The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-11

TO the front with a claim that If anybody
was entitled to that rank he was the Off
Ger to be thus honored by the presidents
or Congress, in view of the fact that he
was then the senior major general.
1t was not until March, 1S49 after Gen.
Scott had won renown in the Mexican
war, that he was honored with the brevet
of lieutenant general which he held until
his death in 1866 There has always been
a conflict in the army over brevets, and
no doubt will be as long as they continue
to be conferred. Gen. Scott, under his
breVet, claimed TO rank Gen. Grant, who
was made a full lieutenant general. He
commended that the act creating the full
rank expressly provided" that nothing
in it should affect the rank, pay and emol-
uments of Brevet Lieutenant General
Winfield Scott, and to his dying day he
claimed to have been FIRST in rank and
precedence in the army of the United
States" until Grant was made full gen.
eral. Gen. Scott so wrote to me from
Elizabeth, N. j., just before his death.
The contention of Gen. Scott in 1928 that
if any officer was to be put in supreme
command of the army under the President,
it should be the ranking major general,
has been followed largely except where
there was lieutenant general or general
to hold that high office. Lieut.. Gen. L.
- III ant WIN was the SSCOiO OlllCSi ii
our army to hold this full rank, was as
signed to the command of all the armies
of the United States" on March TO- 1864.
Then Congress, on July %, 1865, revived
the never used title of General of the
Army of the United States" and Grant
unlike Washington, gladly accepted 1t and
became the first full general of our army
Later on Lieut.. Gen. Sherman and Lieut..
Gen. Sheridan were promoted to that
rank, and Maj. Gen. Schofeld (now re-
tired was made lieutenant general.
The point made by Gen. Washington
and accepted pretty generally in high adj
mnistration circles at the time-that the
rank of general of the army of the United
States would put the officer holding il in
position to entrench upon the constitu-
tiOnal prerogatves OF the President, was
well founded, as was seen during the civil
war, and as has transpired under a les
ser rank in the present war. 1t will be well
therefore, in the proposed reorganization
of the army to clearly define the duties
of the full general and the two lieutenant
generals, and also of the Secretary of war
and adjutant general, that they may not
encroach upon each others authority, as
has been done in the past.
In the days of Washington a different
condition of things existed, and his re-
fusal TO accept the rank and title offered
him, although many felt that he was hui
inflated with lower rank, was evidence
enough that there could be no conflict OF
authority between him and The
President or Secretary Of War. He fully
! recognized the supreme control of the
President as the sole commander-in-chiet
of the army, and did not wish to assume
any rank or position in which he might
as he said, even touch" upon the fun2-
lions of the President. Let US hope that
this same subordinate ana patriotic spirit
may pervade the mind and heart of our
next fun general Sidney Herbert