The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-08-24

as brigadier generals. There have been some not familiar with the administra- of the military branches of the govern ment who expressed surprise that so many high rank officers should be re- tired from the active list at once: but they need only refer to the provisions Of the bill which passed the last congress, to the effect that such officers of the army ''who served ereditably during the civil war sor not less than one year and have a total service of not less than thirty-ave years" and who apply to be retired, shall be so retired, with the next higher grade than that held on the active list. These promo tions and retirements show that with in another decade there will not be an officer on the active list Of the army who participated in the war between the north and the south. There are now os the civil war contingent on the active list below the rank of general only these: Seven in the quartermas- ter generals department, three in the commissary generals department, two medical officers, three pay officers, eight engineer officers. six ordnance officers, eight cavalry officers, fifteen artillery officers and twenty-four of the infan- try. or total of seventy-seevn. tt.
 Officers Of both army and navy are recognized as honorable servants of the government who, when they ask to be retired. ask for nothing more than the fulflllment of the contract under which they have served so many years. When the retired list was established in the early part of the civil war, it was for the express purpose of pensioning de- serving officers of long service and those whc should become incapacitated by reason of wounds or other exigen- cies of the service It was also intend ed to relieve the highest grades of wor- thy but superannuated officers and to insure regular promotions. A retired list for every army and navy has been recognized as necessary in the interests of the government and of the individual of the government. in order to secure the efficiency of it's services; of the iil- dividual, to provide place and pro- vision for those unfit for duty in conse- quence of long service and casualties, <
 The first law authorizing the retire. ment of army officers was passed by congress in August, 1861 By this act officers of more than forty years. com secutive service could be retired by the president, and officers incapable of performing the duties of their offices were to be brought before the retiring board for examination. If found by this board ''incapacitated for active service they were to be retired differently, ac- cording as the incapacity resulted from cause incident to the service or other wise. The first retiring board was as- sembled August r, 1861, the officers of forty years service were invited to make application to be retired. The first officer announced in orders as re- X tired was Lieutenant General Winfield Scott, he being retired upon his own ap- plication on November 1, 1861. On De 'cenber 5, 1861, an order was published announcing as taking effect at various dates. the retirement of thirty officers
 in addition to General Scott. It had been hoped that thefprovision of the act of August. 1861, would have been sutf1- ,cient to produce the desired end name ,ly. the filling of the higher ranks with officers of bodily power vigorous enough to perform every duty required from them in time of war. But this hope was a vain one
 In July, 1862, seeond act was passed which authorized the president to retire
 at his discretion, any officer who had been on the army register forty-hve years, or who was of the age of sixty two. The effect of this law was prompt and up to September i, 1863, the presi- dent retired under it, two generals three colonels, three lieutenant colonels and four majors In July, 1866. con gross passed an act providing that off cers retired for disability for wounds received in battle might be retired with the full rank held by them on the active list, whether in the regular or volunteer service, when wounded. About sixty of this class were retired before the law was repealed, in 1872. In March, 1869
 congress passed an act reducing and consolidating the army, and in July, 1870, addition legislation directed the muster out of all supernumerary offi- cers. To prevent hardship falling upon old officers under this act, some ot whom would be left unprovided for, congress authorized the retirement, up- on their own application, of officers who had been thirty years in the ser vice. At the same time it fixed the to- tai number of officers on the retired list not to exceed 300 at any time, In June, 1S7S,, congress, by a clause in the army appropriation bill, Increased the retired list and limited 1t to 400. In 1883 the re- tirement law was amended to change
 the compulsory limit from sixty-twc years, and to read and when an officer is sixty-four years of age he shall be retired from active service and be plac- ed on the retired list" Other modifiea- tions have been made in the law from time to time, respecting the limit of number, etc c--New York Tribune.