The sun., 1889-11-07
THB COMMANDING eKNEnAL.

!
The Movement TO Revive the Grade oi
LieutenAnt-GenernI In the American Array.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6-The ground taken
| by Gen. Breokinridgo In favor Of giving to the
ofiicer who commands the army the rank Of
Lfeutenant.GenerAl foreshadows the introduc-
tion OF bill for that purpose In the Fffty-frst
Congress. II is admitted that the grade Is not
| necessity. but there are sundry reasons urged
In favor OF the project lhat have gained II a
certain degree OF support
In the fret place 10 is argued that the highest
ofice In the army OF a great nation ought TO
carry at loast that grade, II not the one OF full
General. This command Is not limited TO the
inere numerical force represented by an active
list OF 25,O00 enlisted men and enough officers.
( cadets and retired officers and men to put the
aggregate above 10000. That might we'll bo q
Major Generals command. II organized as a
single army CORPS. 1t really denotes not only .
great variety OF interests but very complex
system OF duties. 1t is the military establish
ment OF 60000,000 people, covering an enor-
nous area and distributed among hundreds Of
citations, with frontier OF thousands. OF miles
try would be held by an ofiicer possessing o
much higher rank than that OF Major-GeneraL
quarter Of % centary With I The VsSs sxeepton S Of the
interval sinco the death of Gen, sheridan
either by . General or Lieutenant. General.
and command will be made more harmonious.
both for peace and war; by rsvivinR the grade
ape SIX and the eS
divisions under three MRjor-G enerals. a Lieu
IS desSn s ands4 fS
aysy hardly hS he shpq sng sn.s
Major-General without the accompanying
Eapsa apk and PAX IN the same Eay s thou GIT
duties. responsibilltie and expenses OF an Of
tleer, commanding the army and living. in
eign miIlt ltary guests as head OF the army. on
rank and pay inferior to those which have ac-
civil war. In case Of the outbreak Of war. the
advantage of higher rank in the commanding
o1icer would be obvious.
the rnatn objection TO the revival of the grade
Of Lieutenant Gen eral is that It seems unjust
he served and that Gen Miles, to whom the
retirement for age should ENJOY @ grade not
conferred on Meade and Hancock. his old COM
E6io 6 It should "t NOT @ nterero % with p Practical
sSonsidsrations GO Genuine reputation rSaHo cannot
reached the grade Of Major Generah although
not 70 higher. There 81 have been many % dsnerais ne ais
and Lieutenant Generals In foreign. services
Besides. It is admitted that the original
bounds In creating those grades were over
stepped. When Grant was made General.
Sherman. who under him. had commanded
all the great armies OF the West, was naturally
made Lieutenant-Goneral. But whom once
Sherman had become full General In his turn,
Sheridan rising to tho vacancy as Lieutenant
General. Congress- felt that It had accom-
plished enough In that direction. and provided
that the two grades should lapse whom thoy
should cease to be held by those incumbents.
Hence. when Gen. Sherman was retired Gen.
Sheridan remained only Lieutenant GEN.
eral for many years, until in fine tribute to
that gallant soldier Congress- gave to him the |
grade Of General In his last hours, although 1t |
had withheld 1t always I'LL then But 1t is ad- |
mitted that no question Of personal tribute Is |
now under discussion. The reasons urged by |
Con: Broekinridge would apply in a, subse-
taken part in the civil war, the grade of Lieu- |
tenant General or General resulting from the |
reached by them. There is much. no doubt, |
TO DO said on both sides OF the question and |
the action Of Congress can hardly be predicted. |