American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1824-12-24


scented himself without ceremony, and the sports
he evening we're resumed with better spirits thar
before. o. l..
The .9rmy.-The following remarks relating to
1.-THE Army of the United States and the punishment
of deseres. extracted from late report OF Ma
|jor General Brown to the Hon. John c. Calhoun
Secretary Of War.
/ "The general condition of the army, the state
of its discipline, administration, &C. are as favora.
bic as could be expected The infantry regiments
have perhaps attained much excellence as i.
compatible with the state of its dispersion which
NATURALLY grows out OF the physical relations OF the
Country, and the exigencies Of the public service
| In the artillery regiments, an Important accession
of scientific and experimental knowledge is to be
Expected from the school oil practice, which has
lgone into operation at Fortress Monroe.
| In addition to the intelligence which have above
presented, in obedience to your instructions, have
thought proper to submit, for your consideration,
some reflections upon subject connected, in The
mos Intimate manner, with the welfare OF the army
mean the evil Of deserlion-sn evil which has
grown to serious magnitude, ard exerts an unhap
Ipy influence up the numerical force and efficiency
lot the army, upon its moral character, and upon
The fund appropriated by the for its sup
port. Its effect upon the numerical force and eicien
Icy oil the army is, by Withdrawing from the ranks
la large number OF men, Of whom The greater part
succeed in GLIDING The vigilance Of pursuit, and the
esldue are devoted to hard labor and imprisonment
10 the garrison, which the highest penalties
awarded to The crime; in either their services
las soldiers lost to The army. Its effect upon
the moral character Of the army is, to degrade the
Esprit Of The profession by relaxing its moral ties
and by merging the iniamy OF the crime in the null
duplication oil example Its effect upon The fund
appropriated to the support OF the army is, by in
lcreasing the expenditure Of the recruiting service,
from the necessity of keeping the ranks OF the
army full, by providing a recruit, al considerable
expense, to supply the place Of every deserler who
eludes apprehension.
The comforts which the soldier enjoys from the
liberal provisions of the government. his exemption
from all arbitrary restraint, and the mdness and
regularity which distinguish The administr alton OF
the army, leave no imaginable cause for the pre-
sslency OF deserton, but the Dadequacy of the
punishment annexed to it by law. In time oil
war, it is suppressed by the inflicon Of capital pun
lshment; but ii has not been customary, to nlictI
the sentence of death upon deserters in time oil
peace before the late war, punishment by sripesl
operated as partial, if not efficient, restraint Il
but this mode OF punishment abolished by law
at time WHEN it was deemed necessary, in order
to engage md duas of respectable connexions and
elevated spirit, to enter the ranks, to expunge from
Inc government oil the army every feature which
was repusnaDt TO The moral elevation of man. Ill
has been my opinion thai it would become neces
sary, II the government should continue to enlist
into the army, foreigners, who have generally been
accustomed to the lash, and cannot be easily gov.
erned without it, to revive by law, the punishment
by stripes. under the discretion of courts martial
but, as you have consented to the prohibition oil
their enlistment, it is at least due to the character oil
OUT native soldiery, TO make further experiment
10 govern them without resortng to expedients
which are not altogether in harmony with the ee
MUS OF our institutions or the spirit of the age.
Experience having proved that the established
system OF punishment is inadequate 10 the sup.
preston OF the crime, and that it is vain to rely
altogether upon the influence of moral obligation,
| can conceive no other mode Of securing he fdel
ity OF the soldier than by creating an artificial in
terest, which will bind him 20 The seryice.--Withll
a view to this object, would recommend that pro-
vision be made, by law, to retain portion of his
monthly pay in the hands of the Government, until
the expiration oil his term of enlistment, and 10
make an honorable discharge the condition of its
paym The smallest portion which would +
advise to be retained is one dollar per month, and
the largest portion Two dollars. A sum smaller
than the former would be inadequate to produce in
the soldier the necessary interest, and sum larger
than the latter would make TOO serious an nroad
upon his comforts Assuming the medium, one
dollar and fifty cents, as the proper standard let us
examine its influence upon the army and the public
heasures.-At the expiration Of the first years
service every soldier would have in the possession
OF the Government eighteen dollars al the end of
the second year, thirty SIX dollars and at the ex.
plratIon of his term OF enstment ninety dollars 1
The regular monthly increase of the sum in ex.
pectancy, would be constant increasing motive to
a faithful performance OF his duties and he would