One officer to every six men; and among them sixty-nine generals.

These are not mere militia heroes, walking about in fine uniforms, but have actual commissions from some one of the many governments that have come and gone, and are entitled to their pay, which they get or do not get, as may happen.
Only a fraction of them know anything whatever about the art of war.
They were political adventurers, friends or relatives of some one in power, or simply speculators who bought their commissions as a sort of illegitimate Government Annuities.

The continual rebellions or pronunciamientos have increased the number of officers still further.
Comonfort's notion of degrading all the officers of the rebel army was a new and bold experiment.

A very common course had been, when a pronunciamiento had been made anywhere against the then existing government, and a revolutionary army had been raised, for an amalgamation to take place between the two forces; intrigue and bribery and mutual disinclination to fight bringing matters to this peaceful kind of settlement.

In this case, it was usual for the rebel officers to retain their self-conferred dignities.
I think this body of soldierless officers is one of the most troublesome political elements at work in the Republic.