Year: 1870

Blow at Ono or Our National Bull


Mr.. Logan in presenting for the considera-
tidh of the House of Representatives bill ito
reduce the number of officers in the army"
seems to forget the changes which have taken
place in this country within the past ten years,
the importance of the regular army in any con-
tingencies which may arise, the meritorious
services Of those who fought side by side with
him during the civil war, and the immense in
crease Of the responsibility of our govern
ment in the unparalleled development of the
territorial and other resources of the country
Again, our neighbors are very differently cir
cumstanced in regard to US from what they were
before the great rebellion. Cuba is battling for
independence, and her mistress, Spain, loses
no opportunity to insult the American flag, and
the British possessions on our Northern frontier
are united in confederation, under one gov
ernment, presenting stronger front than ever
before. Yet Mr.. Logan, in view of all these
things, proposes to reduce our already override
pleted army staff to standard which will
render it utterly inefficient. When we consider
our vast extent of frontier and the nomad
tribes of Indians we have to keep in proper
subsection, especially since the tide Of emigra-
tion is steadily overspreading their hunting
grounds, it is a matter of astonishment that the
government should permit the army staff to be
reduced to its present inadequate standard.


In his speech in favor Of his bill Mr.. Logan
40 hiatt of Of t,o tod Cfato
Is not only much greater in proportion to the
number of troops Of the line but actually con-
sists of larger number Of officers than the
staff OF the French and other European armies.
We can only express our astonishment at a
soldier with such brilliant record as Mr.
Logan gained during the civil war making
such wild assertion. The facts are that,
while the staff of the French army consists of
six hundred and ten officers, the number of
officers in the United States army discharging
corresponding duties is twenty nine. Besides,
In our service the quartermaster, commits
sary and pay departments form part of the
general staff of the army, while in those of the
French and other continental armies they are
unknown, except as part of the regimental or
ganization and the medical, engineer, and in
some countries the ordnance departments, are
distinct from the staff and form no part of it.
Had Mr.. Logan confined himself to correcting
one abuse which has crept into the staff of the
army, namely, the promscuous grants Of
brevets, he would have employed his time and
influence to better purpose. Here is an evil
which demands correction. Brevets had their
origin in the reward Of meritorious services in
the field, but now, like the Legion of Honor in
France, they are granted on the most frivolous
pretexts. In some cases their injudicious dis
tributon reminds one Of the days gone by in
Mississippi and Texas, when every one was
general or colonel. This abuse can be easily
corrected, but not by such sweeping process
as that contemplated in Mr.. Logan's bill. The
regular army has increased within the last ten
years from nineteen regiments to sixty, and
still the increase has not been in proportion to
the necessities of the situation. We must pay
more attention now to our regular army than
we did before the late rebellion. It served as
a bulwark when that strife broke out, and
without its timely assistance the bonds of our
Union would have been severed forever. 1t
should be the duty Of Congress, and every citi-
zen besides, to preserve intact this bulwark of
our national greatness, and not knock away
its props by depriving it of its vital energies
the officers and staff If more attention were
paid to the efficiency and proper strength of
the army and navy we would not have so
much trouble with the Indians, who seem to
have it all their own way on the Plains, or re-
ceive SO many insults in foreign waters from
the insolent navies Of other nations. II we
desire to maintain the proud position in the
world to which we ere entitled we must keep
both army and navy on footing commen-
surate with our greatness as nation. Mr..
Eogans bill is calculated to destroy every
vestige of it.


WHAT TIE TAMMANY SAOHEMs SHOULD
Now Do-Close the doors Of the Wigwam
against apostates and conspirators, have new
general commi,tes appointed and vigorous