Year: 1862




We print this morning, Gov. Morton's
memorial to Congress urging upon that
body the necessity for increasing the pay
of private soldiers. The reasons given
by the Governor for this increase of pay
are weighty. They must strike every
one as unanswerable. The only possible
excuse to be urged why the step sugges-
ted by the Governor should not immcdi
ately be taken, is, that the Government
already Staggering under a load of
public expenditures and constantly in
creasing debt-cannot stand so heavy an
addition to its expenses; that such an in
crease of pay will be the last straw to
break the camePs back


1t strikes us that this objection is
easily removed While it is true, as
Gov. Morton suggests, that the increase
of pay will proportionately increase the
efficiency of the army, by preventing de-
sertions, and cheering the hearts of the
soldiers with the reflection that their
families are comfortable in their absence,
the difference between what their SER
vices would be under such increase of
pay, and what they are, might not be
equal to the difference in the cost to the
Government. There is a simple way,
however, to provide for an increase of
pay to the privates without putting the
Government to any additional expense.


When regiments leave their recruiting
encampments in the various states, they
are expected to number 1000 men each,
with full corps Of officers. None of
these regiments are in the field three
months before they dwindle down to
700 or 800 men; but, under the system
hitherto pursued by the Government, the
number Of officers neuer decreases AS
fast as one resigns, dies of sickness, or
is killed in battle, another is appointed
to fill his place Thus the Government
is to-day paying as much for commits
stoned officers to command one hundred
and fifty or two hundred men, in scores
of regiments, as it ought to pay for the
proper guidance or direction of 1000
Is not the mere naming of this evil
enough to point out the necessity tor its
immediate removal? We know of com
panies in the service, every member of
which, is commissioned or non-com-
missoned officer There is no necessity
for this condition of affairs We cannot
see, when a regiment is mustered into
the service complete-rank and file
why the officers cannot take their chan
ces with the men. AS the fortunes of
war decrease the number of privates
whose places are not filled, why fill the
places of officers as their numbers de-
crease? If it takes forty or fifty officers
to control and manage 1000 men when
they first enter the service, it certainly
does not require the same number OF
officers to look after $50 or 200 veterans.


But it may be urged that this course
would cut off promotions and rob the
officers and soldiers of all incentives to
deeds of daring" This would not be
the effect A large majority Of our vol
unteers did not enlist either for pay or
glory. They took up arms for the sole
purpose of saving their government and
preserving the Union. Some promo
tions would of necessity occur anyhow,
and these promotions would be the more
desirable from the greater merit requir-
ed to obtain them.


By adopting such a policy as this
filing tLo vacancies of commissioned of
fcers no faster than the ranks of the pri-
vates-the Government would save more
than enough money to pay every volun-
teer in the army his SIS or $lS per month.
But if this is deemed unadFisable, we
cannot see any objection that can be
urged against the consolidation of frag.
mentary regiments until they come up to
the maximum standard The only OBJ.
lection would be on the part of officers
who are drawing large salaries while
they do no work. Consolidation could
be easily accomplished by retain
ing the numbers of regiments who
have won for themselves national
reputation. Members of regiments
which have been frittered away by
sickness and guard duty, without ever
smelling gunpowder, would have no OBJ
lection to being united with such regi.
ments as the l4th, 18th, llth, and others
that we might name, who have passed
through the storm of many battles, and
always with honor.


Let US have some such arrangement
as this, and an Immediate increase OF
the pay of private soldiers.