St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1899-04-29
ABUSES IN THE ARMY.
Why There Is No Harmony in Our
Military Establishment
There Are Too Many Independent
Bureaus Whose Heads Are In
Measure Not Responsible
to Anybody.
Especial Washington Letter.

which so much has been said IN the
newspapers, is a measure which has not
been analyzed so that everybody can
understand it.
That the army of this republic IS IN
a disorganized condition must be mani
fest to all of the people; and 1t is not
putting it too strong to say that tne
condition of our army is disgrace TO |
this nation before the peoples OF the
civilized world
This condition, which has brougnt
about all of the war department scan
dals, results from the everlasting con-
fict between the secretary OF war ana
the general commanding the army.
Every general commanding the army
has found himself handicapped and ms
power of command taken from him by
the civilian secretary of war, no mat
ter whether the secretary of war knows
ANYTHING about military affairs OF
not.
When Grant was made lieutenant
general he so well understood now our
armies had been handicapped by orders
from Washington that, IN the presence
| of the cabinet, he accepted the com
mission from President Lincoln, say
ing that he would not retain that COM
mission unless it carried with II lhe
| full command of the army. Gfant was was
| 10 great and powerful atthat time fnat
| President Lincoln gave him the COM
Inand; and from that moment all OF
/ the federal armies moved under one
impulse and direction.
/ When Sherman became general IN
/ command, after Grant became presl-
| dent he assumed command, just as
| Grant had done, and issued orders for
| the appointment of his staff officers.
Sherman expected to have full com
mand, Of course. But Gen. Rawlins was
secretary of war, and he influenced his
| friend, President Grant, to take the
staff officers from the command OF the
general and place them under the COM
mand of the secretary Of war. Presl-
| dent Grant did so. He would not have
taken that stand for anybody on earth
except Rawlins, who had been his warm
est friend and almost his guardian angel
In his days of trouble and peril.
When President Grant took that
stand, Gen. Sherman left Washington
and took up his abode in st. Louis, be-
cause he did not want to be mere hg-
urehead in the war department at the
national capital. Years went by, and
Sherman made his home in St. Louis,
occasionally visiting Washington as
mere matter of form. But he was never
in actual command Of the army.
The result Of Grants orders has been
the disgraceful and scandalous condl-
tions, increasing in disgrace and acrl-
mony from year to year; so that when
the war with Spain began our regular
army and our volunteer army did not
PASS to the command of the senior ma
ior general of the army, but all OF them
, were placed at the mercy of civilian
!. secretary of war, and staff officers who
! were independent of the general under
whose command they should have
] served.
This brief statement contains the ker.
I mel of the causes of all the needless suf
ferings and deaths to which our sol
diers were subjected. Il makes no dif
ference who may be the secretary OF
: war. whether his name is Alger, Nc
4 Creary, Lincoln, Endicott, Proctor OF
. Jones; it is improper that civilian sec
: retary of war should be allowed by fav
to supervise duties of which he mus
'' necessarily be ignorant, while the gen