The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-08
Retires from Active Service al
 the Age of 64
ISSUES 4 FINAL ADDRESS
Unswerving Devotion to the Govern ment on the Principles Established By Washington Is Essential
 to Efficiency of Army.

Washington. D. C., August 7.--Lieut. Gen. Nelson A. Miles. commanding the army, will retire from active service at noon tomorrow, having reached the age limit of sixty-four years.
 The following order was prepared today and will be issued tomorrow:
 Washington, D. C. August T. 1903.
 "The retirement from active service of Lieut.. Gen. Nelson A. Miles, U. s. A.. by operation of law under provision of act of congress approved June 30, 1882. is announced. Lieutenant General Miles will proceed to his home. The travel enjoined is necessary for the public service.
 By order of secretary of War.
 I'll. C. CORBIN. Adjutant General.
 'Major General, U. s. A"
 Several other orders resulting from the retirement of General Miles have been issued. one assigning Lieutenant General Young, to the command of the army, until August 15 when he will assume the duties of chief of stan. and assigning Major Gen eral Corbn as president of the Soldiers Home board. another Brlgadier General Gillespie as president of the board of ordinance, and fertilization and still an- other assigning Lieutenant General Young as member of the Sherman statue com- l mission.
 Miles Issues Address.
 General Miles has issued the following address on the occasion of his retirement l from active service;
 ] General order, No. 11e. headquarters of l the army, Washington, August 6. 1908:
 Tn accordance with the provisions of | the act of congress of June 30. 1882 the undersigned will retire from the active service August 8, 1903.
 Tn reiinquishing the coumand of the army of the United States, to which he was assigned by the President October q 1ss5, he hereby acknowledges his appre- citation of the fidelity manifested by the officers and soldiers during the past eventful years.
 To those who were his companions and associates during one of the greatest of all wars he takes pleasure in expressing his qualification that they nave lived through the trials and danger of long service to witness the results of the for tune, heroism and unselfish devotion to the welfare of their country. They have also in a most commendabie manner ex- emplihed to the younger generation of soldiers those principles of discipline and patriotism which make the army the protector and defender, and never the menace of the nation and its liberties.
 Devotion Is Essential. "Unswerving devotion to our govern ment and the principles upon which 1t was established. and has been maintain ] ed, is essential to the efficiency of the national forces, and especially is this 80 in democratic government where the ih- dvidual, In order to be a perfect solz. dier. must first be true citizen The boast that every soldier of great nation carried a marshal's baton in his knap- l sack is in a higher sense more than l equalled in significance by the fact that every American soldier personifes sov- ereign citizenship, and may by his own conduct exemplify impar.ial justice to those who have never experienced it. and the results of the highest liberty to those who have been strangers to 1t, thereby aiding to secure for his country a moral otherwise unattainabe.
 During the darkest hour of our his- | tory the first commander of the Ameri- can forces demonstrated the grandeur and nobility of his character by combat l ing the evil influence then pervading the army and by manifestlng the strongest confidence and faith in the ultimate jus tice and integrity of his government. Ills words of wisdom uttered at Newburg l l20 years ago had the effort of inspiring nnexampled patriotism and patient view. 1 rising superior to the pressure of the most complicated sufferings
 Has Maintained Principles.
 'It is one of the glories Of our country that the army has maintained those prln- clples for more than a century ''The commanders of the army succeed ing Washington have by their example. influence and orders engendered and maintained the highest degree of onficien- cy. discipline and patriotism.
 Since it's organization the army has haa ~hu rnith erroa rf,fxr .F sponsibillties all subordinate to defend- Ing the country and maintaining the rights of it's citizens In the discharge of it's manifold duties the army has con- fronted enemies representing every stage of human development from the highest civilization obtained to savagery and bar i barism. It has ever. been It's duty to ob- serve in war those chivalric and humane principles by which inevitable horrors are so greatly mitigated, while by un- 1 yielding prosecution of warfare against armed forces its valor has been demon- strated.
 A New Obligation. l The events of recent years have placed | upon the army a new obligation and an | opportunity for a broader exempihca- tion of it's counrys principles. The l United States army Is now brought into daily communication with millions of people to whom its individual members of every grade are the opponents of Ann erican civilization. A serious duty and a great honor are now presented tp ev- cry officer and soldier, namely, to ex- emplify to those with whom he comes in contact our countrys principles of equal and exact justice, immunity from violence, equality before the law and the peaceful use and possession of his own "Marked changes at different times have occurred in the strength and origin of the army, resulting from divers in iuence and various experiments have been tried. Time has rectified errors in the past and will do so in the future.
 "The lieutenant general has faith that under all circumstances the army will maintain It's high character and that it's future will be as honorable and glorious as has been its history in the past. His earnest solicitude and hest wishes will aver follow the fortunes hf fhe army