and respect which belong to rank

and conttoind can nes el be secured.

All that hue been urged in favor of retaining It with

us in the danger of political or personal Inver govern­

ing a Yolertlon. Their tune be danger from thin source,

but, by the rule of seniority, the weizr of of any

awn inn it, if lie lives, conic to ho one of the most im­

portant and responsible unicorn under the tiovernmeut

—the colonel of a regiment Ily selection, It in ponnible

that the very bent mos not alu cyn be chosen, though

the chancre are In favor of thin hypotheses; certain­

ly the very worst never rill be, and this In surely a gain

un the present rule.

To correct then° and other evils, I would urge no to

provide by hw for the construction of the regiments of

horse, artillery, and infantry, rig to approach them, tos

far an our clrcionntancen require, to the piactiee of all

nation+ long experienced in war, and so ne admit their

contractiou for peace and their re expansion in war

without altering thin bogie.

Thin can be dune without any increase of officers or

men, or augmentation of expense, by inerolv arranging

those already In service, on the companies of earls

corp. to sell the end proposed.

To place the staff In proper relation to the rest of the

army, the law should collect all the officers doing that

branch of itety into one cerps,to be assigned by authority

of the President to such duties as may seem to be best

fitted for, securing to each the rank and relative posi­

tion be now holes, But, as 1103110 staff corps are confined

to duties requiring special instruction and long rope-

Hence, their separate organization might be retained.

A general provision dispensing with the staff bureaux,

and &lug the President authority to regulate the du­

ties on the principles above stated, and to transfer,

when necessary, officers to and from the line And staff,

would restore the Institution to Its proper effectiveness.

Thus, tho staff near the War Department, representing

the authority of the constitutional corninender•ln-chief

of the army and navy, would bear the mime relation to

him as the staff attached to a corps to the field have to

the colonel or general who commands it

To avoid, for the future the difficulties attending

brevet rank, the best plan Is to create, permanently,

the general offices now exercised muter brevets, making

as many major-generals and brigadier generals en the

strength of the army requires. rids would afford pro•

motion to many brevet officers of Inferior rank, and

thus absorb nearly all ; as the strength of the