regarding the Superintendent rank
should be enforced.
Gen. SHERMAN, in his last annual report,
denounced these recommendations He could
not deny that there were violations Of the
law, but he boldly defended them:
Then comes the question of rank for the superiu.
tendent. Shall he be q Colonel or aGeneralt In my
Judgment is question of pay In 1880 the pay OF
Colonel was sufficient; now II IL insufficient No Colonel
to-day be the Superintendent OF the Military Acad
envy without absolute distresG Even the pay of Brig
adler Is scanty and that of Major General. without
outside help, 10 barely enough In 1880 few visitors
went to West Point now hundreds from all parts Of
the EARTH and the Superintendent has forced on him
penscs Of hospitality that very few OF In my
opinion. the Superintendent should have n salary Of
$1,000"
In like defiant way he defended the trick
cry Of turning this school into geographical
department:
whether West Point should be department or not is
OF small think it should be- because the
mander such, has the lawful right to courts
martial and execute their sentences the spot not
only against cadets, but the soldiers and officers sta
toned therea right Of great value in maintaining the
discipline which forms the model tor the whole army
Gen. SHERMAN must have been perfectly
we'll aware that even il West Point were not
itself an independent department, 1t would
not cease to enjoy the advantages Of courts
martial. 1t could again, as before, be post
in the Department Of the East, and its dis
cipline would be perfectly well maintained
However, it became obvious in time that,
in spite Of this noisy defence, the military
authorities were about to abandon a ground
so untenable. The change has now come.
Col. WESLEY MERRITT, Fifth Cavalry, Is ap-
pointed Superintendent of the Military
Academy, from Sept 1, 1882; Brig Gen. o..
o. HOWARD Is to be relieved from his duties
at the Academy on the same day, and is as
signed to the Department Of the Platte; and
Brig. Gen. CROOK, on being relieved by Gen.
HOWARD, will take charge Of the Depart
ment Of Arizona, where his experience and
well-known skill in Indian warfare will By
likely to find larger scope than at Omaha.
In the General Order preceding the one
which directed these changes Is the follow
ing announcement:
by direction OF the President, sections l and OF
Article l. of the General Regulations for the United
States Military Academy hereby amended to read AZ
follows: The General q the Army under the War De.
partment, shall have supervision and charge of the
United States Military Academy. He will watch
its administration and discipline and the instruction of
the Corps OF Cadets and will make reports thereof to
the Secretary OF War"
This Is not the only change. The General
Order just quoted declares that So the Mill
tary Department OF West Point will be dis
continued Aug. 20, 1885," and no doubt
this alteration will be an improvement, In
spite OF Gen. SHERMANs argument that 1t
ought not to be made.
1t is probable, however, that the General
Of the Army is so well pleased with these
new arrangements that he is quite willing to
forget his recent plea against them. For. in
the first place, he has had the Military Acad-
envy brought more directly than ever before
under his own official control; and in the
next place he has been able to carry out once
more his idea that the Superintendent should
not be an officer OF the Engineer Corps. Prior
to 1866 the Superintendent was always taken
from this corps, but at that time the field OF
selection was thrown open to the whole army
and since then five successive officers have
been appointed to this post not one of whom
was from the engineers. Last years Board
OF Visitors were plainly in favor OF restoring
the school to the charge OF tho engineers
and there is much to DO said on both sides OF
this question. However, the need OF the
| greatest importance was TO cease to hold up
before the eyes OF the young men preparing
to enter the military service brazen viola.
ton Of the laws And they will now hardly
fail to see that tho establishment Of a mill
tary department at West Point must have
been mere device to hide this violation
since the moment Colonel is appointed
again to the charge Of the school the whole
fabric of the department disappears.