CHAPTER XVI. WAR DEPARTMENT.

 Men, unfortunately, have never been able to so arrange their mutual¹ relations as to dispense² with violent and deadly contests. Although they are less frequent and shorter now than formerly³, they are more costly⁴ and more destructive, and every nation is still, as formerly, obliged to anticipate the possibility of war and to make provision for its sudden occurrence, that it may not be borne down and overwhelmed by the first shock. It is an event so probable, even, and especially if the country should be in a defenseless state, that it has become a maxim⁵ of prudence⁶ with statesmen to avoid war by being prepared for it. The nation that can best repel⁷ an attack is least likely to be attacked.

Most governments, like our own, had their birth and early history in the confusion and devastation⁸ of that great destroyer of life and property; and it is natural that the first leisure of peace should be occupied in preparing themselves, in the most effective manner possible, for both defensive⁹ and offensive operations in case of its return.

The Constitution contemplates¹⁰ the existence of an army and navy for warlike purposes, and makes the President Commander-in-chief of both. The first Congress assembled under the Constitution hastened, in its first session, to provide him an army and navy to command by organizing the Department of War. At its head was placed the Secretary of War, and so necessary was it deemed to the dignity and security of the nation that he was made one of the principal officers of the government, having a seat in the cabinet and being regarded as one of the advisers¹¹ of the Chief Magistrate¹². He is appointed by the President with the consent of the Senate. A Chief Clerk, to be appointed by the Secretary, was[292] provided for by the act of 1789 creating the Department, who was the second authority in it, and acted as Secretary, in case of a vacancy¹³; but when the Civil War raised this Department to great prominence¹⁴, in 1861, a law was passed authorizing¹⁵ the appointment of an Assistant Secretary, and, in 1863, two additional Assistant Secretaries were provided for by law; all to be appointed by the President. This last measure was temporary only, designed to expire when returning peace should reduce the Department to its ordinary condition.

At first the affairs of the national navy were managed by the Secretary of War. This was changed, as we shall see, when our commerce and foreign relations became more important.

The Secretary of War ranks next to the President in military authority and dignity, and has the whole oversight¹⁶, under him, of the army and its affairs. He makes out military commissions to be signed by the President, has the care of providing for the support, clothing, pay, and equipment of the army, and of all military stores required to keep the army in efficient drill, and in readiness against a possible war. He has the care of all books, records, and papers relating to the army and to military affairs. The names, grades, time of enlistment¹⁷, term of service, and time of mustering¹⁸ out of all officers and privates in the army, whether in the regular or volunteer service, are to be found in his office. All military accounts are kept and adjusted under his supervision¹⁹. These cares and duties have become so numerous and important as to require a careful organization of the Department into sub-departments, or bureaus, as the Commissary’s, the Quartermaster’s, and the Ordnance²⁰ bureaus. The general management of the whole depending on the Secretary of War, he evidently requires to be a man of judgment²¹, thoroughly²² versed²³ in military affairs, and of eminent²⁴ organizing ability.

A Solicitor²⁵, to have charge of the legal business of this Department, was provided for by law in 1863, to be appointed by the President and the Senate.

[293]

SECRETARIES OF WAR.

 

Henry Knox, Mass., Sept. 12, 1789.

Timothy Pickering, Pa., Jan. 2, 1795.

James McHenry, Md., Jan. 27, 1796.

James Marshall, Va., May 7, 1800.

Samuel Dexter, Mass., May 13, 1800.

Roger Griswold, Ct., Feb. 3, 1801.

Henry Dearborn, Mass., March 5, 1801.

William Eustis, Mass., March 7, 1809.

John Armstrong, N. Y., Jan. 13, 1813.

James Monroe, Va., Sept. 27, 1814.

William H. Crawford, Ga., March 2, 1815.

Isaac Shelby, Ky., March 5, 1817.

G. Graham, Va., April 7, 1817.

John C. Calhoun, S. C., Oct. 8, 1817.

James Barbour, Va., March 7, 1825.

Peter B. Porter, N. Y., May 26, 1828.

J. H. Eaton, Tenn., March 9, 1829.

Lewis Cass, Mich., Aug. 1, 1831.

Benjamin F. Butler, N. Y., March 3, 1837.

Joel R. Poinsett, S. C., March 7, 1837.

John Bell, Tenn., March 5, 1841.

John McLean, O., Sept. 13, 1841.

John C. Spencer, N. Y., Oct. 12, 1841.

James M. Porter, Pa., March 8, 1843.

William Wilkins, Pa., Feb. 15, 1844.

William L. Marcy, N. Y., March 5, 1845.

George W. Crawford, Ga., March 6, 1849.

Charles M. Conrad, La., Aug. 8, 1850.

Jefferson Davis, Miss., March 5, 1853.

John B. Floyd, Va., March 6, 1857.

Joseph Holt, Ky., Dec. 30, 1860.

Simon Cameron, Pa., March 5, 1861.

Edwin M. Stanton, Pa., Jan. 13, 1862.

[294]Ulysses S. Grant, Ill., 1868.

J. M. Schofield, 1868.

John A. Rawlins, Ill., Mch. 5, ’69. Died Sept. 6, ’69.

Wm. T. Sherman, Sept. 9, 1869.

Wm. W. Belknap, Oct. 25, 1869.

” ” reappointed March 17, 1873.

1 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

2 dispense   

vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施

参考例句：

• Let us dispense the food.咱们来分发这食物。
• The charity has been given a large sum of money to dispense as it sees fit.这个慈善机构获得一大笔钱，可自行适当分配。

3 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 maxim   

n.格言，箴言

参考例句：

• Please lay the maxim to your heart.请把此格言记在心里。
• "Waste not,want not" is her favourite maxim.“不浪费则不匮乏”是她喜爱的格言。

6 prudence   

n.谨慎，精明，节俭

参考例句：

• A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.不够谨慎可能会导致财政上出现问题。
• The happy impute all their success to prudence or merit.幸运者都把他们的成功归因于谨慎或功德。

7 repel   

v.击退，抵制，拒绝，排斥

参考例句：

• A country must have the will to repel any invader.一个国家得有决心击退任何入侵者。
• Particles with similar electric charges repel each other.电荷同性的分子互相排斥。

8 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

10 contemplates   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的第三人称单数 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• She contemplates leaving for the sake of the kids. 她考虑为了孩子而离开。
• Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them. 事物的美存在于细心观察它的人的头脑中。

11 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

12 magistrate   

n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官

参考例句：

• The magistrate committed him to prison for a month.法官判处他一个月监禁。
• John was fined 1000 dollars by the magistrate.约翰被地方法官罚款1000美元。

13 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

14 prominence   

n.突出；显著；杰出；重要

参考例句：

• He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
• This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。

15 authorizing   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Letters of Marque: Take letters from a warning friendly power authorizing privateering. 私掠许可证：从某一个国家获得合法抢劫的证书。
• Formal phavee completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phavee. 阶段的正式完成不包括核准随后的阶段。

16 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

17 enlistment   

n.应征入伍，获得，取得

参考例句：

• Illness as a disqualification for enlistment in the army. 疾病是取消参军入伍资格的一个原因。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• One obstacle to the enlistment of able professors was that they had to take holy orders. 征聘有才能的教授的障碍是他们必须成为牧师。 来自辞典例句

18 mustering   

v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的现在分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发

参考例句：

• He paused again, mustering his strength and thoughts. 他又停下来，集中力量，聚精会神。 来自辞典例句
• The LORD Almighty is mustering an army for war. 这是万军之耶和华点齐军队，预备打仗。 来自互联网

19 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

20 ordnance   

n.大炮，军械

参考例句：

• She worked in an ordnance factory during the war.战争期间她在一家兵工厂工作。
• Shoes and clothing for the army were scarce,ordnance supplies and drugs were scarcer.军队很缺鞋和衣服，武器供应和药品就更少了。

21 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

22 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

23 versed   

adj. 精通，熟练

参考例句：

• He is well versed in history.他精通历史。
• He versed himself in European literature. 他精通欧洲文学。

24 eminent   

adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的

参考例句：

• We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
• He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。

25 solicitor   

n.初级律师，事务律师

参考例句：

• The solicitor's advice gave me food for thought.律师的指点值得我深思。
• The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case.律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。